Time keeps slipping away...

I realized today that my time here in France is quickly dwindling to an end. It is a bittersweet ending, to be honest. I’ve enjoyed my time here with all the traveling, food, baking and even my stint in the foreign hospital. I hate that I’m going to be leaving the friends that I’ve made and the simplicity of our lives here, but I’m looking forward to being home with all the little things I’ve missed. For instance, a clothes dryer. I really don’t like the way my clothes feel from line drying. That weird crunchy feel, yuck, I still feel like my clothes aren’t clean. Then all the other things like my own bed, my family and friends, my pets and so forth.

Cooper wanting to play

Chance wanting to do laundry

Sophie and Simca (my mom's French bulldogs) on their morning "walk"

Like I said, my life here has been simple. At the start I didn’t have to wake up before noon, but I would be up by at least 8. Walk to the store some days with friends form lab and be back in time to get ready for our walk to the school at 11:30 AM (or a little later). We would be at the school till 8 at night sometimes. But our days now during the week consist of waking up before the sun and walking to lab to be there before 6 AM. In lab till 1 PM, then walk over to lunch that has always been provided for us during the week. Our conversations at lunch consist of how lab went, what should we put together for dinner (I always end up bringing wine), and what are the plans for the weekend. At dinner, we eat together (us few from class) and drink wine, eat and joke around and if the mood hits us right… we play yam (the French version of yatzee). Take into account we are all still going to bed between 8:30-9:30.  It is, by far, enjoyable. One person commented on how much time we all spend together since we have been here and how we are all still getting along. It is surprising. We are with each other for maybe 15+ hours a day. We all have our moments when we get a little frustrated with somebody but we don’t hesitate to be like, “seriously? Come on.” and get right back to work and put it behind us.

Lately our conversations have turned into more of what we are going to be doing after this is done. The time has come for us to be transplanted back into reality and not our play reality here in France. One individual landed a sweet job in Germany working in a bakery. He will be shaping and doing the designs on the artisan breads in this shop. He will be learning from individuals that have been doing this for years. I’m very happy for him and, of course, jealous. Other individuals will be heading back to classes for the winter term at their various campuses of Johnson and Wales, and then there are the others, like me, job searching. It has been difficult for all of us to make calls and or communicate with places back home. So hopefully things line up for all of us when we hit the States. As somebody always tells me… “Being a grown-up sucks. I want to revert back to being 10 years old when all I had to do was a few chores around the house then I got to go outside and play till dusk. Those were simpler/better days.”  I do miss those days but I’m thankful for where I am and having the responsibilities that I will take on. I will always be that kid at heart.

So as my location changes, this blog will change as well… not so much on travel but more focus on food and challenges I encounter. I plan on posting recipes that I’ve come across (or have been asked about). I’ll try them out and then I’ll explain what I did and what I did differently the next time I prepared the recipes.  So I guess in a way this will become a “help me help you” type of blog. I’m always looking for new things to try (savory dishes and desserts).  I know I will be putting more of a French and or Southern influence on my dishes, no matter what they might be. It is what I know and what I do best.