Merci et au revoir

As I begin to pack my things and head back to LA, I wanted to take some time to express my gratitude to all those who made this experience so wonderful and so rich. 

First of all, to Valerie, Julie, Claire, Thierry, the teachers at OISE language school. Thank you for your professionalism, expertise, patience, encouragement, and humor. For knowing when to push and pull, and when to back off and support.  A delicate balance no doubt, but one you accomplished masterfully.

To Claire, the office administrator. Thank you for speaking so fast, and forcing me to improve my listening comprehension.   And for  your stories, especially the one about the mouse and the omelet. 

To Lucy, my host.  Thank you for your warmth and hospitality. It was such an honor to get to know you, your family and your friends.  They are truly a reflection of you and your many passions.  Thank you for that amazing Thanksgiving dinner. It was most definitely one of the highlights of my stay. I can’t remember the last time I dined with someone for 6 hours. Thank you.

To Azziz, my dear Morrocan friend.  Thanks for helping me to feel more secure in the way I speak.  For your warmth,  your kindness, and for introducing me to Morroccan cuisine.

To Yannick, the only person I knew in Paris before I arrived. Thanks for your encouragement and support the past month.  It meant a lot coming from such a distinguished Parisien as yourself.   Merci beaucoup, mon cher ami.  And thank you for inviting me to dinner with your friends on my last night in Paris.  I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect ending to my time here.  Je t’adore!

To the servers at The Gai Moulin restaurant.  Thanks for helping with my homework, for making me laugh, and for the best food in Paris.

To Veronique at the Montparnasse Boulangerie I went to every week day.  Thank you for your  musical accent, and  for the wonderful desserts and sandwiches. I don’t think there can be a better fondue or pain au chocolate in all of  Paris. How I didn’t gain any weight over the past month is a mystery to me.

Finally, to everyone with whom I spoke.  Thanks for listening and teaching me how to better speak this beautiful language.  In spite of the stereotypical view that the French are cold and stuffy, I found everyone to be quite warm and most welcoming. 

Merci Paris, 

Je t'aime.

A bientot.

PS. Thanks for all your emails of support during this first leg of my journey.  I’m sorry I haven’t been able to respond to them all yet, but I promise to catch up with my correspondence next week.