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It's our last full day in Paris after 10 months of living here. 
We fly out tomorrow morning and will sleep in our own home in Desert Hot Springs tomorrow night. That is such a weird thought. For sure, this has been a year of unexpected pleasure, challenge and meaningful interactions. The American Church in Paris has been a place of growth and joy and even after such a short time, feels very much like a church home, one that we will long to return to in the coming years. There is no doubt that we will miss the worship services and seeing the students who have burrowed deeply into our hearts on a regular basis. We will remain curious about how they will develop and where their lives will take them. We will miss our colleagues who have invited us into this staff in the most affirming and inclusive manner. The church is clearly what has made our time here so special and all of the wonderful people that we've been privileged to know but of course, the backdrop of Paris, added rich dimensions that are worthy of reflection. So here's a bit of a review of the past 10 months.
What I Will Miss The Most:
French Butter. I know, bizarre. But it is better. And the stuff with salt crystals in it is beyond delicious. I am packing a kilo to bring home in my suitcase.
Walking and Wandering. Paris is by far the most fun city to wander around. Lurking around every corner is a beautiful building, an inviting bistro beckoning one to sit and watch the world go by, and beautiful parks and green spaces that urge people to stop and enjoy the surroundings.
Lifestyle on Foot. While I am excited to drive our car again, I will miss being able to walk to the store, walk to our bakery, walk to go out to lunch, etc.
Public Transportation. Having a car is great for many things but it's also awesome to have the option of avoiding car use when you so desire, like when you go out to dinner and want to have a drink, or don't want to fight traffic or have to find a place to park.
Easy Travel to Beautiful Places. France has dazzled me this year. In short amounts of time from Paris we've been to the mountains and the coast, surrounded by vineyards and taken in amazing views. It's all fantastically lovely and I will miss having it all at fingertips.
Our Local Bakery. They tolerated my inability to speak French, they helped me navigate the choices, they were kind and lovely to me. Buying a freshly baked baguette for about a $1.50, biting off the end as I walked home, slathering it with the above mentioned French butter...the only good thing that could come out of this is that all bread in the US will now taste bad and so I'll be able to cut back on carbs!
Randomly Seeing the Iconic Monuments of Paris. I love that I've seen the Eiffel Tower most days.
I will miss spotting the gold dome of Invalides knowing my home and church were just down the street. I will miss seeing Sacre Coeur from random places in the city and the little thrill that came with seeing it each time I did. The bridges that crossed the Seine, Notre Dame, The Louvre and the d'Orsay museums...all spectacular buildings that I never wearied of seeing.
The Food. Restaurant favorites, outdoor markets and the good ol' grocery store will be missed. The food here is just so darn good. It's fresh, it's carefully made and prepared and it's has ruined my palette in a good way.
Cheap, Good Wine. Available in the grocery store. All the time.
Living in A Country with A Sane Leader. No commentary needed. Emmanuel Macron makes me proud. The other one...not so much.
Of course, there is so much more. But these things do stand out. But alas, lest you think living in Paris is perfect there are some things that I won't miss and definitely some things that I am looking forward to in returning to the US.
What I Won't Miss
Not Knowing the Language. I have never lived in a country where I didn't learn the language and this has been tough. I have picked up a fair amount of French vocabulary but having not really studied the language with any degree of seriousness, I don't know how to conjugate verbs or put together a cohesive sentence. Well, that's not entirely true. I did master Je ne parle pas français perfectly. The best I did was learn to read a menu, which proved to be very helpful.
Limited Recreational Options. One of the things I am most looking forward to are the recreational opportunities that CA offers to us. Access to water we can swim in is one of those things. Having tennis and golf in our backyard. And lots and lots of sunshine. Paris is crushingly gray this time of year and I'm ready for a bit more warmth and sunshine.
Living in An Apartment. While I have greatly appreciated the wonderful accommodation that ACP has provided for us, I am excited about living in my house again. Our house is still relatively new to us and we are excited to enjoy the large yard, eating outside, my big beautiful kitchen, gas stove, outdoor grill, king size bed, robotic vacuum, and having all of my favorite things at my finger tips.
We've embraced our life in Paris with vigor and joy.
And we've been the grateful recipients of incredible experiences that we will treasure for a life time. But our job here is now finished and it's time for us to return to CA. We will miss many things and welcome other things. We will long for our life in Paris at times even while revelling in the CA lifestyle that we also enjoy. We're thankful for it all and I suppose in our hearts, kind of know that we'll see Paris again one day.
