3. Monatsrückblick

A quarter of my stay here is already over - and so is the first semester (yaaay!)

A lot happened this month, at least I went on a lot of trips and was able to check off a lot of things on my reunion bucket list. That was mainly because both Nanou and I had friends visiting who we then shamelessly exploited for owning a car :D But it was really nice to see someone from home again and talk about "old" topics to be able to chat, kisses to Katrin :*

Because I've now done a lot of hikes etc., my bucket list hasn't shrunk somehow, but has actually gotten longer; I currently still have 21 things to do. But don't worry, I still have over eight months in this paradise :)

Due to the slightly different circumstances, including the living situation (Alexis lived here for two weeks, then I was with Katrin for part of it, Sahra is currently still living with us, so everything is a bit chaotic) I lost my routine a bit, but that was actually quite nice.

The routine is now going smoothly anyway, because as I said: the semester is over! I don't have all my grades back yet, but I certainly passed all the courses, and even all of them with an A before the decimal point. I'll add the decimal places as soon as I know them ;)

In just seven days we're going to Madagascar, I still haven't realized it (except for the bill for the malaria prophylaxis, which I can tell you will stay in my memory). But that will definitely be the topic of one or more posts.

Otherwise, my mood is a bit ambivalent at the moment, I'm slowly realizing that everyone will be returning home in the next 1-2 months and that I'll lose good acquaintances and friendships for the time being. In the second semester, just ten new Erasmus students arrive across the entire island. There are also the other six who, like me, are staying for two semesters... I'm very excited to see how it turns out. In the second semester I will probably spend relatively little time at the university and instead devote myself to my bachelor's thesis, but I don't want to describe that here now :D

In any case, I'm glad that Nanou is staying here on the island until June because we've bonded really well lately and she's become one of the most important people here for me. In the meantime we have actually experienced a few interesting things together.

All in all, I really enjoyed November, but I'm a little worried about how things will develop in the second semester (which starts on January 15th, 2024, by the way). Of course I'll keep you updated whether you want it or not :D I think my French has also improved again. It's a bit difficult to assess since everyone around you is improving at the same time, but I notice that I feel much more comfortable with the language than I did in August. By the way, my interpreting lecturer here gave me a huge compliment after my interpreting exam: She said that you can tell that I like interpreting and that I already do it very professionally and, above all, very relaxed and relaxed. She told me that she is sure that I will pass the selection process at the university in Germany :))

I still have to get one thing off my chest: I PASSED MY DIVING LICENSE!! I wouldn't have thought it was possible with my phobia of water and admittedly this was the first test for me where I needed several attempts, but I'm still really proud of myself. The first two dives I only struggled with panic attacks and hyperventilation, and this time I actually enjoyed it?! Fun fact, towards the end I even tried to breathe less so I could have more time in the water :D

So I have now decided: I will try to pass both my 20 meter diving license and my Oper Water Diver in the second semester. And with a lot of joy and just a healthy amount of fear ;)