Chewing on Chopsticks in the Champlain Valley

Just in case anyone is still checking this, I thought I'd do one more travel update regarding the move to Vermont... and into the new apartment. I do realize it is well PAST June 1st (that being the day I moved in...) but let's just say I was a bit forgetful my first couple weeks or so and then lost my internet.

Since returning to the US and getting used to everyday english again, I've slowly also had to get used to a different pace of life- things move a lot slower up here in VT than they do in Paris. I have to say, it's nice to be over someone's house at night and not have to worry about catching the last train home... I just have to walk 10 minutes and BAM I'm snuggling into bed. It's still a little weird to walk down the sidewalks... I keep on expecting people to be speaking in french to such a point that before my brain realizes that what they're speaking is english... I can't actually understand anything they're saying. It's weird but kind of amusing. I'm working at Zinnia jewelry store up here and we seem to get our fair share of Quebecois down here, which lets me practice my french still every now and then and lets me giggle at the canadian accent- which... after listening to Parisians for a year... is hilarious.

As you can see from the pictures, the apartment is slowly coming together. It's kind of a bummer to be living in it all alone, but at least I can play whatever music I want whenever I want. I'm still missing certain objects that all apartments need, but fear not... a wishlist will be going out around late October... just in time for a certain exciting day that will mark a certain 21 year anniversaire.

It's great to be back in Vermont in general, even if it is a little lonely currently. Greg and Leah visited this past weekend and through their eyes I picked up on all the little things that just make you say "Annnd that's Vermont" and fall in love with this state all over again. Like thunderstorms appearing out of nowhere to unleash gallons of water on people who had been sitting in the sun 30 seconds ago and then leaving you dripping wet and in shock and standing in 80 degree heat 15 minutes later. Or sugar packets that just say "I lovermont". Or parking garage attendants who can't help but talk to you for 20 minutes rather than give you your change. As I write this right now, theres a windy storm rolling down over the hill and barreling out towards the lake. It's not raining yet but the thunder is rumbling just loud enough to catch my attention and make me stare at the dark clouds building up outside my window. We've already had a couple storms today but they blow away so quickly that you can't remember why you had retreated indoors to read a book for the day. (The book being One Hundred Years of Solitude, which I just finished and still am a bit baffled...)

I'm going to go watch the storm now, but just wanted to let you all know I'm still kicking, just in a different, greener, sort of place these days. Enjoy the pictures. If you want to mail anything or yourself to my new place of residence (you know, just for fun....) you can send it to: 76 Hyde Street #2, Burlington, VT 05401.

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