Well and truly into 2011, I am reflecting on the past few months and I realise just how far I have come. Last night a friend from my course had drinks at her apartment and after spending a really fun time with her and her friends, I realised just how much French I have learnt. I was able to contribute to and understand the majority of conversation - with the exception of some very French slang jokes which were later explained to me in simple broken down French. It was a really rewarding feeling.
This morning I spoke to my dearest Elly D'Melly, my greatest and longest friend at home. She reminded me just how important it is to keep writing about my experiences. Life is short and if not recalled now, they never will be and not only will I forget what I have done but my friends and family may forget about me and that I would hate!
It is Friday night, and I am home with a red wine on my last few days of holidays before I go back to the madness. I have spent the entire day shopping in Montmartre under the famous Sacre Coeur for fabric for the collection that I will begin to design and make. It's pacing through the streets in a rush and taking the shortcut alley ways to avoid the tourists and crowds that that remind me that I have taken more than a couple of baby steps forward. I almost start to feel like an overused rag around this area as I am there so often picking up bits and pieces for college and recognizing the same people. Familiarity is a good thing in Paris. It's almost special if someone remembers your face. You know you have done something right!
I have been on holidays for the last two weeks (winter break). Like most students, I took one week off and during the other I worked on progressing my collection a little - highly recommended by the teachers. For the first five days of my holidays I went to Milano to visit my two girlfriends now living, working and becoming very bellissimo (I think I should stick to French). It was a great feeling, leaving Paris on my last day and arriving in Milan 1h and 15mins later. I arrived and the girls took me straight out for some solid pizza boy food. We ate countless pizzas, caught up on a whole year of stories, and during the weekend we went to their fresh food markets, had a picnic lunch in the SUN, saw The Last Supper and by the last day, I felt very spoilt. I returned to Paris and after a minute I left again! This time it was to Normandy to spend the last four days of my first week of holidays with Franny - a dear friend of mine who has recently returned to her home town Caen after five years of living in Brisbane, Australia. We walked along the beach (in our jackets and scarves), making the most of the temperamental weather (with which I still have trouble). We cooked, drank, and exchanged many stories. Both trips were mini holidays - just perfect. They were just what I needed to rejuvenate me for the next four intensive months of our final collections and presentations.
I leave you with this photo I took from our balcony in Paris as the sun was setting. I just think how lucky I am every time I look at this photo, or better still, when I stand on our balcony!
Reporting shortly with a few special photos over my Christmas and New Year festivities - celebrated with an army of friends and family travellers !
Je vous embrasse très fort,
Maria xx
