and we're back...

one month.

one month is admittedly too long to go without a new blog post. apologizing. moving on. starting to write again.

one month also happens to be the ideal amount of time to put one's life on pause, neglect one's blog, and journey halfway around the world to spend some much needed catch-up time with far-away family and friends. for this i do not apologize.

after almost a year in france, i was very ready to spend the holidays in california. the fact that i love my life abroad doesn't exclude me from missing my family and friends in california.

highlights of my trip home include:
--hot beverages you can take to go in paper cups with lids
--eating so much mexican food, i think i'm sick of it for a while
--hours of playing cards with my family, including a particularly spirited game of nertz in coffee bean and tea leaf that just may have disturbed a few other patrons
--honorary roommate status at lauren and laura's house in santa barbara
--spending time with my church families
--butterfly beach
--family dinner and game night at the guys' house
--paying for everything in dollars. and not paying for anything in euros.
--family. and friends. and family. and friends...
--sharing what God is doing in France with a lot of people
--driving up the 101, ipod blasting, watching the sun set over the pacific ocean

low points include:
--sitting motionless for 3 hours on the 101 because of an accident
--mom's broken ankle (what is with our family and christmas-time foot injuries?)
--accidentally attempting to "faire les bises" multiple times and causing a few awkward situations

of course, i could go on and on listing highlights, because it was a wonderful trip. i am so thankful to have spent time with all my dear friends and family members. to all of you- come visit me in europe! i'll return the favor and show you a really good time.

the weirdest thing to adjust to during this quick little culture hop, besides the huge cars and huge portions of food, was the realization that i've changed. as easy as it was to slip back into my old little niches in my california life, i know that the previous 10 months (and the previous 3 years, really) in europe have changed me. not in major ways. in subtle, hard to recognize, why don't i quite feel at home in my home ways. it's good to start processing out those changes now that i'm back home. and by back home, i mean back in france.

because i was a big-time blog slacker while i was in the states-
MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEARS to all my wonderful blog readers! i hope you all passed a wonderful holiday season!

wow, it's 2008. here we go...