Milk in a box.

It's been a year now.

Reading Erin's email earlier this week I think has brought it all back to me. As a result, it seems that I can't go one day without thinking how I miss France.

Ok, now, it's not the I-miss-France-can't believe-I'm-stuck-here-depression of senior year (which if you saw me was not a pretty I miss France), but rather the sigh-I-miss-France-wish-I-could-go-back-there-oh-sh*t-I'm-wasting-time-to-get-important-things-done-and-oh-yeah-what-was-I-just-thinking-about-how-are-you-today-sir,-did-you-find-everything-ok? kind of I miss France. All of which simply means, I miss France, but I'm pedaling at least 3/4 speed in the direction of my possible future.

So in honor of this almost anniversary of my first vacance solaire, here are memories of France.

Milk in a box! Freaky at first, but sweetly comforting at last.
30 minute train rides to another country.
Living in a hole- literally and geographically.
Middle Age city walls around every corner.
No straight streets in the whole city.
The CAF building, aka the Central Central Building at Pontiffroy.
CAF!
The Caisse!
St. Jaques and Centre St. Jaques.
Cobblestones, which necessitate cobblers!
Studio Onze, smaller than my american bedroom!
Lionel, the tech guy.
City buses which work even during the strike!
Trips to Cora!
Better still! Trips to IKEA!
Bus rides back from school, switching the radio halfway from Radio Bleue to Cherie!
The clothes rack that took up the remaining floor space in my studio on laundry day.
The handyman- bless him for everytime he had to fix a light in my studio.
ATAC and the chairs the cashiers got to sit on.
Dogs in the Centre St. Jaques.
The dalmatian who spent his days at Noir et Vert.
The Christmas ferris wheel.
All day Anne marathons with Louise, Bobby and Dyna.
12-hour-work-weeks.
3-hour train rides to visit Kristen. (It was an 1-1/2 hr by car.)
My French baby cell phone.
The Cameo!
The girl downstairs who played Evanescence non-stop till she found a boyfriend.
Kebab sandwiches.
My cafe and bakery around the corner.
World's best cereal from LeaderPrice.
Cheese!
Yummy homemade cafe au lait.
Nutella- it's not the same here. Where's the giant jar with the gold lid?!
Free movie posters every third month from the entertainment newsletter.
Fnac.
Milk in a box. (Meaning the UHT milk that doesn't need a fridge till it's opened.)

Time to stop. But good memories.