For the first time in over seven months, I'm writing this post from Canadian soil! I got off the plane in Edmonton just over twelve hours ago. I've hugged my family, eaten, slept a bit, and only unpacked three items. So far, so good!
...Though due to schedule changes, instead of sleeping all day and unpacking, I'm going to have to go to Fort Edmonton in two hours for training. Keeping busy will stop me from feeling reverse-homesick, I suppose!
I've had a crazy two weeks. Finishing school/work on Friday the 20th of April, I spent a lot of time packing, cleaning my apartment, and saying farewell to friends. I also went on two day-trips with my friend Sophie, who is a French teacher at one of my schools. We went to Monet's gardens at Giverny (it's good to go several times in the spring and summer because different flowers come into season every few weeks and the makeup of the garden changes) and to Mont St. Michel... which was a place I'd wanted to visit ever since I heard last June that I'd be going to Normandy. Here's photo proof:
![](http://pics.livejournal.com/beboots/pic/000bzf7w/s640x480)
It's spectacular in person!
I also met mum in Paris (after waiting for an hour and a half at the meeting point, avoiding rain and hobos, because when one of you doesn't have a working cell phone and there's a delay at the airport it sucks), and we went to Italy! It was my first time visiting that country. We spent five days in Florence, and went on a day trip to Pisa, San Gimignano, and Sienna.
Pisa had a gorgeous matching baptistery and cathedral, but there was also this other poorly built structure that seemed to make it into all of my photographs. I hope that they're not ruined! D:
So now I'm back, safe and sound, and almost feeling well-rested! I've got to go to the Fort soon for training and possibly my costume fitting. It'll be a busy few days, organizing myself and working and getting over jet lag... and reuniting with friends!