Finding Time

Today a few students and I visited the ancient fishing village of Trentemoult, situated along the southern side of the Loire river from Nantes. In order to reach Trentemoult from centre-ville, one has to take a 'navibus,' which docks every few minutes from the Gare Maritime tram stop. The ile is filled with colorful houses, quaint gardens, and an overall sense of cheery relaxation. Some houses even have shared attics which, in the past, allowed fishermen and thier families to visit each other and avoid the rising level of the river during its tides. Needless to say, when I went, everyone whipped out their phones and was ready to capture some Instagram-perfect moments. 

 

There was something wistful about having to take a boat in order to get to Trentemoult. Even though it was all of 10 minutes, it still felt like an adventure to me. All of the buildings in Trentemoult were so colorful and there were even a few palm trees. (How? I don't know.) But, this small excursion made me realize how much I've yet to experience in Nantes and how little time I have left here. Somehow the weeks have flown by and it is already March. (Which means I have a bunch of midterms to finish and final projects to start!) But I don't regret how I've spent my time here. As far as travel goes, I'd classify myself as a 'thorough explorer.' Which, in my own terms, means I like to soak up the atmosphere of a place as opposed to trying to hit every monument in the least amount of time possible.

 

In enjoying Nantes for its atmosphere I have found out more about myself and how I want to live my life in the future. I've realized I like cities that have a variety of things to do but aren't too crowded. I'd prefer an apartment over a house, and I like having Sundays with nothing to do. Time is weird when studying abroad, I can see myself living in Nantes when I'm older, but I can also imagine myself not feeling the need to return.