First look
These are pictures from the first day in my condo. In the morning, Jim and I loaded up the car with a load of boxes, I went to the closing, then drove directly to my new home to begin unpacking. These pictures are pre-everything -- -moving, -cleaning, -unpacking.
A triumphant return
why not?
it's nice to be home
Au revoir, Kelly!
Here it is, my last post from France. Incidentally, I'm writing this (very slowly) from the computer in the teacher's computer lab at school, as my connection isn't working today. I've been packing intensively over the last three days, amazed at the staggering amount of stuff I have. So far, I have two large suitcases (one of which surely exceeds the weight limit of 50 pounds andwill cost (cough) EIGHTY DOLLARS in overage fees...), two boxes and a poster tube which need to be mailed (and will also probably exceed 80 dollars in shipping costs). I haven't yet packed my backpack. Looking at everything that I'm going to carry through Paris makes me want to cry, but I can only blame myself for this mess.
Tomorrow, I'm taking the train to Paris, where I'll spend the rest of th day with Catherine and her boyfriend. Friday morning, I head to Charles deGaulle airport and fly back home. It feels very strange that this year is already over. Needless to say, I will miss this place very, very much.
Thanks for taking the time to read everything I've written this year. In fact, this is the first time I've consistently kept any sort of diary for so long - I guess what I was missing before was an audience. I don't really plan to keep writing, since this was created to document my year in France... but who knows - maybe the need will strike me in the future. Oh, also? I never asked permission to put anyone's picture up on this site, so we'll just keep it as our little secret, got it? ....I
SAID,
got it?I guess that's it for me. See you in the States!
what packing?
Yesterday afternoon, Pauline and Bernard took me to a outdoor museum with traditional country homes of the Franche-Comte. They went around the region (mostly the Doubs, but anyway...), finding derelict houses, disassembling them, the reassembling and restoring them at this museum. If you think that I found this boring or unappealing, you've clearly never met me. I was raised on visiting Reconstructed and Historically Significant (RaHS) sites, and if you're like me (looking at you, bri), you knowing the interent appeal of seeing a roped-off room full of antique furniture.
This place was plently pluse-quickening, complete with the smell of dust and smoky wood that, I've discovered, is the same as ALL RaHS buildings.
This place had it all, small rooms dominated by thick beams:
Well-restored shingles:
Ye olde laundry drying:
an old-timey classroom (always my favorite):
Afterwards, I went home with them and helped Pauline make dinner. One of the things we ate were local potatoes deep-fried in duck fat. If you're not jealous of me, you're a damn fool. I actually had a dream last night wherein I ate more of those potatoes.
a few questions
1.
does someone want to come here and do all of this packing for me?
2.
how did i bring so much shit with me to this country?
3.
why were you all so nice and considerate with all of the sending and bringing of gifts? because you were really, really nice and considerate. and you've sent me a lot of stuff.
some pictures from friday night. it got a bit out of hand, when the homemade hooch came out.
I had no idea that there were so many baudy french songs before that even, not to mention that they're available on compact disc.
