"Sitting there, alone in a foreign country, far from my job and everyone I know, a feeling came over me. It was like remembering something I'd never known before or had always been waiting for, but I didn't know what. Maybe it was something I'd forgotten or something I've been missing all my life. All I can say is that I felt, at the same time, joy and sadness. But not too much sadness, because I felt alive. Yes, alive. That was the moment I fell in love with Paris. And I felt Paris fall in love with me. "

~ paris je t'aime

Back and Forth

Well...so much for my resolution to update more often! :) I always think about updating my blog, but unfortunately thinking about it doesn't mean it gets done. I hope you haven't all given up on me. This month has been a roller coaster. I keep moving back and forth between being encouraged, and discouraged with my work. It has also been a challenging month with personal growth. Some days like today it splits and I am super excited about progress in work and really struggling either with life in France or news from home.

Some friends from another country are visiting right now and we are enjoying the familiar faces. I am also enjoying seeing Paris with them. One has never been here before. The joy and fascination on her face reminds me of my first visit. I had fallen completely in love with the city in the first half hour and though I didn't know how or when it would happen, I knew I had just been called to move here. :) What a crazy weekend that was!

I have been feeling a little melancholy recently for various reasons and am hoping that the rain will let up and the sun will come out! I did do a tiny bit of emotional shopping tonight...don't tell my mother. :) So... sorry if I'm depressing you...maybe I shouldn't write on the blog when it's been raining for about a week straight.

Funny story though...we were educating a friend about the US election process the other day when she asked what day we vote for president. Every American in the room stopped a minute to think and then they all turned to look at me for the answer. It made me laugh...but when you have a very politically passionate big brother you tend to inform yourself on these things. So listen up...the big day is November 2 2008! Do your research and register to vote. Apply for an absentee ballot a couple months before if you need to. :) There's my "Rock the Vote" commercial.

Miss and love you all!

Baby ballerina's
Hiding somewhere in the corner
Where the shadow wraps around her
And our torches cannot find her
She will stay there till the morning
Crawl behind us as we are yawning
And she will leave our game
To never be the same

So grow tall sugarcane
Eat that soil, drink the rain
But know they'll chase you if you play their little games
So run, run fast sugarcane