Tranquilité, finallement

I finally have a moment of peace to post an update. Things have been very chaotic, and wow is it nice to catch my breath and settle down. I think I have slept in 18 different beds in the last three months (at least 2 nights in each and never more than 3 weeks), but I am happy to say that I signed my first apartment lease and bought my first mattress in the last few days.

My housing experience isn't the only source of "firsts" this week. Ben and I bought a car; we both learned stick shift; we had the hood flip up while on the highway, and we've naivigated through the French and Spanish highway system, all this week, all for the first time. I also went through training and began my job teaching English at a French High School.

After I finish signing and distributing the forest of paperwork required by the French government, my status here will be official, and I won't have to worry about logistics any longer. I have become an expert at this kind of worrying whether it's for trivial details like looking for the nearest bank, or for basic necessities, like finding someplace (other than the '89 VW Golf) to sleep. But with a functioning bank account, telephone, and vehicle, and a very comfortabe and charming place to live, my anxieties are subsiding and I'm starting to really appreciate my surroundings.

(That is to say that France is an absolutely beautiful country, with lots of green rolling hills, old landmarks, and a bakery on every corner.)