Au revoir or adieu?

So it's taken me over two months to finally sit down and write this post, for which I apologise.  My seven months as a language assistant were full of highs and lows, but the final few weeks were the most extreme in that respect, perhaps even in my life to date. 

Photograph from Andrea Rotunno

At the end of March we said goodbye to our 'Mother' and neighbour, the two German assistants. Unable to say goodbye just once we spent several evenings and too may tears clutching to the glue of the family unit we had constructed for ourselves. 

Over the next few weeks our group drifted apart, goodbyes becoming less of a shock, and more and more casual (a "see you around" to the other Brits...), almost as if our Year Abroad was already in the past. We started to admit to looking forward to going home, but with a lighter timetable (God bless the bac blanc) we socialised more than ever before, knowing that we had to profiter du temps ensemble - make the best of our time together. 

I never expected to live with 5 girls from 4 different countries, much less for them to be the best housemates I ever had, but now there's always a place in my heart and home - wherever it may be - for the assistants of Quinet, Lalande and Carriat 2012-13.

As for you, readers and blog, I leave you with our legacy: