Somewhere Out There

Well I've had a very relaxing couple of weeks. I've also had the chance to get to know the area. Nadia, my host, is very nice, and is a native of the area. Last Friday, she hosted a Couchsurfing event and we met a lot of people from the area, both locals and ex-pats living in the area. It was a really fun night, full of local food, drinks and chocolate. Honestly, I've been eating too much local chocolate (and gummy bears, which are also local), but it was really a fun night. Potatoes are an integral part of the menu, and many people prepared them in many delicious ways. I also got into a soccer club's poker night, and even though we didn't have a lot of common language, Texas Hold-em needs no translation. There are some great walks in the area. It's rural, with lots of cute villages dotting the landscape. I've found some nice trails, going past horse farms and rivers. All in all, it's a beautiful area with great people. As I get ready to leave, I'm sorry I'll miss out on the spring bloom. But, I'm lucky enough to see that bloom in France, so I'm not too upset. It's funny to think that it's almost spring, and I'll be home in the spring. Everything is wrapping up, or spiraling forward anyway. I can't wait to see Paris, France, London, and my friends and family. Finally, I'm very excited to look for a job and get to work. The world has been shifting and moving a lot in the last few months, and so have I. Soon I'll have the chance to put all of my new perspectives and ideas and drive into action. I love that I have gotten to know the world a little better, and now I want work to make some changes in our world. As I watch the news and talk to locals, I'm so pleased to know that my President is my President. I'm an American, a proud American, and I want to represent America well as I travel. I want to live up to being an American. Being out in the world, out of my own country, has been an opportunity to get a broader view of where America fits into the world. I have a broader view of where I want to fit into my country. Now I'm off to Paris, and I'm going to learn more and see more and meet more people who will continue to broaden my perspective. Onward and Upward. Forward March. I think you get the idea. Do you have your own idea?