My Last Post .....for now

When I first decided to write this blog, I thought it would be a great way to communicate with my family, friends and aquaintances. My memory leaves much to be desired so I also thought it would be an excellent means to journal my experiences. Now I have a legacy with words and photos that has captured my French Adventures. What I didn't realize was the pleasure that I would have writing this blog. Despite the time and some of the headaches publishing (I lost several posts and had to redo them), it has been a labour of love. During difficult times, it was almost cathartic writing about my struggles. It gave me the opportunity to take pause and really think about how I was feeling and what I was doing and seeing. It also forced me to do some research into some of the history about the places I visited which turned out to be most interesting. It really was an incredible life experience and I am so grateful to have spent the last seven months living, studying and traveling in southern France.

My computer/blogging skills are extremely limited and one of the things I hope to do in the near future is learn how to format my posts differently. There are ways to do that to make it more inviting for readers, but my attempts to date have failed. Another thing to add to my "to do" list. 

If you have read my posts, you'll know that I am definitely not fluent in French. That is still my goal.  Now that I am back at home in Edmonton, I plan to seek out opportunities to continue my language learning. Keith, Brian and I have also begun preliminary discussions about returning to France in the late fall to pursue further studies in French. If our plans come to fruition, I'll let you know.

It is noteworthy to acknowledge how important all my new friends that I made in France are to me. Their friendship and comraderie made it possible to get through some very difficult moments as well as have some fun while I was there. Patricia, above all, was my "rock" of support. She is a terrific person and I hope that she will come to Canada for a visit next year so that she can experience some of this part of the world. 

Last, but not least, I want to thank all of my family, friends and aquaintances for reading my blog and for your ongoing support. A special thanks to my dear friend Brian, who wrote to me every few days without fail. Thanks also to Cathy, my mom and dad, Robin, and especially my wonderful husband Keith for your regular contact. I cannot express in words how much that meant to me. I love you all.

Until next time, au revoir!