In a slight, nostalgic panic I rummaged through a pile of notes. Retrieving my list. The list of must-do’s while abroad. Thinking all along, will this be full of checkmarks by the time I depart?
I am list guy. Crazier, if it’s on the list it must get checked off. Otherwise. Small beads of sweat form on my brow. Blood pressure rises. Attention span diminishes. And the ability to form complete sentences evades me. It’s not pretty.
Rue Cler Avignon St. Chappelle Musee de Louvre Musee d’Orsay Place Vendome Musee de Pompidon Rodin Gardens Sacre Coeur/Montmartre Le Marais Latin Quarter VersaillesOk, this was looking like a completed list. But wait. There was more…without checks!
¨ Top of Eiffel Tower
¨ Les Baux
¨ Musee de Picasso
¨ Musee de Edith Piaf
¨ Vezelay
¨ Jewish Museum
¨ Etc…
Balancing the end of Le Cordon Bleu – Superior ateliers and final exam – while working on the list. Is my current challenge. Some items I know I won’t get to because I’ll need to travel, but those that lie within Paris’ walls must get ticked off.
After the list hysteria subsided. I reminisced all things managed to get accomplished that weren’t on the list. Making great friends, learning French, knowing Paris like the back of my hand, and discovering the best pomme frits – French fries – in the world. I smiled a bit.
Then there’s all the subconscious education. Having a good grasp of what Portuguese sounds like. A deeper understanding of Korean culture. And a changed view of Turks. Stemmed from working in an international school.
It was also clear that I have a limit with the French, miss American deodorant, and love the Paris métro. Picnics were less frequent than I imagined. I never knew I would do laundry daily. And how was I able to consume that much ham?
Surprises lurked all around my time in France. Some presenting themselves in more direct ways. Nonetheless. I have grown. Widened my scope. And stretched my knowledge. Oh! And I’ve learned how to cook.
Ahh...the wonderous adventure!! You will have such memories and stories to last a lifetime. Yet there will be so many more to come!! Be sure to tell us about the top of the Eiffel Tower!!
ReplyDeleteVezelay? I trust that means a meal at L'Espérance from the kitchen of Marc Meneau. Ah, just to have the breaded and fried faux gras cubes, or the biscuit made from the fish skeleton, resting atop the fish. An experience well worth the freight.
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