Joyeux Anniversaire

I'm officially 23....yikes! Another year older, another year of adventure. It's funny, but, my birthday always happens on the cusp of transition - right before a new school year, a new job, a new living situation, etc - and in a way, its a great way to begin a new phase of life.

I'm starting to get settled into life here in Differdange. I was reading/reflecting on earlier posts from when I had first moved to France, and in a way, they are very comforting to read. The emotions were the same at the beginning - nervous, anxious for routine, a little homesick - but now, when I remember last year, those feelings are so foreign. By the time my contract was over, I had my myself a little home in La Rochelle. In French, the expression is 'c'est parallele', or 'it's parallel' to refer to similarity. I think its another charmingly French phrase -things more than just 'similiar', but the same in a way that they almost echo each other. One could says it's another way of rephrasing 'the more things change, the more things stay the same.'

Coming back to Differdange, I can't help but think about that - things changing, but remaining so similar. And three years ago, things weren't so different. I was in Greece on my 20th birthday, (my first time out of the country) cliff jumping, sipping on ouzo, wondering with excited anticipation what the semester would be like. Now, I sit in my apartment (unfortunatly Differdangs is sans cliffs) sipping on wine, once again trying to imagine what my life will look like in two weeks.

I'm still trying to find my feet, but, on my birthday, I had a few warm and fuzzy moments that made this place feel more like home. The first occured in the afternoon, after lunch. That morning, I woke up to find an email notification about a staff meeting at 2:30pm. Yet, when I arrived, there was coffee, plum tarts, chocolate and a lovely rendition of 'happy birthday.'

And all I could think, smiling ear t0 ear, was 'What a lucky girl I am....'