Life in the slow lane

Since returning to Paris, I've been in a cocoon.

On Thursday night, I met Dara for dinner at 9:30pm. I had actually already eaten since I made a quick grocery run earlier in the day. I just had a salad.

In theory, we were supposed to go to a hear some hip-hop DJs around 11pm. After a good conversation (you know I had some stories to tell), we headed to the nearby club.

When I realized the cover was 22 euros, I decided to call it a night. Luckily, Dara was meeting another friend so I didn't feel like I'd abandoned her. It just wasn't going to work for me--I was exhausted (still) and feeling frugal. Also, hip-hop DJs? I'd say the odds were only 50-50 that I would have enjoyed it. (As Dara and her friend stayed out until 3am, I think I made the right call.)

The next day, I stayed home. I focused on my knitting. I got completely unpacked. I intended to do laundry, but that didn't happen until today.

On Sunday, I met another American friend, Nadine, for a late lunch. We don't know each other well, but we had a good time and I talked her ear off as well.

While it is good to be standing still and have a comfortable warm bed to sleep in every night, I can't help but feel a little lonely. For the last month and a half, I had constant company. And I liked it.

I've always needed a lot of alone time and even when I wasn't choosing to be alone, usually, I didn't mind. But, now, maybe it's a reaction, but I'm feeling lonely. I have plans tonight. I'll have dinner with my landlords sometime this week. I can go to a (hopefully English-speaking) knitting group on Wednesday. I can go to the movies...that would probably cheer me up. In less than two weeks, I'm going to England to see Alicia for American Thanksgiving. I'll see Kent then too. Next month, I have an old friend coming to visit. And so on...but all that isn't making me feel any better.

I also would have hoped that my cold would be 100% gone by now, but it lingers. It's not terrible but I'm awfully tired despite sleeping fairly well the last few night. Soon, hopefully, it will really be gone.

It feels ridiculous to complain at all about being in Paris. I'm still happy to be here. I still like my neighborhood. I'm not looking forward to going home or starting work again. I just would like to have more company in the meantime. Sigh.

Also, please scroll down for some more entries about the last week of my travels. It's not scintillating stuff but Kent said he would read and comment (right--he may not but he said he would), so you might find something a little more interesting there eventually.

Grateful for: the calm.