Who Even Reads This Thing?

So we are entering the final 21 days of my stay here in Romans. In the beginning it was boring, cold, lonely, and hopeless. Now it is warm and fun and I am almost sad to leave. As of late I have really gotten into rugby and go and watch all the local games. It is so much better than football or soccer, and the guys are a lot hotter. I know a bunch of the players and coaches. Meow...

Going to Nice tomorrow for the Easter weekend with my Romans girls. Looking forward to the warm weather and the rockin night life. There should be a bunch of English college students there for the holiday. Looking forward to the party.

Happy Easter everybody!

St. Patty's Day in the Twilight Zone

St. Patty's day isn't really celebrated here, so at around 4pm my girl Carrie and I downed a bottle of Malibu and Orangina on the sunny fields of her highschool. It was just like sophmore year. Sitting there drunk as skunks we complained about how French men are so strange. I hadn't heard from my French "boyfriend" in a few days and my vibes were telling me something was awry. At dusk we headed to the one Irish bar in town, which is in fact not Irish at all except in decor, and proceeded to drink even more. 10pm rolled around and I was ready to retire so me and my roomies started heading home. As we approached the highschool where I live a male figure came out of the shadows. Who was it other than my elusive French Amour! He said that he saw me walking on the street and stopped to talk to me. I sent my roommates ahead and as soon as they were out of ear shot the stupid bastard broke up with me!! I am amazed to report that "the talk" is the same no matter where you are. Such lines as, 'it's not you it's me,' 'I think that you are great but...' and 'I am just really messed up in my head' were all used. It must be programmed into the male chromosome or something.

All of the sudden we heard sirens coming up quickly from around the corner. Frenchie said that the cops were coming and almost immediately a small car came racing into the roundabout with a cop car hot on it's tail. Swerving at high speeds around the corner the fugitive car smashed into an oncoming vehicle. Then the cop car rear-ended the fugitive car! Out of the passenger door sprung out a young arab miscreant who came dashing in our direction with a cop on his heals. Frenchie tried to stand in front of me as some sort of chivilrous gesture, but I pushed him to the side. There was no way I was going to miss the most exciting thing to happen in Romans in the past 7 months cuz he wants to feel like my 'protector.' The young fugitive juked right, then left and in from of the kebab shop the cop lurched forward and pinned the punk to the sidewalk. A minute later another cop car had shown up and they dragged him away. Everyone got in their cars and drove off, and once again the street was empty except for me and the Frenchie.

"So you still want to end things with me?"
"Yes. I adore you...blah blah blah... I don't want to hurt you..."
"Right..."
I just kinda zoned out at what he was saying as I knew the words before he even spoke them. I reacted with a numb smile on my face as I soaked in the bizarro-land happenings. An air of resignation passed over me and gave way to a spring in my step. I shrugged my shoulders, gave a laugh, and wished him a good night. It would have never worked out anyway, but I am definitely cool about the experience. If he never broke up with me on the street that night then I would have missed the only episode of Cops-Romans, and that my friends was priceless. Hands down the weirdest day in Romans.

Bad boys bad boys, watcha gonna do?

Everyone who has a french boyfriend raise their hand

If you could see me you would see that my hand is raised.

Yes oh yes... after swearing off French men due to their tight pants and overall greasy demeanor I have found one in particular that strikes my fancy. He does not where tight pants and is the sweetest thing this side of the Atlantic. It took many bad dates and convaluted intentions with guys that would have ZERO chance with me in Cali, but 6 months after arriving I have a found the one who is just right for me. I will keep the details to myself except for the most important one, that he ADORES me and thinks that I hung the moon.

I will be done with my job one month from today. After that I have no idea what I will be doing or how this new romance will factor into it, but I have faith that everything is gonna be just fine.

And for the ladies out there, you have no idea what romance is until you hear it in French. NO IDEA whatsoever.

Enjoy the Spring my friends, no matter where you are.

Square One has Snow on It

So I am sitting here in Romans and once again it is snowing. It has been snowing for what feels like weeks. Everyone tells me how uncharacteristic it is for there to be snow here, how exceptional this year is, and how lucky I am. All I can think of is the kind of luck you have when you step in a steaming pile while barefoot. Back in Cali I am getting weather reports of Paradise. It sounds so nice there and I really wish I could feel the sun on my skin.

So I am just planning on backpacking for a few months while the money lasts and then heading home for a few months. I still really want to go to Oz for a few months for their summer, which is October thru January, and am working on that plan. Would like to see all of my cities of interest in Europe before I go back to San Diego to finish out what I hope will be an Indian Summer.

As for my french fluency, yeah I think that it has arrived. I dream in French and can have pretty much any kind of conversation that I want. Whether my grammar is perfect is another story but at least my comprehension is there.

Really excited to see my Grandparents when they come out next month. We are touring the south of France and I suspect that they are going to love it.

Going this weekend to Lyon to go shopping. A little retail therapy is exactly what I need. I dream of the spring shoe line and wearing light dresses.

Square One

Back for the final part of my assistantship. Nice was full of surpises. Like the big surprise that not only do I not have the right to work in France but people really do take that seriously. So I spent much of my time talking up bar owners only to have them laugh at the idea of letting me work under the table. At least I got some free drinks out of the whole deal. Other than that Nice is a beautiful beach town that reminds me a lot of California. Perfect weather, crystal blue beaches, beautiful people and quite a night scene. It snowed the day before I got there for the first time in 20 years. I missed the whole incident and am thankful for it.

So my life is kinda in the air right now. I don't really know what I will be doing exactly in the next few months. Just keeping my mind in a state of 'humble resignation.'

(thanks jimmy from Oz)