Retrospection: The end of an Era.

Before I even got back to France I was already feeling nostalgic. The student village was slowly emptying. Our friends were going back to their countries one after the other. Finally, the French students from our class started leaving too. The imminence of the end was looming and weighing on me. At last, I was the last one standing in our dorm.

And then it was my turn.

As I was leaving Seinäjoki behind, the feeling of emptiness grew even more, something I didn’t think was possible. The return to France didn’t make it easier on me. The two weeks that followed I had a lot of free time, which only made this sadness grow. Now that my internship started it has somewhat dulled, but my mind still often wanders to the plains and lakes of Finland.

This might seem like an unfortunate story, but in reality, it is the sign of an amazing time spent abroad. It is one of the best periods of my life. When I look back on these three months, although there is nostalgia, I also, and most importantly, feel happiness and fulfilment. This was an amazing time, and I would gladly do it all over again. I really hope our next exchange programme, in two years, will be as exciting and will bring us as much as this one.

-Daniel