a love letter to my AFS family

mes chéris,

i write this to you on the train to brest and hope it finds you well. how wonderfully strange it is to cultivate such a strong bond with so many people from all over the world in just a few days. and how terribly heartbroken i was to leave these new friends of mine. as i struggled with two suitcases, a backpack, a purse, a passport, and a train ticket getting on to this train i could not help but tear up thinking of how long it would be before i laughed with all of you again. i will miss you dearly but i take comfort in knowing that no matter where we go our hearts will be greatly enriched by this experience that we now share.

i just watched mary margret greet her host family on the train platform in rennes and it caused me to cry tears of joy and excitement for her and all of us. the smiles on her and her host family's faces were impossible to miss. i hope this is just the first of many many beaming smiles they will share. right now the possibilities for us are endless. i hope you find love in its many forms over this ten months. i implore you to make wise decisions and protect yourselves but be vulnerable enough to take in the beauty around you. while adaptation is essential do not confuse that for changing who you are. you do not have to change for anyone, in france or anywhere else, you are bringing something to this country that no one else can. dont lose it.

to the brazilians who call me "chula", the italians who shared their language and culture with me, the belgian who sat through the torture of three meals a day with someone who laughs more than eats, to all of you who took the time to talk to me in passing, and, finally, to the americans who made me laugh until i cried, thank you. i will not forget you and all you meant to me in these first days of my exchange.

je vous aime beaucoup,

anjolie