bitter sweet goodbye

So the end of trips is always bittersweet. I am ready to move on or get home yet sad to leave. It always seems to come so fast and that there are things left unfinished. For example, I never got around to visiting the musee de tissu or finishing up the musee des beaux arts. I did not explore the croix rousse as fully as I would have liked. And my French is not as good as I would like.

But, perhaps this is in itself beneficial. It means that I did enjoy myself here and that I will leave something for me to return to.

I have enjoyed my time in Lyon, but I am defiantely ready to move on to Brussels!!

self discovery

I have definately learned a lot not only about myself, but how to act and adapt to certain situations. I am a very go-by-the-books type and traveling, both in France and in Spain before, has taught me that things will not always go as planned and that that is OK. I have learned not to freak out and realize that as long as I am alive and have access to at least 50 euros, things should turn out just fine. Also, much of the time, you have to go with the flow and accept things as they are. You might be stuck in the rain, hungry and waiting in line for a museum you do not even want to visit, but you just have to deal with it.

This trip has also made me realize how emotionally vulnerable I can be sometimes. I never ever imagined being homesick or feeling overwhelmed, normally I am a very independant, confident and calm person. This vulnerability almost scares me, but being here forced me to cope with this fear, and I discovered, it isn't too bad.

I hope to return to the States as a more mature, relaxed individual.