Au revoir, Paris

Sorry for the delay in part 2 of my "wrap-up" series. I've been very busy doing a whole lot of nothing for most of the past two weeks, then very busy doing a whole lot of everything for the past several days. Since I'm heading back to school tomorrow morning, I figured I should probably buckle down and finish this.

I think part of the problem is that I still don't want to admit that my Parisian adventure is really over. I don't want to sound cliche, but it truly was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I fell head over heels in love with this city -- it is a vibrant, living entity. I can't imagine anyone not being enchanted by it. Its history and beauty wait for you at every turn to capture your imagination. It's such a special place, and even though I am slowly recovering from my withdrawal, it still seems hard to believe that anywhere else I'll live could ever compare to this.

I'll miss my host mother, who always worried that I studied too much, and her little, colorful apartment filled with art from all around the world. I'll miss being within walking distance of the Pantheon, the Sorbonne, Notre Dame, the Luxembourg Gardens... I'll miss the Louvre. I'll miss the pleasure that people take in simple little things -- fresh flowers, fruit from the corner market, good bread, coffee in a sidewalk cafe. I'll miss Sciences Po, and the international mix that is somehow so different from Georgetown. And last but certainly not least, I'll miss French. Speaking it, reading it, eventually eavesdropping in it...I'll miss having French as a fundamental part of my daily life.

As for the things I won't miss...it will be nice to live "on my own" again (even though, as I've mentioned repeatedly, I was incredibly blessed with my host family this past semester). I won't exactly miss the (stereo)typical French cynicism and pessimism. I don't think I will miss the secularism, although I've definitely noticed some "reverse culture shock" where public displays of religion are concerned. However, it will be nice to be back at Georgetown, a place where religion and spirituality are valued. I won't miss the extra effort that everything takes when you have to operate in an unfamiliar system and a less familiar language. I won't miss skype and living in a drastically different time zone from friends and family. And I won't miss exposes...I hope.

Still, with all that said, I am already plotting my return to Paris. As hard as it can be to live so far away from the people I love, I now have another home waiting for me on the other side of the Atlantic. I have to promise myself that I'll go back, and not just as a tourist. It's too hard to say "adieu" to Paris, so instead, I will just say "au revoir".