Bonne Anniversaire!

So today, Jonathan and I celebrate a very important anniversary (nope, not that one- that one is November 29th).  On January 7, 2011, at about 11 AM France time, we got off a plane at Charles de Gaulle airport.  I was tired and cranky, and, due to making the mistake of watching Taken as my in-flight movie, slightly paranoid about being snatched and sold into slavery.  We piled our luggage onto the RER B and rode for what seemed like forever down to Orsay, and carried our belongings through the pouring rain to our little suburban B&B.  More than the weight of the luggage, more than the graffiti-ed walls that were my first glimpse of the City of Lights, what I remember about the day that I came to this country is the moment that I was finally able to pause and sit on the edge of the bed in our room.  I sat down and watched as AH started arranging the suitcases as the enormity of what I had just done- moved to a half of the world where there wasn't a soul apart from AH that knew or cared what happened to me- settled in, and I started to cry.  (This is much less dramatic when you know that I cry at, oh, just about everything).

Flash forward to today.  We have an apartment.  We have friends.  We both enjoy the things that we do to make money.  Our French sucks considerably less.  This last year has had it's fair share of ups and downs, but it's sure been one hell of an adventure.

Today is also another important anniversary: yours and mine.  That's right, dear reader, it was also this day one year ago that I wrote my first "What the France?!" blog post.  I've greatly enjoyed having the chance to chronicle my adventures, and I know that someday, when I'm old, lame(er), and driving a mini-van I'll treasure the ability to re-read my reflections on artistic nudity, public urination, and the joys of crusty bread.  This blog paid an especially important role in my early days here, before I found a community; it made me feel less alone to know that people back home knew what I was up to.  So thank you for reading.  Because there's no way in hell I would have been self-motivated enough to keep this up all this time without you.

AND NOW: We have a lot of catching up to do, friends.  So stay tuned for belated Christmas fun-times in Strasbourg, as well as my interview with my hilarious and witty siblings-in-law...