"Avec ceci?"

Avid Reader, my travels have brought me back to one of my favorite places in the world: Paris. There's just something about this city that's familiar and grounding and comfortable and charming. It amazes me that in my youth I was always so nervous to come here, but now it feels oddly like a second home. I feel like I know Paris. Understand her.

Sadly, I cannot claim to have had an amazing day of adventure, though realize that just being here is. For example, after checking in, I thought to myself, "Self, wouldn't it be lovely to enjoy jambon fromage in the sun in a beautiful park somewhere enjoying the sights of Paris?". Then made it happen! The hotel isn't three blocks from Champs de Mars, so my light therapy was watching people (this DS-playing trio was a HOOT!) and enjoying what might be the best food on the planet in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.

All in all, not a bad day, eh? People ask me a lot about my work and my travels and I find myself saying 'it's a lot less romantic than it sounds'. And, Avid Reader, it is. I'm jet-lagged, back-ached, and Copper-missing.

However, these adventures make my life incredibly rich; I am incredibly thankful.