100 days

Well, dear friends and family, it's time to whip out that 100-day countdown calendar! That's right, as of today, I will be back stateside in 100 days. It's unbelievable how quickly the time has flown, and the speed at which my homecoming approaches makes me anxious, curious, and excited. Part of me is antsy to get home - to meet our new puppy, Andromeda (/Erica's puppy...semantics), to be in closer contact with everyone, to become enthralled in the awesomeness of So You Think You Can Dance, to road-trip and visit friends and family, to check out the studio's standing, to figure out my next steps in life - but then the thought of leaving France and the life I've created here is disheartening. It's difficult to imagine not living in Le Perray, spending hours in cafes and gallivanting around Paris. I can't fathom the reverse culture shock that will course through me once I inevitably realize that I'm not returning to France. I feel that my emotions are in a constant state of tug-of-war, relentlessly yanked between extremes. It's surely dizzying.

My friends and I have reconstructed mental to-do lists as we've realized what else we each want to see, do, and buy before our time is up. One crucial item on my mental list is to take more photographs. Now that the weather is getting nicer, it's time to break out the camera and capture everything! We were all hesitant to take pictures in our regular spots for fear of attracting negative attention and being too touristy, but now that time is winding down, we need to document our lives - most importantly, where we spend the majority of our time! In keeping with this pledge, Aimee, Janelle, and I began the photography-frenzy this weekend. Enjoy this installment - more to come later!!