i went to france and all i got was a coxsachievirus infection...

So today was a pretty rough first day back- between being jet-lagged, realizing how far behind I am in classes, spending a few hours in the health center trying to get a medical explanation for my blisters/fatigue/fever, and trying to get things organized before driving home for Easter...
Even though all of us have a lot we could complain about, whether it's about how we'd rather not be in Columbia, or how annoying school is, or that all of us want to sleep all day, everyday for the rest of our lives, I am still in awe of how absolutely amazing France was and how lucky I was to have spent ten days there.
Given the chance, minus missing my friends, family, and my own bed, I would be in France right now, hands down even after having gotten some really outrageously random virus that only little kids are supposed to get (go figure eh?). I would give a lot of be walking through the Louvre right now, taking in the beauty and talent of each artist's pieces, sipping champagne with a group of friends in the country, trying to make sense of the cathedral's bell chimes in Troyes, sitting in a warm little café drinking chocolat viennois, or even being packed into the Paris metro that we all agree smells God AWFUL.
Sitting at my desk in Columbia, SC right now instead of all of those places just seems less special. Given I love the US and South Carolina for certain things (AMERRRICAAAAAA..... yeahhhh, here to save the daaaaayyyy) but the French have something going on. It's not exactly a coincidence that everyone loves France, though maybe not the French, but I have to say, on the whole, the French were pretty amazing too.
It's weird to think about missing France already, since we've been gone less then a day, but I do and I can't wait to go back there soon.

-Lara