What a day!

This morning started out... badly. I woke up two hours before intended with stomach pains. Evidently, munching on lettuce before bed was a bad idea. I spent the rest of the morning trying to figure out if things had stopped enough to make it to my last day of classes at the collège. I was dehydrated, a little faint and not all-together. Still, it was going to be my last day and I couldn't miss it. I left my apartment a minute before class and thanked my lucky stars that I live on campus. For the first time ever, my students saw me in a t-shirt with more disheveled than usual hair. I told them I was dressing comme une américaine (sorry USA...).

First surprise of the morning: a teacher had made a mistake and my 4emes became 6emes. Not gonna lie, I loved this change. I love 6emes. Following the adorable 6emes who gave me thank you notes from all the students of their teacher (aaaaawwwwww) was my worst class. Rather my worst half of a class. I dreaded the thirty minutes I spent with the students every week. We made it through with minimal discomfort. I actually had a lot of fun with the second group (I usually do, it's just the first group that was penible). It might have helped that the second group came in with a paper they had all signed. (Granted.... one of the things written on there asked about my sex life.... er.... Well, the nice thing is knowing that this paper came from them and had nothing to do with their teacher.) I had planned on going to lunch with the teachers after that, but my stomach was protesting loudly even to the idea of water so I sat and waited for my last class ever at the collège.

My last class ever was with 5emes. 5eme is a funny age where some kids are still adorable children and other are awkwardly on their way to teenage years and others yet are all-growed-up. I made the hour into a Q&A session whose success was varied but overall positive. It was a good finish.

Second surprise of the morning (er... I guess I should say day. One week in Spain and already I think everything before 3pm is morning): I got called to see the gestionnaire. Whoops, I assumed, I should have told someone when I'd be quitte-ing the apartment. Mais non. It turned out the administrative team at the collège wanted to thank me and give me presents! So sweet! They told me that all the students and teachers had just been so happy with me. It was wonderful to hear as I had at times doubted my really being helpful to the students. I'm also not going to lie, when I was brought in to the principal's office, I thought I was in trouble. My mind is extremely inventive in times like these.

I'm gonna miss my little big monsters.

One more day at the primary school and I'm done. So sad, so sad, so sad. I've got quite the day planned out, however. My little monsters are going to have an English treasure hunt and taste PB&J. I'm pretty excited.

Much love,

MCJ