What I won't miss:
* Washing dishes (oh, you forget how much you take an automatic dishwasher for granted!)
* My daily struggles to speak and understand the French language, my lack of progress and confidence—this is my biggest disappointment. I know I’ve improved but it wasn’t enough and I wish I felt more competent.
* Trying to figure out how to discard the coffee grounds without making a big mess
* Dry skin, especially dry hands and cuticles (all the dishwashing didn't help…)
* Not having a garbage disposal (oh, you forget how much you take a garbage disposal for granted!)
* Watching where I walk…
* Not having a manicure and pedicure
* Fighting for a safe spot on narrow sidewalks. Paris pedestrians don’t yield—let’s not even talk about the Paris drivers…especially the ones flying down the street in reverse because they’ve spotted a vacating parking spot in their rear view mirror! Most of the sidewalks (except for those on the grand boulevards) are narrow, sometimes only wide enough for one or two people. When I met Parisians on narrow sidewalks, I was constantly yielding and/or stepping into the street.
* My daily struggles to speak and understand the French language, my lack of progress and confidence—this is my biggest disappointment. I know I’ve improved but it wasn’t enough and I wish I felt more competent.
* Trying to figure out how to discard the coffee grounds without making a big mess
* Dry skin, especially dry hands and cuticles (all the dishwashing didn't help…)
* Not having a garbage disposal (oh, you forget how much you take a garbage disposal for granted!)
* Watching where I walk…
* Not having a manicure and pedicure
* Fighting for a safe spot on narrow sidewalks. Paris pedestrians don’t yield—let’s not even talk about the Paris drivers…especially the ones flying down the street in reverse because they’ve spotted a vacating parking spot in their rear view mirror! Most of the sidewalks (except for those on the grand boulevards) are narrow, sometimes only wide enough for one or two people. When I met Parisians on narrow sidewalks, I was constantly yielding and/or stepping into the street.
What I will miss:
* Monoprix (grocery store) Chococerise (chocolate cherry) cookies
* Public transportation (I can add “reliable” because we didn't have a strike while I was there)
* Not having to mess with a car (of which I was reminded of when mine wouldn't start when I returned to Houston)
* My intimate little cheery apartment
* The sweet burnt talcum powder smell of the Metro (because when I smell it, I know I’m in Paris) and my little Metro pass
* The freedom to walk the streets alone and explore at any time of the day
* Monoprix (grocery store) Chococerise (chocolate cherry) cookies
* The access to such beautiful history, monuments, and museums
* The sense that I didn’t have to deal with real life in Paris (I was on vacation, right?)
* The quaintness of the streets, shops, customs, and culture
* Trying different kinds of cookies and chocolates, cheeses, wine, ice creams, and anything else I wanted without worrying about putting on weight (I don’t walk this much in Houston or climb so many stairs! My bones are already stiffening up since I've been home.)
* Monoprix (grocery store) Chococerise (chocolate cherry) cookies
* Hearing the little boy arrive every morning at his babysitter’s
* Did I mention Monoprix (grocery store) Chococerise (chocolate cherry) cookies?
* Public transportation (I can add “reliable” because we didn't have a strike while I was there)
* Not having to mess with a car (of which I was reminded of when mine wouldn't start when I returned to Houston)
* My intimate little cheery apartment
* The sweet burnt talcum powder smell of the Metro (because when I smell it, I know I’m in Paris) and my little Metro pass
* The freedom to walk the streets alone and explore at any time of the day
* Monoprix (grocery store) Chococerise (chocolate cherry) cookies
* The access to such beautiful history, monuments, and museums
* The sense that I didn’t have to deal with real life in Paris (I was on vacation, right?)
* The quaintness of the streets, shops, customs, and culture
* Trying different kinds of cookies and chocolates, cheeses, wine, ice creams, and anything else I wanted without worrying about putting on weight (I don’t walk this much in Houston or climb so many stairs! My bones are already stiffening up since I've been home.)
* Monoprix (grocery store) Chococerise (chocolate cherry) cookies
* Hearing the little boy arrive every morning at his babysitter’s
* Did I mention Monoprix (grocery store) Chococerise (chocolate cherry) cookies?
