When Parisian Weather Turns

This morning I left the house at 8.00 so that I could sit and have a caf� before going to my exam. I'm surprised I'm at that mental age where that's the kind of thing I do: it's no skin off my back to get up an hour earlier if it means I can sit back with a coffee for a bit.

Anyway, on the way down the stairs, I heard somebody listening to the radio while washing dishes. It's hot in Paris right now, so my neighbor had their windows open, and the announcer's voice was quietly updating the courtyard on world events.

For some reason, this created an incredible flashback for me. I remember when I first got to France, I would always have a little tingle of excitement whenever I heard talk radio in the background. AM radio has a subtle way of reminding me that, hey, I'm in France, and hey, people speak French here. Plus, getting little snippets of other people's lives is always exciting, and the muffled sounds coming from whosever apartment it was were floating around in a specifically Parisian way.

Then I went and took the bus. The sun was draping across the city scenically, and I heard a little voice in my head say, "There is no other city that is this beautiful in the morning." I got off the bus and walked by an outdoor public exhibit on the Normandie invasion. It was so interesting that it cut slightly into my coffee time.

Now that it's hot out, I sleep, work, and clean the house with my windows open. Central Paris is never quiet, and one of my windows opens out to a city street. One of my favorite activities is sitting and listening to the sounds of the city. I even enjoy yelling back at honking cars from inside my apartment (we're six floors up) - The Boy and I have made it into somewhat of a pasttime.

But mainly, I just love my life here. I just finished a four-hour exam that I actually feel pretty good about. Now I am sitting in my house, avoiding the scorching sun, and listening to Paris' heartbeat. It's composed mainly of motorcycles, but there are also laughing people, dishes clanking, delivery trucks delivering, and neighbors gossiping.

Soon I'll be leave to meet up with a friend to get a coffee on a terrace before escaping the heat by seeing an evening movie. My next exam is in two days, and I already feel prepared for it. Things are looking good. I think I'll go enjoy this lovely city now.