Trying to Get Settled

I am drowning in boxes...
I am pretty sure I could tackle the cardboard mountains around me if I had more furniture, but we are trying to build our love nest carefully and deliberately. So, as far as furniture goes, we currently have a couch, two rugs, a bed, a nightstand, and a desk that has not yet been assembled. I really cannot complain because I am in love with all that we currently have, especially my nightstand! My mom and I went thrift store shopping recently, and I was riding high on a wave of thrifty success. I purchased the most beautiful nightstand I have ever seen. It' solid wood with a greeny/blue background and hand-painted, flowers, birds, and trees on four sides. (Two ladies stopped me on the way to the register to congratulate me on my find, and to express their jealousy. Truth.) The pièce de résistance being that it was only twenty dollars! Who priced it? Were they blind?  But, I shouldn't mock because I am entirely grateful. Thank you Thrift Center, you have improved my quality of life.

New Apartment

We have officially signed the lease on a new place, and I love it. The perks, oh there are so many. But, first a brief description. It is a duplex, and our door is the one with the tree in front of it. Actually, duplex isn't even the word, it's a 1920s bungalow, which means it is small. Small being relative though, as its about the same size as the old apartment in Paris. Unlike Paris, we have a yard! With a fence, and vines, and birdies that take dust baths mere feet from the back door. *Happy sigh* However, there are still many similarities to Paris. We have a gas stove, wood floors, and copious amount of crown molding. There is a corner store on our block where we can buy pastries (albeit Mexican pastries). We are within walking distance from the library, downtown, and the train station. By car, we have easy access to a veritable plethora of freeways. So even though we only have one car, if he takes it to work, I am not stranded. (We also have a covered parking space so we don't have to fight for street parking!) I am so happy to be done with generic corporate housing and all the scary Stepford Wives that inhabit our complex. It's really eerie to have 3,000 neighbors, and to never meet them. I've seen them from afar, but they are careful not to make eye contact. The boyfriend is bemused by my commentary on the complex, but he is not here during the weekdays...

California Dreamin'

On the twentieth, I will be taking off out of Charles de Gaulle airport bound for San Francisco. I cannot wait! Here are some things that I am looking forward to in no particular order:

1. Half and half, without which I haven't had a decent cup of tea in two months.
2. My pets who I miss dearly. Every time I see a dog on the streets of Paris it takes all of my willpower not to rush it, and there are a LOT of dogs here. 
3. Being able to converse with shopkeepers and cashiers. I look forward to the days when I can answer simple questions without being looked at like I am "special."
4. Coffee shops and the ability to get a latte to go. 
5. Being able to eavesdrop without racking my brain for the necessary vocabulary. 
6. Being able to hang out with my friends and family, let alone call them without taking international time zones into consideration.
7. Not living out of a suitcase, albeit a very large suitcase. 
8. Peanut butter, which is obscenely expensive here.
   
9. My car, because in terms of convenience a car cannot be beat, especially for transporting heavy objects.
10. My usb cable for my camera, which I accidentally left behind.

S&M and Our "Contact"

This week the boyfriend becomes the proud recipient of a doctorate, and a scant ten days later he is slated to begin work doing research in the states. To help with this difficult time line, the hiring company has lent us the services of a moving company called S&M and a "contact" to meet with the morning after we arrive.

The moving company has already assessed our belongings and now we have little more to do than point at what we would like to come with us. So, next week, our S&M movers will come and pack all our stuff for us, take it away, and ship it to us in the states. Coupled with my distaste for packing, I am finding their company's name delightfully apt, thus, I am very proud of my self-restraint as I refrained from giggling when the mover referred to "S&M" in my presence.

(Yes, I have the sense of humor of a ten year old boy.)

As for the "contact", he/she's job is to smooth the transition for foreigners by helping to combat culture shock. While I don't expect to encounter anything out the ordinary, being a native and all, I am curious to see how the U.S. is described. With this in mind, we checked all the options including information about clothing, culture, nightlife, etc. Besides, having the ability to consult our contact makes me feel like one half of an international spy duo, and I intend to revel in that.

Day to Day

Generally when one goes to a foreign country, they go for vacation. Friends or family join and all of them stay in a hotel and sight-see during the day. Normally, they are completely removed from day to day life such as cleaning the shower or doing paperwork.

In my case, while I am here on vacation, I am living in an apartment with my boyfriend and have been helping him finish up his thesis and pack to move to the United States. That, coupled with the fact that I have spent about three months in Paris this year, means that my life has become a bit more mundane.

I have almost run out of tourist activities. The last major one of my list is to go to Versailles, which we are going to do next week. (Yes, I am ridiculously spoiled.) I am super excited to go, France does opulence right.

As far as today, I woke up at seven am to be ready when the piano movers came. They arrived at eight twenty and were out the door in fifteen minutes. They were incredibly efficient; I was very impressed, but they work for the conservatory, so they should be good.

The man who purchased the piano from the BF arrived at nine, chatted a bit, picked up the piano stool, and money was exchanged. The boyfriend left to take care of business at the laboratory, and I then spent the next hour playing Minoto Point and Click games on the internet.

They are so adorable and cute and fun. Plus, there is tons of delightful Engrish and hilarious logic to solve the games. Not to mention, a new one comes out every week! Love, love, love. So perhaps, I am not doing what one would expect in Paris, but as dorky as my interests may be, it is pretty fantastic to have the time to play silly games guilt free.