melted butter on a fresh baguette

as i sit in my garden on this 18 degree night, drinking an earl grey tea (what seems to help me make it through early mornings here), i realize that life here is a lot different than at home. life is what you make it and that if you want change it starts within you, not where you are, but i do believe that making a big geographical change helps you push yourself to change as well.

some of my favourite things here:

- i walk to and from the market every day or two for fresh produce and bread

- i can leave my window open as the sun goes down and there are no screens, because there are hardly any bugs

- just when i think i've met the most interesting person, i mean someone else who has a wild life story to share

- eavesdropping on people's conversations in both english and french, and actually understanding what they're saying

- enjoying all the drinks and foods for their quality, not the quantity

- learning a new word or phrase, and saying them right in conversation

- having dessert after every meal, usually cheese or a delicious tart

these are just some things i love in france. another thing i have embraced fully.. being alone. i am slowly gaining confidence to ask people questions without feeling stupid speaking french, even if it's wrong and slurred (for anyone that knows me well, i speak far too quickly, even in french). i am happy taking the metro alone to go to centre-ville to buy a sandwich on a baguette or grab a cup of tea and read by myself in a bistro.

4 months is nothing, and my good friends and i have been in contact a lot since i've been here, and will continue to be, and if not, then that's okay too. i'm 22, friends come and go, but i hope that everyone has the change for some adventures sooner rather than later.

despite how annoying it can get with how slow administrative stuff is in france, everyone is working at a slower pace, very laid-back, i enjoy this characteristic socially and think people can learn to just slow down and enjoy, stop being in such a rush to get to the next place.

one of my favourite profs once told me, it's not what you're waiting for, it's what you do while you're waiting.

you can't always wait for the next "big thing", some of the best moments are the small day-by-day happenings that do unnoticed but are what make up the bigger scheme of things as a whole. it isn't something or someone who will change your life, it's you. you are the only person who can instigate your own personal growth. sometimes you need to make a big change in your own life to change your outlook on things.

i'm not saying that being in a different country has made me a different person, but it sure has made me sit back and appreciate my life more and all the amazing moments that i seem to let myself rush through sometimes.