me voici - a paris

oh my goodness, it's been awhile.

I went to richmond. it was great - the shopping with sue, zack's roasted chicken deliciousness, and the ridiculous eighties movie I slept through, all great.

I went to stephan's wedding. it was nothing at all what my wedding reception will be like, but that is okay. I was glad to see stephan and lynette and sister graff.

I went into d.c. with amanda and we went to some b-day party at the science club where I met some fun people and had a good time. then we went to ben's chili bowl cause I'd never been and I'd have to say the hype is probably due to the fact that there's already a hype. you must go for the experience, but only so you can say you've done it. it wasn't all it's said to be.

I repacked all of my stuff and managed to fit it into one suitcase. I was worried about navigating the airport, underground, train station and metro that I would have to navigate with 2 bags. good thing, too. because after doing it with one, I'd have to say doing it with two would have been absolutely impossible.

after 24 straight hours of travelling through the aforementioned places, past forbidding immigrations officers, through english and french countryside, and through the streets of paris, with my trusty, humongous and excessive suitcase, I made it to the hotel. where we left immediately to go trekking around hotel de ville and eat dinner. I felt disgusting. but I was very proud of my 4 months of stuff in one suitcase compared to others' 2 months of stuff in three. and I was very proud that I had no problem whatsoever navigating through everything, all on my own (despite many delays and unexpected events) when there were others who couldn't figure out how to get home on the metro.

I have to admit though, when I finally sat down in my seat on the eurostar train (my second train because I missed the first because of underground and airplane delays), I kind of just felt like crying a little bit. after all that dependability and stress and manoeuvering, I just wanted someone else to take care of it. to take care of me. what is it with the need to cry and the need to be cared for of late? this is so not me. maybe it is and I'm just beginning to allow myself to recognize it. I think it's a good skill to be able to keep it together as long as you need to and then be able to let it out when you're done. or at least recognize the fact that there's something to be let out. progress!

I am in paris. it is incredible. I love it already. though I'd have to say, all you have to do to realize that a place is just a place like any other is to ride the metro. just because it's such a down-to-earth, mundane activity. on the metro, everything just exists. in paris, it just happens to exist awesomely. and in high fashion.

pictures forthcoming