À bientot, Paris.

In a matter of hours I’ll be beginning my trek back to Princeton Junction. At first I was just hoping to try my hand at learning French but somewhere over the course of these months I’ve fallen in love with Paris and know that I’ll always have a connection with France. Perhaps it was living with John that allowed me to be open to trying to things or perhaps it was his family, who welcomed and included me in so much. No matter what it was, I am so thankful for this chapter in my life.

The last thing I expected from this trip was to be called Parisian. I’ve gotten over the fact that people may stop me and ask for directions (and that yes, I can often help en Francais ou en Anglais). But I will never get over the fact that John said I was becoming a bit Parisian. Why you may ask? Well it seems as though over the course of the last few months…

• I have taken an extreme disliking to cars and have be known, albeit rarely, to mutter things to the drivers under my breath a little loudly.
• Now that I’m learning French, I make the effort to pronounce things properly. I expect nothing less than having my mispronunciations corrected. That being said, it’s a pet peeve of mine for others who are learning French (and know better) to mispronounce the easy things. (For example if all ”H’s” are silent than it’s clearly not les HHalls but les all ((les Halles) )
• I find myself complaining that there are too many tourists. Ironically, I find the American tourists the worst perhaps because they’re so loud and obnoxious… or is it that they expect all French people to speak English and then forget that most people speak English when they’re being rude.
• I’ve been caught in many debates over lunch about which baguette in our neighborhood is best and why. I even caught myself upset after buying one so tiny my hand fit around it easily! Dare I admit we were tempted to return it?
• I have abandoned 6pm dinners and have taken a liking for 8 o’clock dinners… sometimes 9 if we lose track of time.
• I’ve begun to memorize the exits for the metro. It just makes life so much easier. Oh and I’m a stickler for civilized manners in the metro. I used to think John was getting overly upset by people who use the polls as back rests but now find myself just as annoyed.
• And yes, I complain about dog poo on the street. Though I can’t imagine who wouldn’t. It’s just gross.

I can’t say I’m overly excited to return to the States. I’ll miss living in Paris. I suppose you could say Paris just has a certain je ne sais quoi. But there are a few things I’m looking forward to… for one thing everything is cheaper. And I’ll be offered water at a restaurant without having to ask. Extra bonus? It’ll come with ice!

I’m excited to see what comes next. John and I have an exciting year ahead of us. I’m sure at times it will seem overwhelming. Like right now, when I know this crazy journey is about to begin in just a few hours but I know that just like these last few months have been the experience of a lifetime so will the next few.

À bientot, Paris.