(In the middle of eating a blow_pop. I bet you guys have missed those. How did I get to obtain some you ask yourselves? Well, I'll explain that later in my letter.)

I've just finished reading Patrick's report and I liked it so much that I've decided to adopt some of his methods (if you'll excuse me Patrick), but just a little different.

I'm sorry I don't remember the last time I've written so I may repeat some things. *warning: some things may be boring due to my blabbing, in this case just skip to the next topic.

Things I've done:

Well, here in France there was a two week vacation at the February. My sister, my real_life sister from the U.S. came to visit me. ( Here's where the blow_pop comes in.) I asked her to bring me candy along with a lot of other stuff. We met up in London where I have family and we stayed there three days. Then we went to Brussels and Brouge and Cologne (in Germany). Then we passed by Paris to go to my house and visit my host family and to do some exchanging of luggages. Then we went back to Paris and visited the city, then Geneve (in Switzerland) then Florence and Rome and Pisa (to see the leaning tower, that's all there was in Pisa) and finally ended in Madrid. We had to part and I cried. So I went back to Paris (I believe I'm a little sick of it) to go back to Niort. My family called (from the U.S.) to see if I got back ok. I cried on the phone. I wanted to go back, this was yesterday in fact. I felt that I had had my full of France, like I can speak, I've got the accent and I've met the people. But now I realise it's just one of my stages, my ups_and_downs. I'm mean I was really lucky to have gotten seen so many beautiful places, places that I've always wanted to see, places that I'd probably never see again. I really appreciate it. I thank my parents and the Rotary.

My host family:

I think this is the best host family I've ever had. They're very "cool" as they like to say here in France. (I wish I could teach you all the things I've learned here. But I don't have the time, maybe when we all return. Yes I have to speak about that, too.) I feel really comfortable with them, but unfortunately I have to change families the first of April. I swear my time with my families are too short, especially with this one. Well, only with this one because the other ones I didn't really like. The Bonnins are very… real. I can be myself and that's something very important.

My school life:

I think I so SICK of school that I'm going to scream! I've done all this stuff already (as you know I have already graduated high school). Yes, I'm learning French, but I feel that I'm at a stand still. Yes I know I'm here to learn the French. Well, yeah, but I could learn other academical things. I don't know. It's just the same thing over and over, that's why tomorrow I'm going to start taking French courses outside of school. Maybe time will pass by more quickly.

The Rotary:

I'm sorry but I don't really like my Rotary club here. They're great for taking me in and all, but sometimes I feel they don't see me as… I don't know. For example, my host family and I went to this small dinner party the Rotary held and one Rotarian had said to my host mother that if she "ever needed [me] off her hands for a weekend" that they could take me. Ugh! Hello! My host mother said that she would ask me first and that she wouldn't decide for me. That she would treat me as one of her children. I love her! Yes, so that's my Rotary. And my chairman doesn't tell me about anything that's going on. I hear from Elizabeth (another American who's here with the Rotary, too) that we have this weekend with the exchange students in the district (don't let that fool you, it's the second, the SECOND thing, meeting, whatever, with all the exchange students that we've had this year, we don't take trips, nothing). And it was Elizabeth who told me of the first one. And my chairman has told me nothing of our end_of_the_year_trip. Sheesh! I hate to complain and I'm sorry I am, but I just had to get that off my shoulders.

Some words I've learned on my trip across Europe with my sister:

1. Maljaba (pronounced Ma_ha_ba)_ good_bye (arab)

2. Shotrung (pronounced shu_run)_ thank you(arab)

3. Shiti (pronounced how it's written)_ rain(arab)

4. Gratsi_ thank you in Italian

5. other words including german

I've learned that Europe could be very small.

How I've changed:

I don't know, but I know I have. Maybe when I get back I can put it into words.

Things to tell our future exchange students:

Hey man, just soak it all in.

P.S. If I could be any animal, I'd be a dog, not an elephant.