The month has gone by so fast. And yet I feel like I have felt so many different things in such a short period of time. Mostly relief, excitement, and a bit of confusion. However, Aix had been very kind to me and helped me throughout all my ups and downs so far. I have a great host family whom I like very much, I’ve made good friends at IAU, I know good lunch spots who won’t cost me too much money (seems silly but honestly has helped me so much with budgeting) and I’ve just come back from my first trip throughout France and Aix is starting to feel even more like another ‘home’.
I came back from Nice. Me and 3 other friends rented an Airbnb for the weekend and jumped on the bus. It felt so exciting to discover what the city had to offer without having to plan everything carefully, even though we didn’t have that much time. I feel like sometimes leaving it to the moment and to destiny might be the best option, as the unexpected ideas and events can be the most memorable and fun. Our only plan was that we needed to enjoy the beautiful beach that Nice has. Thus, we woke up early both Saturday and Sunday to visit the rocky shore. Starting the day off with the stunningly blue water of the French Riviera and the gentle yet warm sun made the morning laziness go away instantly and prepared us for whatever the day would have to offer.
Right behind the beach and next to our Airbnb was a flower/food/fresh products street market, which followed our beach mornings. So many colors, smells, people and energy. These markets are amongst my favorite things here, not only in Nice but throughout all of France. Being able to buy a whole meal (not to mention with products that are local and organic), seat at the fountains and have little picnics is such a small thing that means so much to me and my friends here. It’s simple moments like those that make us remember these places. Our mornings smelled like freshly baked baguettes and sweet figs, a memory I will hold dear from our trip in Nice.
During the day, there were so many things we could do, as Nice is a mixture of big modern city and cultural-historical city. Thus, we decided to mix it up too: going to the Modern Art Museum and the shopping district, as well as walking and biking through the small alleys around the Old City and having Fenocchio gelato (so famous and delicious! I had lavender, orange blossom, and lychee gelato). Time went by slowly, luckily, and I felt I could remember every second passing by. That’s how my time has been in France, which I am so grateful for.
Life moves at a different pace here and I am loving it. There’s no rush and you can take the time to appreciate what is around you. And I am in no rush either! Even though I miss both my Brazilian and American homes, I feel like this is just another home I am going to miss later too. Thus, I want to be able to have many good memories to connect this experience to.
I have already done so many things during my time here, such as climbing Mont Sainte-Victoire (famous in Cézanne’s paintings), participating in wine-tastings and cooking workshops, thrift shopping, watched an orchestra, participated in local choir practices, among other daily adventures. Yet, so much lies ahead and I am so ready for it. There will always be ups and downs but I am not worried. I will deal with them as time goes by!