so i saw this article on CNN this morning as i was doing my daily “catch up on the news” scan of the internet. apparently thousands of french folk protested in France’s big cities today, speaking out against a law that would make it easier for French employers to more easily hire and fire young employees. in fact, hundreds were fought back with tear gas and water cannon in the Place de la Republique, about a 3 minute walk from where the hotel we stayed in is.

sad as these events are, they are not why i am writing. the news story made me realize that i haven’t really thought about our France trip, the Paris part of it anyway, since a couple of weeks after we got back. so i thought a lot about it this afternoon and all the ups and downs we had during the trip. thankfully, there were many more ups than downs. i’ve been thinking about the funny moments, remembering where we were and what was going on with and around us at those times. i’ve also been thinking about the not-so-funny moments as well, realizing that it’s probably been long enough for us to be able to laugh at them.

i’ve told several people since we’ve been back that i probably wouldn’t want to go back to Paris again. not because i hated the city, but because it seemed to me that once you’ve seen Paris….you’ve seen Paris. while it is a beautiful city and we had some great times there, it just didn’t capture my emotions like it does some people who absolutely LOVE the city.

but i think i may have softened on that position a little bit over the time that’s passed since we’ve been back. i think i left a little of my heart in Paris. it may be because that was the first out-of-country experience i’ve had in my life. or it may be because i’ve never been in such a beautiful city before, and i can’t imagine what it’s like when it’s actually bright and sunny and warm there, rather than cold, dismal, and drizzly. whatever the reason, i kind of got a little sad that i can’t just go outside or look out my window and see la Tour Eiffel , or walk along the Seine with a panini, or see that beautiful cathedral on a regular basis.

all that to say, despite what i may have told some people already, i really do hope to get back there someday. and hopefully that time will be filled with just as many good memories as the first time.