Northern France, nord pas de Calais, what a familiar place, such a bell, such a train station, such a beach, such a fast food restaurant with trucks on the street, I would wonder if I have ever stayed.
Yes, it's been three years.
When I came here, I shed tears all the way, from the sunny and wonderful motherland to the northern part of France where the sun is not visible all the year round. I even thought, just to avoid the postgraduate entrance examination, I am an exchange student for what I came to this place for.
It was the summer of 2006.
Then that summer we went to the seaside of Calais. In August, Wuhan should be suffocatingly hot, but the sea here was so cold. We rushed into the sea unscrupulously, a wave came, and our whole body was numb with cold.
A boy shouted "Ah Putain! Is this the sea of France!"
I sat on the beach and wrote big letters, writing the names of those people I missed in China. Draw a circle, still thinking with bitterness, why do you want to come here.
Then he moved to northern France, abandoned his southern town, and enrolled in the northern school.
Putain! Why is our experience so similar to that in the movie?
The only difference is that I never concealed my emotions, until he came, I hated northern France as always.
Until the summer when returning home. Starting from the dormitory, dragging a 30 kg large box, there are almost all well-meaning people along the road. They help me carry the box when I go downstairs or on the train. They are like relays, helping me one by one, one after another. Leaving with a silent smile.
During the two months I returned to China, I suddenly missed the fast food restaurant next to the school, and missed the strangers walking on the road saying good morning to each other.
Finally he graduated half a year earlier than me.
Two days before he returned to China, we squeezed in front of the computer and watched the movie. We kept saying "Hey, look at that! You see that is your favorite!"
Then he laughed desperately, almost burst into tears.
He said that before he came to France, he had been thinking about getting his diploma and he was impatient. At this time, he was reluctant to leave.
I said, isn't life like this, fortunately, we still have expectations.
I think it’s this kind of bridge that may have been repeated in life, coming to an unfamiliar environment and missing the past environment, but when the unfamiliar environment becomes familiar or even used to it, it is often time to leave.
It's like traveling, maybe it doesn't matter where you go anymore, those landscapes are forever in your mind.
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