Earlier this year (quite a lot earlier this year), I blogged about wanting to travel. Soon after, I blogged about actually travelling, but suffice it to say that a weeks holiday to Jamaica for my sister's wedding was not exactly what I had in mind.

I'm here to say that I'm closer to where I want to be: as part of my uni course I am spending this academic year studying in France. I'm in the tiny town of Tours, which is in the Centre region of France and so far... well, it's been okay. It's had its ups, but it has also certainly had its downs. My roommate is a lovely girl from one of the French départements, and we speak no French at all and get along just fine. There are also a lot of people from my home university there, which is nice, as it means I have a go-to net of people who I know or who have had similar experiences to me.

But this is also terrible. It means I only speak French when absolutely necessary, and I don't have any French friends because I'm shy and they are intimidating. I also don't like doing things I'm not good at, and I'm not good at speaking French.

There are also definite downsides to French culture as well, which I can't pinpoint but which irritate me daily. Although, in fairness I think the problems usually have more to do with the smallness of the town than the Frenchness of its inhabitants. Despite being small, Tours is very beautiful, especially in summer, and as a place to visit it is lovely. As a place to live? Perhaps less so.

Well, that's about all I have to say about Tours for now, and about all I have to say about my life, too. The reading has paused again, but I'm picking back up slowly through rereading Austen and some other old favourites.

Oh! It's also my birthday next week! I'm going to be 21 (only imagine!)

Happy Blogging to you all,
Lots of Love
Little Newman