When I arrived in France, I really didn't know what to expect. I had never lived alone before, which seemed like a big challenge, but in reality, it wasn't. Life went on, and over time, I got into the swing of my new life.

As time passed, I became independent, and my French started to improve. Initially, this was a huge challenge for me, but I enjoyed it, just like the other adventures that came with being here. 

I'm thinking about my first seminar at the other end of the country, which I experienced with my then-roommate, Alisson. I found a good friend in him. As weeks and months passed, we got to know each other better, as well as the town and the people living there. New things were no longer new, and instead of unfamiliar faces, we saw acquaintances. 

The change happened. My environment changed, my personality changed. I experienced a lot and grew in many ways. For me, it was a significant goal, and it still is, to get the most out of myself and understand myself better. I could say it was one of the best decisions of my life to "move" to France for a whole year. 

Someone might ask if it wasn't hard, if I didn't miss home, if I wasn't lonely? To these questions, my answer would be no. I embraced this experience, adventure, project, or whatever you want to call it, with determination. I knew what challenges I might face, or at least I had a strong idea of how things would go. Everything happened as I had imagined. I established a strong routine, met new people, friends, colleagues, and started a new life. 

That's why returning to Hungary felt strange because there, nothing had changed as radically as it had for me in the first six months. But that wasn't a problem. When I returned to France - alone this time - there was no excitement in me, only that pleasant feeling of being finally home, in my "new" life. At that time, I lived alone for a few weeks. Alisson had gone to pursue a new opportunity, and I was waiting for my new roommate, Sofiia. I didn't know what to expect, but it was a pleasant surprise to live with someone my age and share experiences. It wasn't hard to get to know each other, as we were both open personalities. It was good to have a new person in the team at CEPAGE. 

Around this time, in October, I went to Paris alone thanks to my second seminar. I met familiar faces from the first program and got to know a bunch of new, interesting, fantastic volunteers. These seminars were always well-spent, it was nice to break the routine and gain new experiences and perspectives. Not to mention, my French was well on its way, and I could finally enjoy the fruits of my labor. I've reached a point where, after several months, I see myself as an independent person who speaks English, a bit of French, and of course, Hungarian. 

My routine here has developed; I know what I want and where I'm headed. I feel at home in France. Now, as I write this, it's the end of January. My life here will end at the beginning of March. It's hard to draw a lesson from all this experience. I taught English and IT to adults, wrote for the local newspaper, helped where I could, had my own piano concert, met people from many cultures, and it's not completely over yet.