The two adjectives I hear (and use) most frequently since arriving in Nantes a week and a half ago are “fatigué” (tired) and “enthousiaste” (excited). Everyone is constantly tired due to our full schedule of orientation activities and the difficulty of listening to and speaking French all the time. But at the same time, we’re all so happy about everything we’ve been doing that the exhaustion is put aside in favor of excitement.
It is surprising how tiring it is simply communicating in French. By the end of the day when I’m watching TV with my host mother, I can barely follow what’s going on because it would require far more focus and energy than I have left to process what the people on TV are saying. Luckily my host mother is very understanding and summarizes the news for me, speaking slowly and clearly.
When I am not too tired to comprehend French, I am always very excited for what I get to do next. In the short time I have been in France, I have seen two beautiful cities, five chateaux, a hockey game, and the inside of many boulangeries (I’m always in the mood for a pain au chocolat). This week I am looking forward to the beginning of classes and a trip to Paris for the weekend! La vie est belle!
