Five weeks, gone in the blink of an eye. There is much that I will not miss about Jonquière. I leave feeling a little bit empty and underwhelmed. So it goes, I suppose. They say you remember the bad more easily than the good, so I don’t want to dwell on anything negative here.

I will miss the lazy evenings, whittled away in bars and cafés while rain pattered down on the windows and streets. I will also miss watching the sun disappear behind a sheet of clouds each night, teasing me as I tried to catch it before it dropped off beyond the horizon. And certainly, I will miss the few friends I made; friends that I think will be friends for a long time to come.

Québec, au revoir…

Let me add this: I went to Jonquière to learn a language, and I don’t feel satisfied in what I accomplished in that regard. I did live though, a number of great experiences. I saw North America’s only Fjord. I met fantastic people, through the school and through Couchsurfing. I witnessed more of Québec’s natural beauty, and the man-made beauty of Québec City. All of this was wonderful, and I’m glad to have lived it. The disappointment comes from the expectations I had for the school itself. All told though, I leave a little wiser, and I may just apply for the program again next year.