Clicking My Heels

To wrap this trip up with a nice little bow, I thought I'd do one last entry (not sure if anybody is still reading this...).

Leaving Nice, I thought it'd be easier to get a direct train to Paris. I'd tried waiting in line the night before but the wait was way too long. By the time I returned to the train station early the next afternoon, there were no direct trains to Paris with seats available. Instead, I was forced to buy a ticket to Marseilles with a connection to Paris which would get me in around 11PM. Oy. At least I had enough time to do laundry in Nice before taking off. Then I got on to a very nice TGV train and jammed out of Nice and on to my last destination.

I notified the hotel I tried reserving at (which no final confirmation) that I'd be coming in quite late, but in Paris it was just a leap of faith to see if they'd actually take me. Fortunately, L'Hotel de l'esperance (Hotel of Hope) did take me in and I was able to stay there both nights I was in Paris. It was a nice 2 or 3-star hotel and I just thrilled to be in Paris, on my own, in a hotel, safe and sound.

The hotel had a wireless network but I couldn't get it to connect. Fortunately, I was able to hop onto somebody's else's network (there were a million and one of them where I was in Paris...very wired, indeed) and my being connected helped me to feel right at home.

Saturday, I woke up and was really excited to be in Paris. While I didn't have much time in Paris, I knew I wanted to get my hair cut, go to the Marais to shop, walk some of the city and go out that night. I shopped and ate and enjoyed the day but the soonest hair appointment I could make at the super-cool hair place, Space Hair, was at 9pm. So I went back to my hotel to rest and finish watching the last season of Sex and the City (based in Paris) and relaxed. Then over to the Quartier Latin to drink coffee at one of those famous cafes and write postcards, then quickly off to the Marais for my all-French haircut (I made most of my time in Paris all-French, but there was no choice at Space Hair -- and it's always tough to speak when there's a certain vocabulary you're just not familiar with), then back to get ready at the hotel, then finally to go meet Luis for a drink in the Marais.

Luis was a guy I'd met in Seattle and we started down the road of having a fling but it never developed. When I saw him on the street corner waiting for me in Paris, I didn't know what to think and I just kept an open mind about the meeting. As time went on that night, we started falling for each other yet again. He has some hangups that prevented us from taking it any further, but it was magical and unexpected. I guess we're just inescapably drawn to one another. It couldn't be helped. Maybe that's the best type, and at least that remains in the realm of an amazing feeling that I definitely want to feel again.

We hung out at a couple of busy bars in the Marais and casually met lots of other guys. It was a good time, but really we didn't see anybody else, we were so focused on talking. We spoke in English because that was the most comfortable language to converse in. I was driving myself crazy hanging out with Luis, and I did want to go dancing, so I pulled myself away from him and said a long goodbye.

I was told the Queen on the Champs d'Elysees was the place to go. Previously, I'd only been there on a Sunday and it was lots of fun so I looked forward to going. It was a mess. 20 Euros to get in and just a big, packed drugged-out mess. I had more fun getting there, waiting for a bus because there were no taxis to be gotten. I met a couple of guys and made friends with them in our long wait and then long bus ride towards the Arch de Triomphe. My French, once again, had gotten quite good and I found myself in the situation of speaking casually in French with strangers and really having very little of a problem with it. This was to my great delight. It was the first trip I really felt as though French was my second language. Not as effortless as English, but really getting to the point of easy. I love it -- it feels as though I've cracked a secret code (along with millions of other francophones) and that is a good thing. Strange to describe, but it definitely felt like a breakthrough.

The next day I got picked up by the airport shuttle. I got to the airport in plenty of time, but when I got there (a little hungover and really wanting to smoke) and got through the line, they said I was booked for the flight but didn't have a ticket. It seemed as though that woman who booked my flight didn't charge my card. I thought she had and I had no money left anywhere, on any card or in any account. The situation took a long time to take care of and at the end, the guy needed a credit card. He tried a couple with no luck and I was sweating bullets. Then he was able to charge one and it went through -- absolutely a miracle. I almost missed the 1/2 hour deadline to get checked in before a flight and then they told me I had to go directly to the gate. I was so stressed out I really just wanted a smoke. I sneaked outside for a few puffs then went to the gate, only to have to wait in a huge line that wasn't planning on moving anytime soon. So we just stood there. Eventually they opened up the other security entrance and we got to board. I actually did feel safer with all the security precautions, even if I wasn't able to bring my cough syrup on board the plane. I took a big gulp, settled down (a little stoned now) and eased my way into my trans-Atlantic flight.

I went through Dulles (a mess with immigration and customs) and got into Seattle that evening. My parents picked me up. I've never been so happy to be home.

Keo greeted me like a mad-dog. The kitties didn't care that I was home. I did care. It had been a long month and I wanted a little comfort, a little more predictability to my experience...and I was about to get it.

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My trip to Europe was an essential trip for me. I needed to test my coping skills, needed to shake myself out of my comfortable day-to-day life to have a bit of an adventure, both physically and spiritually. I think there are many lessons from my trip that I have yet to see, that will become clearer in time. I'm happy to wait to see them unfold as they're meant to.

I'll be back to Europe, and will be off to adventure soon. But for the time being, I really want to stay grounded, near home and in the city. It's getting to be the start of Fall in Seattle. So much to look forward to, so much to plan.

Life's good. I'm grateful to have opportunities like this and look forward to many more. And so it is.

The Last Leg

After a brief layover in Florence (I'd been there before), I headed up to Cinque Terre. My original plan had been to stay there a few days. Cinque Terre has five small towns tucked between the sea and mountains and is gorgeous. It was breathtaking as I came through on the small train that services the area.



But shortly after I got there, I had a tough time getting hotels for more than one night and the Internet situation was spotty (I had intended to work). So I turned to the bottle of wine I got at my villa in Tuscany to see if it had any answers for me. And it told me to head north, young man, head north.



So North I went, to Nice. When I got on the train in Monterosso (one of the cities in the Cinque Terre), I was seated right across from an American Girl, Kelly. She and I started talking right away. One of the reasons we'd both left our previous locations was the fact that it wasn't suitable for a single person traveling alone and not speaking Italian (although mine was improving). I wanted gentler travels, and so did she.

Thus began our two days together. It was a long trip to Nice, but arriving there was a breath of Fresh air. We both got separate hotels. Mine was one that had all these separate rooms designed by artists. Very cool.

Nice was all about the beach during the day, good eating in the evening and good sleeping at night. It was bliss and just what both of us needed! Kelly was great company and we got along famously. I'm so thankful I ran into her. It helped to wrap up the last part of my trip with a very pretty little bow.



We decided yesterday to go parasailing...we'd both always wanted to do it and never had done it. So after laying out, we went and did it. Very cool! Only the beginning and end were heart-pumping. The rest was actually quite serene, being way up high and looking down at the beautiful azur water of the cote d'azur. Most excellent!





People, I think, were constantly confusing us as a couple, which was fine with me. We made a beautiful couple! Kelly left last night to go to Paris, then to London to fly out.

For my part, it's my last morning in Nice. I take off this afternoon on a fast train to Paris. Two nights in Paris and then I fly home (early) to Seattle on Sunday evening. I've had an amazing trip (I'll do one more post from home), but I was just ready to come home and get in the last slice of summer in Seattle and prepare for all the big happenings of fall.

More from Seattle...