So we join Rick from Casablanca, and thousands who have gone before us, in saying, "We'll always have Paris."
We fly out tomorrow morning and will sleep in our own home in Desert Hot Springs tomorrow night. That is such a weird thought. For sure, this has been a year of unexpected pleasure, challenge and meaningful interactions. The American Church in Paris has been a place of growth and joy and even after such a short time, feels very much like a church home, one that we will long to return to in the coming years. There is no doubt that we will miss the worship services and seeing the students who have burrowed deeply into our hearts on a regular basis. We will remain curious about how they will develop and where their lives will take them. We will miss our colleagues who have invited us into this staff in the most affirming and inclusive manner. The church is clearly what has made our time here so special and all of the wonderful people that we've been privileged to know but of course, the backdrop of Paris, added rich dimensions that are worthy of reflection. So here's a bit of a review of the past 10 months.What I Will Miss The Most:
French Butter. I know, bizarre. But it is better. And the stuff with salt crystals in it is beyond delicious. I am packing a kilo to bring home in my suitcase.
Walking and Wandering. Paris is by far the most fun city to wander around. Lurking around every corner is a beautiful building, an inviting bistro beckoning one to sit and watch the world go by, and beautiful parks and green spaces that urge people to stop and enjoy the surroundings.
Lifestyle on Foot. While I am excited to drive our car again, I will miss being able to walk to the store, walk to our bakery, walk to go out to lunch, etc.
Public Transportation. Having a car is great for many things but it's also awesome to have the option of avoiding car use when you so desire, like when you go out to dinner and want to have a drink, or don't want to fight traffic or have to find a place to park.
Easy Travel to Beautiful Places. France has dazzled me this year. In short amounts of time from Paris we've been to the mountains and the coast, surrounded by vineyards and taken in amazing views. It's all fantastically lovely and I will miss having it all at fingertips.
Our Local Bakery. They tolerated my inability to speak French, they helped me navigate the choices, they were kind and lovely to me. Buying a freshly baked baguette for about a $1.50, biting off the end as I walked home, slathering it with the above mentioned French butter...the only good thing that could come out of this is that all bread in the US will now taste bad and so I'll be able to cut back on carbs!
Randomly Seeing the Iconic Monuments of Paris. I love that I've seen the Eiffel Tower most days.
I will miss spotting the gold dome of Invalides knowing my home and church were just down the street. I will miss seeing Sacre Coeur from random places in the city and the little thrill that came with seeing it each time I did. The bridges that crossed the Seine, Notre Dame, The Louvre and the d'Orsay museums...all spectacular buildings that I never wearied of seeing.
The Food. Restaurant favorites, outdoor markets and the good ol' grocery store will be missed. The food here is just so darn good. It's fresh, it's carefully made and prepared and it's has ruined my palette in a good way.
Living in A Country with A Sane Leader. No commentary needed. Emmanuel Macron makes me proud. The other one...not so much.
Of course, there is so much more. But these things do stand out. But alas, lest you think living in Paris is perfect there are some things that I won't miss and definitely some things that I am looking forward to in returning to the US.
What I Won't Miss
Not Knowing the Language. I have never lived in a country where I didn't learn the language and this has been tough. I have picked up a fair amount of French vocabulary but having not really studied the language with any degree of seriousness, I don't know how to conjugate verbs or put together a cohesive sentence. Well, that's not entirely true. I did master Je ne parle pas français perfectly. The best I did was learn to read a menu, which proved to be very helpful.
Limited Recreational Options. One of the things I am most looking forward to are the recreational opportunities that CA offers to us. Access to water we can swim in is one of those things. Having tennis and golf in our backyard. And lots and lots of sunshine. Paris is crushingly gray this time of year and I'm ready for a bit more warmth and sunshine.
Living in An Apartment. While I have greatly appreciated the wonderful accommodation that ACP has provided for us, I am excited about living in my house again. Our house is still relatively new to us and we are excited to enjoy the large yard, eating outside, my big beautiful kitchen, gas stove, outdoor grill, king size bed, robotic vacuum, and having all of my favorite things at my finger tips.
We've embraced our life in Paris with vigor and joy.
And we've been the grateful recipients of incredible experiences that we will treasure for a life time. But our job here is now finished and it's time for us to return to CA. We will miss many things and welcome other things. We will long for our life in Paris at times even while revelling in the CA lifestyle that we also enjoy. We're thankful for it all and I suppose in our hearts, kind of know that we'll see Paris again one day.So we join Rick from Casablanca, and thousands who have gone before us, in saying, "We'll always have Paris."
