That was close. Too close in fact. I absolutely abhor being late, especially when it comes to travel, and this was the closest I’ve been to completely missing a train/plane. I had to get in 10 cars early in Paris, and then had to lug my 100+ pounds of luggage down the track as quickly as I possibly could to get in the right car before the train left again at Dijon. But yeah, my luggage was literally thrown onto the train in Paris as I ran down the track in a dress and heels. I pulled an Indiana Jones though, with my sister throwing me my big camera bag as the train door closed, so that was pretty cool, but I’m on my way, and that’s what counts!! And then I had to run again with all my stuff, tripping, falling, scraping and otherwise fucking up a perfectly good knee. It wouldn’t be real life without some adventures!
I guess what I was going to say next goes back to what I was thinking when I was taking the plan a week ago, which started when I noticed how terribly sad people look in the security line, either because they don’t want to be there, or because they’re leaving something behind. And then you have the parents and the other halves who are standing on the other side of that thin barrier that separates them from those they love with looks of worry and sadness all over their faces. Seriously, it was one of the most depressing things I had thought about in a while. Then I thought about how I pride myself on not being sad to leave, and always finding the positive, always pushing ahead for that new adventure, not scared or sad when leaving family and friends behind. The one thing I think I hate more than being late for things though is crying, especially in public, and that almost happened multiple times on the plane, for an unknown reason to me, I’m going back to that place I’ve wished I were for the past seven months, I’m doing exactly what I want. About seven hours later I realized that it was because I was scared. I don’t really need to go into detail about it, but to tell you that at this moment in my life, I’m pretty scared of everything. From little things like bugs to huge things like getting my visa, living with Vitalik and being able to pay rent and buy food, and then growing up and feel like I’m doing things right. I’m just so unsure of everything, but I don’t think I’m the only person on the planet who feels that way. That’s going to be one of the things I work on this year is not being so afraid of things, and I hope (and am pretty sure) that once things settle down and I have a normal and regular lifestyle I will chill out a little bit. I’ve moved from house to house on a weekly basis since graduation almost a month ago, and that’s enough to disrupt anyone’s life. So hopefully Besançon will be the last stop for a while.
And now that I’m here, it’s terribly weird and somewhat confusing. It’s like I never left. Like the past 7 months of my life at Knox were all a dream and never actually happened.
Kate’s here now though, and as much as I enjoy having her here, it’s really stressful trying to decide what to do and when to do it. I’m also super tired and haven’t really had a good night’s sleep since before leaving the states, so that’s definitely in order!
Yesterday we went to a pseudo France-Comtoise restaurant called La Grange. The server proposed to us a menu that was 25 euros for 2 people, which included 2 entrées, two main dishes and 2 desserts. We thought this was an amazing deal, since La Grange is not the cheapest of restaurants. Then when we got the bill we saw that we had been charged for 2 of them. I called the waiter over and he explained that the menu is 25 euros, and a minimum of 2 people have the order it, but each person gets charged separately. What a jip! He did not explain that well at all. So an expensive meal turned out just that more expensive. Thank goodness my parents were the ones paying and not me! But it was amazingly delicious!
Kate and I are heading to the market to get fresh fruit and veg (“This is a fresh shop! I will do well here…” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jSE3JANx14), so I’ll leave you all with some photos and one video (!) before leaving!
A part of the Basillica St. Pierre just outside of Paris, where Louis XIV (and all the kings of France) are buried.
Katie eating her Fondue au Vin Jaune at La Grange
Vitalik looking classier than ever drinking wine at La Grange
Our plates and grill. I sadly was so hungry and excited to see the food arrive that I completely forgot to take pictures until it was all gone. Pretty much we each had a couple of slices of beef, chicken and duck, with roasted potatoes on the side.
Me and Vitalik at La Grange
A mime in Monmartre Paris. Watch it until the end!
