Oh, how I forgot what it’s like to be in the place that you adore. To be with the person that you want to spend every second of every day with. To eat the foods that you crave (I’m looking at you, les crêpes!) To smell the yeasty-deliciousness as you walk by les boulangeries, with low prices on crisp baguettes (None of that floppy bread nonsense that I find in the grocery stores here, beurk!). Admiring the fact that holding the door open for a person behind you isn’t only a nice gesture that happens from time to time, but a daily occurrence. To find a new pastry that you hadn’t yet tried one day and snacking on an old favorite treat the next.
I could spend hours walking along La Seine or strolling through the maze of little streets, dodging through tourists only to arrive in a secluded area only a couple minutes later. The sight of the buildings towering over you, but only to a certain height, covered history and finesse. You can’t help but feel small and insignificant in such a beautiful way; you are just another speck of history.
We spent Christmas with Max’s roommate and his family, where we ate course after course until I was positive that I couldn’t dream of eating anything more… Oh wait, there’s a plate of FIVE different cheeses coming out? Yeah, I guess I still have room in this stomach of mine.
After spending two weeks, day and night, with this guy, I can’t wait to be back for good after graduation. As if my passion for France itself wasn’t enough to spark my desire (need?) to return, he is an extra bit of motivation.
So with this beautiful two week reminder of how in love with life I am when I’m in France, I’m even more determined than I’ve ever been before to figure out exactly how I will be able to move there permanently. Six months left of university, and after that, I hope to be off. I know this journey I am embarking on will not be easy, but it will be worth it. I will make it happen, and I am ready for work for it.