One Week Left

Exactly one week from now, I'll be on a train on my way to Paris, ready to fly home the next morning! I can't wait to go home, see my family, see Pete, and see my dogs. I can wait but not so easily so buy some clothes out of the country that has made me think that 85 euros for a big scarf is only slightly expensive and not crazy-expensive (I didn't buy it, but I visit it sometimes.) Ive also been making a to-eat list: celery with peanut butter, pizza, cheddar cheese, Sam Adams, Yuengling, and moist cake. Of course I'm sure once I get home all I'll want is olive tapenade, aioli, and emmental cheese. Actually, I'll never want emmental cheese. Its the standard cheese here, on almost everything, and right now I'm just working on liking it. If I get drunk, I can count on a kebab-frites (basically a Gyro sandwich with fries piled on top) craving. In writing this, I just gave myself a craving for perhaps the best of French food: a molten chocolate cake. Enough sidetracking, or as the French say: let us return to our sheep. I'm sad that I'm going home and am not going to see that many people, but mostly I just want to hang out at home with my brother, play with my dogs, listen to NPR, do a puzzle with my dad and uncle, make Christmas cookies with my mom, and then go celebrate New Years with Pete. I downloaded Sufjan Stevens' Christmas album and am getting thoroughly in the spirit. I love Christmas.