I am not used to being in such large groups of people and not understanding any of them. When I came to visit Geep a few weeks back, I didn’t venture out on my own very much. Plus, he was with me to have conversations with while we walked around. Now that most of the day consists of me venturing out into the wild-french-yonder alone, I have discovered that I kind of miss people. There is no sensation quite like when you are on a huge galleria-type mall, surrounded by thousands of tourists and french alike, and you still feel isolated. Sometimes, you even feel mute when all you can say are the simple pleasantries of the daily routine: bonjour, merci, etc. it takes getting used to. However, once the internet is up and running and we are not confined to using the data on our phones carefully, so we don’t run out, then I will be able to locate some fellow expats. Luckily the temporary gloom seems to have lifted and today feels better. One of the saving graces of this beginning phase, is our close proximity to….. everything. One of the first few nights we were here, we decided to go see the Eiffel. It is only about a ten minute hike from our place and it doesn’t get dark here until close to 10:30pm. It was a nice change to see it up close as opposed to through a speeding car window. It is quite the pretty thing. We meandered around and underneath it, picked up some ice cream, and stood back by the Seine to take in the then lit tower. Then it began to sparkle! ( video will be posted once internet arrives). The crowd collectively gasped and cameras quickly left pockets. I was among them. It’s the constant ebbe and flow of feelings like that that keep me happy. Until I can learn a bit more French and find some English speakers, I have to remember that for everyday that feels lonely, there will be a day where I am bursting at the seams. And not due to the amount of wine, cheese, and bread we are eating.
Fezzik In Paris 