They always say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, and after being away from Paris for more than twelve days, I supposed I’d say it’s true. Getting on the OrlyBus at the airport and instantly knowing the metro connections I’d make and even glimpsing my favorite crêpe place on the way back— all of it made me both excited and somewhat anxious about being back “home”. I’m excited to be back because after all of the traveling during our spring vacation that I’ve done recently, having a bed that isn’t bunked and that doesn’t sway and creak disconcertingly each time I move, or having enough space in a room to pick something I might have dropped off the floor without needing to sit against a bed, and then fall rather painfully on my already bruised knees, sounded appealing. (It was, I have to admit, somewhat nice to nod off peacefully without worrying about the security of my suitcase, which, because our hostel in Madrid did not offer lockers, was completely free-for-the taking under my bed, or without an awkward chat with a middle-aged Hungarian man preparing for bed in the bunk next to mine.)
At the same time, riding back from the airport was the first time that I was really conscious of the limited amount of time in Paris I have left. Paris is such a rich place— there are so many things to see and to do, and I’m worried about taking advantage of the time I have left. In the few days I have left before classes start again, I’m planning to try to experience Paris again in the way that a tourist might. I’ve made a list of the museums I haven’t visited yet and that I still want to see and the parks where, if the current rainy weather lifts, I’d like to bring a book and some simple ingredients for a nomadic lunch.
I’ve actually already started the solo sight-seeing. Yesterday, after doing a bit of schoolwork in the morning, I caught the bus to Musée Quai-Branly, a museum I’d wanted to visit even before coming to Paris (in one of my French classes last semester, I read a fascinating book by Sally Price critiquing the museum), but I just hadn’t made it there yet. Seeing the museum, walking around its gardens, and exploring its tiny reading library, a space I’d like to re-visit with schoolwork, was the stuff of a perfect afternoon, and I was able to put the ever-so-satisfying strike through yet another item on the list I scribbled up after I made it back to my apartment from the airport.
As much as coming back from traveling has made me think about Paris and taking advantage of my time here, it’s also reminded me of Georgetown and my friends back in DC. Making the list of museums, parks, and things I want to do in Paris reminded me of my freshman year, when my roommate and I made a list of all of the DC highlights we had to see. We’ve had the list ever since, and as time has passed, we’ve crossed off things we’ve done and added new ones as festivals have come up, restaurants have opened, or as anything that piqued our has interest popped up in DC. Being abroad has been an incredible experience— I’ve done things, seen things, and learned things I never would have if I’d stayed back in the States, but of course, even incredible experiences like the ones I’ve had don’t prevent me from feeling nostalgic from time to time, or from realizing how much I appreciate certain aspects of my life in the States. I think at this point in the semester, I’m both happy for the time I have left and happy for future times back in DC and in the States, not a bad state of mind at all.
