There's trouble in the heartland

So....been in France for almost two weeks now. I'm not going to lie they have been some of the hardest days for me and still have not gotten entirely better. I never thought I could miss home as much as I do. I guess I never really imagined what living in a house with seven other people your age is like - sort of weird and at times I don't like it. I miss Matt more than anything. I miss my dog almost painfully. I guess I just really miss being able to do all the things I was so used to doing and so happy doing. The city here is alright; little bit of a walk to most places. French cosmetics are incredibly expensive for some reason, far more expensive than in Canada which I don't understand. I spent the day yesterday in Lille shopping a bit, I think I need to spend those days alone as shopping with other people only makes me anxious. I am dying to get to Belgium and see the rest of France. 

for training we visited so many war memorials and cemeteries in the area. There were two days that were really quite amazing because we drove all over the French countryside finding little monuments and cemeteries that you would never see if you weren't training to be a guide at a war memorial site. I was put at Beaumont-Hamel which I am very happy about - it is a smaller less busy site but so big and beautiful. The story is a sad one to tell and although I don't yet have much experience in touring, I know I am excited for the visitors that are actually moved by the story and connect with it. I am very much hoping to get to Cannes and Nice, Bordeaux and Lyon and obviously Paris. I want to see more of France than anything else. Would love to see lots of Belgium, and also Cologne and Geneva. Matthew is going to come visit me at the end of my work session here and we are hoping to get to Germany, Austria and Italy. I really can't believe this is happening.