In all of the busyness of my travels and school, I have neglected to keep this blog up to date, but several big things have been taking place in my life since I wrote last.
Just three days after I returned from Scotland, I completed my first big British Studies exam and packed my bags again - this time for the south of France. Our day of travel began late that evening with an 11:20 train to London and a long (restless) night spent trying to sleep on a cold airport floor. Somehow, though, our sleep deprived bodies made it to France mid morning on that Thursday. On the bus to our hostel, we met two other travelers around our age that were also staying at Meyerbeer Beach Hostel. We instantly became friends. The two girls were from New Zealand and had just finished up their undergraduate degrees. They were currently backpacking around Europe before they began their post-graduate jobs. They offered us some great travel suggestions and we loved to hear the stories of fellow world travelers.
As our bus made its way through the French streets, we caught our first glimpses of the Mediterranean Sea. In contrast to the grey, snowy days that we had been experiencing in Scotland and England, Nice was paradise. The sun was shining and we found ourselves shedding layers. The bus dropped us off right next to the shore on the Promenade (also known as the "English Way" since the project was commissioned by wealthy English families that spent their holidays in Nice during the second half of the 18th century). Our hotel was just two blocks away from the sea. We were enamored by the sunshine, our Kansas eyes reveling in the glory of the sea.
As we explored the beautiful city of Nice, we found one of my favorite treasures - the fresh produce and flower market. The large market is located in Cours Saleya, right in the heart of the old town. This was where I first fell in love with the language of French. Many of the vendors spotted us as Americans and used it to practice their English, but for the most part only French was spoken around us as shoppers and vendors exchanged goods and coins. We made several meals from this market, enjoying the fresh produce, baguettes, and relatively inexpensive prices. It was one of my favorite moments because it captured the culture of France, especially southern France, so well.
We were even blessed enough to witness this cool street band performing as we shopped!
The next morning was spent further exploring the city and enjoying the gorgeous pebble beach. We spent several hours that morning scouring through the rocks in search of my favorite treasure - sea glass. Ever since I visited the Outer Banks of North Carolina, I have been in love with sea glass. I am so fascinated by the colors, the small jewels of the sea that were born from brokenness. The sea glass that I would find on the French Riviera that morning, however, would hold even more significance for me as I began to try and understand my journey as a student abroad.
Earlier that week, I had been hit hard with an aching for home. I remember feeling so frustrated with myself for feeling this way because I was traveling the world. I was seeing some of the most significant cities in history. I was experiencing rich culture and tradition. Yet I felt a sea of sadness that I could not shake. Looking out at the Mediterranean that last evening had only left me yearning for the familiarity of the Flint Hills and the beautiful barrenness of a wheat field in the winter. As I searched for sea glass that morning, I was overwhelmed by the metaphor of the transformed broken bottle. I realized that in that moment of homesickness I was a piece of sea glass. I am usually a creature of comfort. I am quick to define myself by my relationships with others. Yet there I stood on ground over 4,000 miles away from everything I had ever known. I was most certainly not comfortable. I, like the sea glass, had been broken away from everything I had ever depended on. All that I had used to define me had been smashed. I was an independent student and feeling ever so much like a broken shard of glass. In that moment though, the Lord was teaching me a beautiful lesson. He is the sea. In this season of my life, He has taken me away from every worldly thing I cling to and he has worked my brokenness within His hands. He is making in me a treasure; he is teaching me to be dependent on Him alone.
I think that is why I am here on this adventure in this moment. I am learning to trust all while experiencing some of the most beautiful things the world can offer. None of them, however, can shine a light to the glory that is being made in me through the Creator of it all. I am reveling in the way He is hiding my life within His as I learn to cling to Him more fiercely.
With a new perspective, I was ready to continue my trip with joyful eyes. The rest of the weekend included a lovely day trip to Monte Carlo where we all soaked up the sun and the extremely posh style of this seaside city. Our last day in France was spent cracking jokes and slipping our toes into the Mediterranean Sea. It was a perfect weekend... until our plane landed in London in the midst of a snow storm an hour and a half behind schedule. That, however, is a story for later. ;)
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| The gorgeous Monte Carlo! |
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| View from Nice on Castel Hill |
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| Ran into a Barbara Kruger piece at the Modern Art Museum in Nice |
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I must conclude with this video. It seems France also gave me the answer on how to obtain a livelihood as an English/Sociology major, and that answer seems to be have wealthy friends. ;) haha
Until My Next Adventure!
xoxox
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