From my journal on July 16, 2006 written during my flight to the States: "My date of departure. But what a different departing feeling to be the one sending off others who are in fact departing Paris for good when I am simply taking a holiday. To my home. From my home, feeling like I can't wait to get there but also wondering if five weeks will feel too long. It's not in my range of experiences considered 'normal' to ever take a 5-week holiday away from home. I'm looking at my summer in two parts. Part I takes place in Paris. Part II, in the States. So as I'm on my flight signaling the end of the first phase, I have to take the time to reflect on what an amazing time it has been. The fun began the day that Joshua arrived, May 30th. So much I want to remember, to make a neat list of each and every day's activities, to record them in words so I can keep reliving memories. Yet in the same way that I want to read entire books while on this 9-hour flight but find myself able to only sleep and listen to my iPod, best intentions give way to just living in the moment.
"Time with Josh: Refilling wine glasses, wowing Edith with art gallery business strategies, long conversations in restaurants, at sidewalk cafes, over crepes to avoid the rain, a new leather jacket and another successful trip to Ted Baker. Meeting up with Karina, meeting up with Henderson, late mornings and even later nights followed by apologies to neighbors. Stephanie's birthday party, balloons and noise-makers and Josh in the middle of the six of us girls, completely holding his own and cracking jokes like he knew everyone for years. Sleeping in straight lines and morning conversations over French press coffee, opening the window to warm sunny days without plans or agendas other than to make new discoveries and just take our time.
"Two days after Josh's arrival, Ann and Ed, Rae Lynn and Kyle joined us in the city of lights. A long stroll through the Jardin des Tuleries over stories from Ann about fighting with our dad when they were kids, wine and cheese, and later meeting for an unexpectedly crazy throw-the-food-on-your-plate dinner at Relais Entrecote. Yves St. Laurent hat, looking so French, a Parisian bachelorette party at Montmartre, stopping for beers, brasserie dinner and phenomenal crème brulé. Dinner on the roof of Centre Pompidou, champagne and wine and melt-in-your-mouth chocolate dessert. Josh had to leave too soon. Re-kindling relationships with Anne-Caroline and Fabrice, getting Ann's approval on my new apartment (the 'sex street' really isn't that bad!), Moroccan food and discoveries of a different quartier."
My appreciation for Josh's visit goes beyond words. And to have Josh get to know my friends (and vise versa) was priceless; all the girls are still asking about him and passing along their hellos. And to be able to reconnect with Sturzl's was priceless. I think about the amount of time I spent with their family growing up, yet since college I've only seen them a couple times a year at family gatherings. In Paris Eddy was so willing to just try
anything, flexible and concerned just that everybody was enjoying themselves. Ann kept pulling out her list of 50 useful words, practicing her pronunciation and ordering in French whenever possible, pointing to something saying "celui-ci." Kyle's curiosity and sheer excitement over what has become daily for me was refreshing and endearing. And despite her pregnancy, Rae Lynn took to the French women's philosophy that having just a bit of wine during pregnancy does no harm. I couldn't have been more thankful for such a generous and sincere family experience.
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