Dear OIB

Dear OIB,

I owe you so much.
I may not be there anymore, I may not have come back to visit you yet, but you are always in my mind.

I remember learning about the existence of the OIB: I was in troisième, and my English teacher asked me if I was interested in it. I did not know what it was, so I went home and found Saint Charles. I fell in love.
I remember the entrance exams: the weeks leading up to them, I refused to speak anything but English at home. I remember the girl before me at my oral exam: she seemed independent and confident, certainly what I was not. We both got in, and both remember each other from then.
I remember being accepted: a text from my mum during a break, at school. I started jumping around in joy.
I remember the summer before seconde: I was getting stressed, certain I would not be good enough.

I remember the first day of lycée so clearly: the stress, the amazing people, the happiness.

My year of seconde was hard on the personal level, but the OIB spirit helped me through it.
My year of première may have been the happiest of my school years, and we were all dreading the end of the OIB as we saw the terminales slowly fade from school.
My year of terminale was hard on the academic level, but the OIB spirit helped me through it.

I want to thank Angéli, Beverly, Moina, Amina, King, Lisa, Loredana, Paloma, Manon, Carla, Nadja, Clara, Amandine, Sacha, Agathe, Raphaël, Tara, Mathew, Marie, Juliette, Gaëtan, Ajna and Salomé for always being there. I was not close to every one of you, but I knew I could rely on you. Thank you for sticking around, thank you for keeping up our group chat with random pictures of our everyday lives.

I want to thank Mrs Choffrut, Mr Leah and Mr Lévêque for being some of the best teachers I could ever dream of. You always saw the best in me and helped me bring it out.

It is thanks to you all, individually, that I am where I am now. And as much as I would not go back in time, I miss you.

My OIB mug is always sitting on my desk. I don't use it, because I treasure it too much to risk losing it in the mess that is our kitchen. I will next year, in a flat of my own.
My yearbooks are always at an armlength away, but that may be because my room is rather small.
My Saint Charles tote bag is a fantastic grocery shopping bag.
My OIB sweater keeps me warm as Glasgow is getting cold.
My love for the OIB, my memories, and what it made me become are what power me through bad days.

Thank you.
Judith