Presque.....

Ok, so I have almost survived this whole thing. I'm quite proud of myself and I have learned quite alot, even if it was all the hard way. The things I have learned are as follows:

1) I have learned that people are people no matter where you go. They are just harder to deal with when you can't speak their language very well.

2) I learned how to deal with dirty bathrooms. After spending a month in this country I have found only one bathroom that has been what your average person would call clean. That's right, I am not even holding them to MY standards of clean and they are still terribly disgusting to be nice.

3) I have had the idea reinforced to NEVER have a carpeted bathroom. Yes, the bathroom in my house is carpeted and I'm waiting until I get home to imagine what kinds of things are imbedded in that carpet.

4) I have learned how to take a shower in a bathtub, not a shower stall, simply a bathtub without a shower curtain. Mind you, this is a bathtub that you cannot take a bath in and it is located in a carpeted bathroom. Its quite the accomplishment and I am quite proud of myself.

5) I have learned that I have been holding my knife and fork wrong for 23 years. I now, after having my hands slapped multiple times, know how to hold my silverware.

6) I have learned to appreciate the internet. I'm not even going to open this can of worms, I'm simply going to say, appreciate your internet. You don't know what you have until its gone or turned off at random.

7) I have learned how to deal with shit. Yes, poop, merde, whatever you would like to call it, I can now deal with it. Poop first thing in the morning waiting outside of my bedroom door. Conversations about bowel movements and laxitives at the breakfast table (initiated by the Michigan girl). And this prepares me for a day in a city that is littered with dog poop. And its humid here so its not the best kind of poop to deal with. After dealing with this poop, however, I now feel that I can take on any type of poop the world has to throw at me.

8) Most importantly, I have learned that I am extremely happy to be an American. Yes, this is me being patriotic. Leave it to me to bring politics in but hey, I'm me even when I am in France. It saddens me that we are represented by Brittney Spears and George W Bush but every country has their faults. And at least the public of America can admit ours (for the most part). The thing that bothers me about the French is they only see everyone elses faults even though they have Carla Bruni and Nicolas Sarkozy. People are people but I'm content with being American.