just about the halfway point

and I can't believe it.

Half of me feels like I landed yesterday and I'm still finding my feet, while the other half of me feels like I've been here my whole life.

It feels appropriate to look back over the past 6 months or so and reflect a little. I looked at the goals I documented here in August and I'm reporting back on my progress.

1. Be somewhat fluent in French.
Hmm... I'm getting there. I really am. I learn a little every day. I get a little better everyday. Mathilde is great because she helps me when I can't figure out how to exactly say something. She supplements my vocabulary and helps me with grammar... which I take with a grain of salt, because she's 6. I try and speak as much French as I can in a day - whenever I go to a store or interact with people, I only speak French. Sometimes I have a hard time with sentence structure and syntax - my French class is slow going, and very conversational, so we don't always cover structure, just phrases - what you'd say to a friend. I wish I could study more, but I'm pretty happy with my process so far.

2. Run a marathon
Not happening. Sorry to disappoint everyone. I need a trainer, more accountability, etc. Cam ≠ discipline.

3. Travel
So far I have been all over Switzerland, which is great. I've also been to France, Dublin, Ireland, and Manchester, UK. I have a week off coming up soon, and I might go to Milan for a few days, but nothing is decided... I want to travel by train, so I'm thinking maybe Austria, or Munich... I'm not too sure. I'm glad I'm so close to everything, and I can do most things in a weekend. I think I might go to Austria.... cause it's the farthest, and I can afford to spend some time traveling. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm open!

4. Piano
I'm getting better... I'm playing almost every day, but I just honestly don't think piano is my thing. I would like to pick the flute up again, but I didn't bring it with me to Switzerland. Maybe I'll get Dan to teach me cello sometime. After he teaches me Latin, of course.

I really believed I've learned quite a bit about myself since I've come here. A lot of it I don't feel like I need to share with the world, but I'm really happy I'm here. I've met some amazing people from all over the world, and I feel like I fit well in Switzerland. I'm at that point right now, though, where I am just so ready for my "life to start". Not that I'm not living now, but as I was telling Dan last night, I'm really ready to make my own decisions again. It's weird when your decisions form around someone else's life. I have to find out what weekends I'm babysitting, sometimes I can't have the car and the little red train to my town stops running at 11pm - I have to plan accordingly, if I don't eat dinner with the family I let them know in advance so they don't make too much food... I'm really pretty ready to have my own place, decorated with my own stuff, and eat what I want, when I want, and live near Dan again. I knew at some point, I would feel this way, so I was kind of prepared... the good news is I don't hate Switzerland. I still love it here. I still really like the family. I'm just ready to be an adult again, living in my own home with my own rules. I think most people can understand that. I'm just out of the honeymoon period, and into the "low" period. Hey, if this is as low as it gets, it's not that bad.

Well, everyone book tickets to come see me, cause I'm only going to be here for a few more months. Ivana asked me recently when I'd like to go home, and I think I'm looking at July sometime... not in time for the 4th, sadly, but sometime in July.

Happy Thursday, world. I'll fill you all in with my travel plans as soon as they're figured out.