Russ and I have been in Paris for 6 months now and are still surprised that we’re actually living here. The first day we landed, there was a light dusting of snow and it was bitterly cold, but so beautiful in the mornings. Hotels were called home for the first couple of months until we found an apartment. It came with just the kitchen sink and the small bit of storage underneath so we operated with scant supplies and slowly acquired some necessities until our things came which had hit a small snag. The company went out of business. In the very beginning, an air mattress was our bed, couch, and dining area for a few weeks. It was minimalism at its finest. 

As Spring came about we saw flowers bloom, winter coats slowly shed, and Notre Dame caught fire. When Summer hit, we experienced our first heat wave. Unlike Sacramento, it’s more humid here so it can get pretty uncomfortable. We’ve also discovered we’re incredibly allergic to this city when it’s warm… and pretty much all of France after a recent visit to Fontainebleau and Tours. In Summer, everyone is outside taking advantage of the sun. They’re running, relaxing, or even sunbathing in the parks. The Paris-Plages (artificial beach pop-ups along the river) are open until September and we have yet to check it out. The streets are bustling with all kinds of activities like last month’s Fête de la Musique where everyone with an instrument was out to play and it was almost impossible to move through the sea of people in some areas. This was the busiest we’ve ever seen Paris and the sun sets around 23:00.

Slowly but surely we’re getting settled and learning many lessons along the way. New friends are being made and the language is slowly seeping in. Old friends have already visited, some are visiting, and more are on the way. Great timing when you get homesick. These past few months have been shell-shocking and we’re coming back for more.