By Dianne Kuijs, The Netherlands
My first article was about the preparations for my journey to San Diego and starting my lessons at Converse International School of Language (CISL). Now, it’s unbelievable but true, I have finished my lessons. You know what they say, “Time flies when you’re having fun!”
My last day of school was on Friday the 13th, but it was everything except an unlucky day! Friday morning I was full of energy, even though I went to bed very late because of a party at Vantaggio. Before I walked for the last time to school, I went to the supermarket to buy cookies for my classmates and a ‘thank you’ card for Kristy, my teacher.
All my classmates were present and as usual, the lesson was very instructive and cozy. At the end of the lesson it was time for my farewell. From Kristy, my teacher, I got my diploma. My grades were good so I was proud of myself. We took a picture with the whole class and shared our Facebook information. Luckily, a lot of my classmates also live in Vantaggio, so I would see them there. That made it easier to say goodbye. But I really had to say goodbye to Alicia. Alicia is the one who welcomes you every morning and helps you with everything. Thanks to her, CISL felt like home since the very first day. Therefore it wasn’t easy to say goodbye.
After the lesson I went to Pacific Beach with some of the other students, making this last day of school complete. After a great afternoon at the beach, my travel buddy Linda and I decided to go out for dinner; the perfect end to this last day of school. So after a refreshing shower we walked to Little Italy. There we decided to eat in a restaurant called Vinenco. This was a very good choice because the food was great. I can’t remember the last time when I ate such a delicious meal! I definitely recommend it!
Finally, I want to say that I really learned a lot from the lessons at CISL. Of course I had English in high school and at the university, but I never felt confident enough to really speak English. Here in San Diego, you have to speak English and through the lessons, I became more confident. Besides that, I really increased my vocabulary, refreshed my grammar, and learned a lot about other countries and cultures. I can say that my decision to come to San Diego and to take lessons at CISL was definitely one of the best decisions that I have ever made in my life!
© Dianne Kuijs