Les Cerises

Eng: Delicious

I've spent the last couple of days in the garden, pulling out old plants to get ready for the new ones, and got to pick some cherries on the side

:)

Argenton-sur-Creuse

4 planes

2 metro lines

1 train

36 hours later

I'm finally here

We'll celebrate the little things: I successfully bought a train ticket from Gare d'Austerlitz (a train station) to Argenton-sur-Creuse in French. Very broken French.

"Un billet pour Argenton-sur-Creuse, s'il vous plaît"

The ticketman then proceeded to ramble off three questions, or at least it seemed like 3 questions.

...to which I blankly stared

I'll get there eventual, but for now at least I got here.

Tortue

English: Turtle

My friend, Emily, is a terrible liar. I mean seriously...terrible. We were having coffee one day when I mentioned that I needed to get a trekking backpack for my trip. She all of the sudden, semi-nonchalantly asked "So, what's your favorite color?" I answered, thinking she was referring to the ceramic mugs she was making me. The next day, when we were meeting for coffee after work, she was going to cut my hair, but said she had to "run an errand" before 5pm. I curiously asked where and she stammered "uh..just an errand." I inquired more, and she just smiled and repeated "an errand". A couple days later, I ran into her in the neighborhood and asked about my day, to which I told her that I needed to go to REI and get a backpack. Her response was wonderful:

Don't get a backpack

Emily, I need one

Grace, don't get a backpack
I have a friend...
um...you can borrow one.

It would be a good investment

DON'T get a backpack

I figured at that point, I probably shouldn't buy a backpack.

At a last going away dinner with all of my co-workers, Emily walked out with this beautiful bright green backpack. I feel beyond loved and they all chipped-in to buy me a backpack for my journey.

On the way into the airport, my roommate asked, "So how do you say turtle in French?"

Me and my lovely, green backpack

Piles

My room is in shambles piles.

I have to navigate the ever growing little monsters to climb into bed at night,

but guess what?

that means I'm real close

...like really close

to leaving

:)

Bon Voyage

Here marks the beginning of yet, another summer.

I was recently given a book "Words in a French Life" by a dear friend of mine and have decided to mimic the author's, Kristin Espinasse, style. Every chapter develops around a French word, whether it be her struggles as an American to pronounce words correctly or a funny encounter where language got the best of her.

So here we begin: Bon Voyage

Eng:safe journey, safe trip, pleasant travels

In reality this means packing, goodbyes, tears, stress, "last nights" out, cleaning, moving, excitement, nerves...and simply being stuck between wanting to be here and wishing I was there.

Today is graduation and for most it marks the end of something and the beginning of "real life". Seeing how I have yet to buy a dress for graduation in 6 hours (shh..don't tell my mom) and am too concerned with how I am going to get my ever-looming To-Do list done before I leave, I'm experiencing a different kind of stress. I'm more worried with how I'm going to pack-up my condo, pack a suitcase, and make time for last "hoorahs" with friends in 11 days, than the ever present question of "So, what are you going to do now?" I guess, I should be worried about that too..it just doesn't fit on the list right now.

The space between here and there; between "home" and the journey is always one of transition and with that some discomfort. I realize the more time I become "rooted" in Phoenix the more I enjoy it, but at the same time I am always ready to leave when summer comes around. Another dear friend told me that the need to have wings is just as powerful as the need to have roots. Yes, roots and wings.

I feel like a rooted tree with wings.
Between here and there.