It's the little things...

A short while ago, the clouds parted as I received one of the best gifts I probably could ever get from my host mother: American peanut butter. Skippy to be exact. I've been having it on bread every morning for breakfast, so I'm quickly running out. I need to buy in bulk and keep a huge stock in my room. You never know how much you miss American food until it isn't available - at all. I'm jonesing for Muchas Gracias something fierce.

I feel I should introduce a member of the family that I have grown quite fond of, Mica. Named after the singer, Mica is the family cat. Very spoiled and very used to getting her way, Mica has become a natural target for torment for Salomé and Mathis so she only chooses to give affection when the children are otherwise occupied (like when they eat, although Mica doesn't realize they have sharp utensils in their hands just waiting to be momentarily diverted from eating to poking the cat). If we drive anywhere, I can be rest assured that Mica will greet us at the door when we get back. In one morning, I have had to open the door for that darn cat a minimum of 7 times in order for her to go in and out of the house.

There is a certain professor that teaches several of my classes that, when we are silently working, prowls the aisles like Filch's cat. It's strikingly similar, how she moves in between the students. Another professor and I had a pleasant ten minute conversation about our mutual love of maps and about where all I have been in France.
Today I had the pleasure of buying a roundtrip train ticket to Paris for this weekend, as well as my first bottle of wine. Sometimes I'm amazed at how well I can function in another country without speaking one word of English. Some people, I'm convinced, don't even realize I'm foreign. Albeit I might not have lengthy conversations with them, but during a normal interaction at a store some people don't even slow down like many do when they realize they're speaking with a foreign student.

l'Hôtel de Ville at night

I'm quickly growing tired of staying in one place for long, so I'll be spending this weekend in Paris. Here's to hoping my stay in France becomes more bearable when I start to travel more. I can't wait to revisit the Louvre and admire more of the fine artwork. The forecast is shaping up to be in the low to mid 70's (Fahrenheit) and sunny, perfect weather for having a lunch in the park by the Eiffel Tower. I'm planning on taking a massive amount of photos, which will have to be labeled under a completely different photo album, not just "France", because let's face it, The Louvre alone could have it's own album.