"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." I love this quote, and though I've heard it a million times, I found myself thinking about it from a different angle today. I know the journey begins with a single step, but doesn't it also continue with one step after another? If our lives are truly a journey, then each chapter is just another step.


The last step I took lead me here, to a summer in Paris with my best friend. I have always loved to travel. I give all credit to my dad who has a love for adventure whether it be running marathons, trying new food, or getting completely lost for hours in a foreign place just for the chance to "explore." It is one of my favorite things about my dad that I have so luckily inherited, and without it, there is no way I would be here.


So six weeks in Paris. It's not the longest I've been away from home or the first time I've been to Paris, but this trip is going to be special. It is truly a sabbatical from my life, a chance to put EVERYTHING (except renting my American apartment.. that was a big, nasty check to write!) on hold, while I explore, read, learn, and ponder in Europe. Tough life, right? I've been here two days, and I already have thanked somebody somewhere a hundred times for this opportunity. There are a lot of people and beings that helped me get here. Thank you :)


In the last two days, here are my mostly wins and a few losses....


Win #1- Walking into numerous stores and being greeted in not English, not French, but GERMAN. I'm really not sure why people who travel to other countries (including myself) are so opposed to standing out. All of my life, I've been encouraged to stand out, make a difference, be bold, so it seems unnatural that we want to blend in to other cultures. I think the reason these German encounters made me so excited is that as I walk the streets of (insert foreign country here), the sizes, shapes, and colors of people amaze me. And when I really want to get lost in deep thought, it is overwhelming to me that if my life had taken a different step somewhere, maybe I would be someone else, a different size, shape, or color (okay maybe not color, but you get the idea). Maybe someone assuming you are from a different culture is just a reminder of that, or it is your alter ego's chance to pretend that you are German or French or British... even just for a moment. Personally I like to think that somewhere my German ancestors smiled at the greeting!
Liz 1 - Culture Shock 0


Loss #1- Aidan has a traditional French apartment with yes, French doors that open and overlook the street below. These doors have window boxes for flowers. Since December I have desperately wanted to plant flowers in those boxes, and I have imagined warm summer days with the windows open, drinking wine and looking at those flowers. So it became my mission on my first day here to plant. I found the greenhouses, gathered together all of the supplies, used my best (minimal) French to pay for the supplies, and was greeted by screaming in French and hand motions about needing a cart to take the supplies home. Long story short, we now have beautiful hydrangeas... on the kitchen table. I have the windows open, I am drinking wine, but I don't have any flowers outside.
Liz 0 - Flower Nazi 1


Win #2- The European Cup is currently being played in Poland. Being the lifelong soccer fan that I am, this makes me ecstatic. Americans do not appreciate soccer the way the rest of the world does, and I love that there is a whole continent of people who love the game the way I do. France played England last night, and curled up on the couch with a glass of wine, a baguette, and cheese, I watched the game, pausing every few minutes to listen to the cheering screams coming from people around the apartments and in the streets. When France scored, the cafes and pubs on the street erupted, and I couldn't help but let it bring a smile to my face.
Liz 1 - European Soccer Nation 1


Loss #2- While I was watching the game, I decided to try out my domestic skills with a little laundry. Widely known fact- I am the most un-domestic person you may ever meet. I don't cook, I can kind of clean, and I clearly didn't listen when Aidan was telling me about the washer because I flooded the kitchen. Water was everywhere!! Silver lining? The kitchen floor was really dirty, and cleaning up the flood definitely fixed that! :)
Liz 0 - Washing Machine 1


Win #3- I'm ending on a win. The last two days, I have spent wandering, reading, trying new foods, and running a few errands, but mostly just enjoying the city. Aidan and I went on a great run last night through Luxembourg Gardens (the area around the French Senate... think the Mall in Washington, D.C.), and when we finished at 9:15, the light in the sky looked like it was 6 o'clock in the evening. If these first two days are any indication, I am in for a fantastic summer! 
Liz 1 - Pessimism 0