Pictures of Paris and vado a casa!

Yay! I'm coming home on Friday! After my 4 exams 1 paper and one presentation....eww....

There isn't really a word for home in Italian. When you say I'm going home, Vado a casa, it translates to 'I am going to my house." There isn't a difference between the word house and home. I feel like there is a big difference though. Forgive me for going sentimental on you, but I've been thinking about the idea of home a lot. When you are young and moving from school to where you grew up to who knows where, you have several homes at once. In a way, home is a transient idea. I think home might mean different things to different people. But to me, home doesn't have to just be a place, though I'd say Virginia, particularly the area of Richmond and New Kent is my home. I think more importantly home is the people that you love and who love you no matter where you are.
One of the other girls and I were talking about our experience here and we decided that we had learned something similar. A lot of people want to travel, which is nice, but why? You may look at that postcard of Tuscany or where ever and feel that a place could release you from whatever you are tired of in your day to day life. "Oh if i could just go there, if I could just be there, live there away from it all. Then everything would be ok." But I have been living "there". And yah, its cool and all. I have been inspired in a way by the beauty of the hills or whatever, but after awhile, maybe after you've had time to yourself to think and reflect, after you've seen the monuments that are so famous and met the locals, you just want to be home. Nothing goes away. Everything isn't perfect, and until you can find the adventure in your own day to day life, getting away to somewhere exotic isn't really going to help all that much.
Some of us have had the opportunity to travel some on our own too, which is good in a way, it helps build confidence in yourself. All that you see and experience is nice, but I think we have learned that no monument or amazing place will mean nearly as much unless you have someone to share it with. It's the people that matter more in a way.
We have this amazing ability as humans to create new "homes" where ever we go. If we have to, we can make that home on our own in a strange place and be satisfied enough for a little while. But once you have a home that's more permanent, whether its a location, or a person or a whole group of people, you don't forget that, and you can't help but miss it when you are far away no matter how many great adventures you have. I can't appreciate the amazing opportunity that I have had enough, its been amazing. I've learned so much and seen so much. But I am ready to come home now. There is a boy here who is going to Australia next semester, but he's traveling around by himself meeting up with some friends here and there rather than ever going home. I think he's pretty brave. I could never go to NZ without at least coming home for a little while.

Anyway, there are pictures from Paris up now~ sorry it took me so long. My friends Leigh has more I can show you too sometime. http://picasaweb.google.com/melaniebeth.martin YAY! I hope everyone is getting ready for Christmas! Mara and I have been listening to Christmas music! I hope every one's exams went well and wish me luck for the next crazy 3 days! Have a great day!