I sometimes jokingly call it my middle school graduation present because it happened the summer right before high school. I do not remember who brought it up or how it ended up happening but at the age of 13 my parents allowed me to travel all alone to Switzerland to spend a month with my Mom's brother, David, and his family. A family which I had only met once in Kenya 4 years prior and vaguely remembered.
Well, to say the least, I ended up having a blast. I remember spending the first two weeks or so terribly homesick but I eventually got over it and even while I was homesick I still managed to have fun & enjoy my time there. Of course, when it was time to leave, I didn't want to go home. I had been out and about with my cousins as well as visited my other uncle, Paul, and his family in France. I had experienced a different culture, been exposed to different languages (my cousins all spoke Swahili) and spent a whole month away from home and survived. I loved it.
That trip is the reason why I switched from Spanish to French in high school which was probably one of the best decisions I ever made because it led to my (basic) understanding and complete obsession with the French language and culture. It's the reason why I'm taking French now and the reason why I plan on living in France for some extended period of time (if not moving there altogether).
So now that I think about it that trip is probably the most amazing thing to ever happen to me. It reaffirmed my sense of independence and adventure, exposed me to another way of living, gave me a cool story to share, and led me to one of the only things that brings me complete and utter joy.
Ah. Mon coeur est avec vous, France.
