The change in season has brought about many changes in day-to-day life. In early September, not just one, but three friends moved into town. Two of those friends were originally made during my study-abraod adventures two years ago, all of us hailing from different parts of the US. It’s amazing that all of us find ourselves back in the same place once more. My weekends now consist of dinner with friends, wiiU game tournaments, and friendly meet-ups for coffee or walks through the park. I haven’t felt that crushing sense of boredom and depression that hit me all too frequently in the past months. Filling a life with even the smallest of meaningful activities makes such a big difference. Having people I trust in my immediate surroundings makes me feel less like an alien and more like I have a place here.
Only within the last few weeks has the weather turned blustery and autumnal. Summer made a late appearance this year, so thankfully, it stuck around longer than usual. I was able to squeeze in a few more picnics and summer dresses. Now, I’m wearing the boots, scarves, and light sweaters. Dressing for this time of year is my favorite; I don’t feel overexposed and sweaty in skimpy dresses, and I don’t feel completely weighed down by thick coats.
I’ll be visiting the US in a month’s time! I’m so excited, for so many reasons. To spend quality time with the people I love, to eat all the foods, and in general, to feel completely confident in my own culture. Living in a foreign country for an extended amount of time, especially when I don’t have a super firm grasp on the language, brings out a timid, more contained version of myself. I’ve always been introspective and introverted, but having to inhabit a world where the simplest of things become a source of discomfort only exaggerates these traits. I can’t comfortably communicate with people. Can you imagine living in a world where you can’t communicate like a normal human? When I leave my apartment, I feel like I walk around in a bubble, not really a part of the culture around me, just floating through it. I miss the feeling of being able to walk confidently into a store without pre-rehearsing sentences in my head or assuming that there’s going to be a misunderstanding. I’m really looking forward to simple things in the US, like going to the grocery store, because I know how they work – I feel completely confident in my basic human abilities there. I’m also really looking forward to not being in the “public eye” anymore. Here, if I want to go somewhere, I have to go outside, into the world that’s full of people. Constantly, people everywhere. In the US, I can escape into my car and not even think about other people.
Here are a few more snapshots I’ve taken over the months, they don’t really represent anything, other than that I’m lucky to live in a place full of pretty things.
If you’ve been missing content from me, it’s probably because I’ve been writing a few articles for Paris Perfect! I’ve got a post on the cream puffs at Odette, a Swedish café and home goods store, and the autumn leaves in the Tuileries, among a few others. Check them out, I think they’re quite nice.
