reflextions on the future . . .

I made an appointment for a final degree check today and it got me thinking about the future, a future that I happen to be very excited about. A future that I happen to be very impatient for its arrival. In approximately 6 months I will be moving back to Paris, though this time my stay there will be indefinite -- well, at least for the foreseeable future.

I cannot wait to be back in the city that I am completely in love with. For those of you who have never been in love with a city, and I mean really in love, let me attempt explain it to you. This type of love is deep and true and I have to say, I think Paris feels the same way about me. In fact, I am certain that my love with Paris is a reciprocal one. I know this to be true because Paris changed me, because Paris gave me the most unforgettable memories, and because Paris is there waiting just as impatiently for my return.

However, I won't actually be living in Paris, but a quaint little suburb called Maisons-Alfort, lovingly nicknamed Maisons-Arnaud after the man who has a special place in my heart, Monsieur Arnaud Saint-Cyr who is of course the reason that M-A, and not Paris, has been chosen as the place of my new abode. But I have to say, Maisons-Alfort has a special place in my heart too. During my time there, the local grocer actually recognized me but more importantly would smile and talk to me every time I stopped by -- something that I never experienced in Paris because Parisians just don't have the time, or the desire, to smile. And my apartment will be undoubtedly bigger than any apartment I could afford in Paris, not to mention less lonely.

Yes, in 6 (hopefully short) months, I will be going home because, after all, home is where the heart is. But I think the most exciting aspect is the uncertainty and the promise of what the future holds.