I am typing this last entry on my return flight to Chicago. The flight was delayed, so it’ll be about 10 pm according to my body by the time I get home. Tomorrow morning I’m back in the office. Back to life, back to reality.

Several people have already asked me what my favorite city was. It’s hard to answer. If I hadn’t been in Paris for a month, I don’t know if my answer would necessarily be Paris. But, I really had the chance to get to know and appreciate the city. I was almost a temporary Parisian, not just a tourist (and yes, by the end of my stay, people did start talking to me in French before English, so I must’ve begun to look the part). For the “get-away” portion of the trip, Cinque Terre was by far my favorite. When I was planning my trip, I had numerous friends tell me how amazing it is, and I can’t agree more.

Thank you to all my friends who gave me recommendations and advice. And thank you everyone who has read this blog for your time and kind words. I’m looking forward to seeing my friends, family and coworkers and catching up. I apologize for the lack of pictures. If you know me at all, you know I’m a shutterbug; I have hundreds of pictures that I haven’t had the time to edit (and this blog tends to distort them). I promise to send out pictures once I finish downloading and editing.

If you’ve liked reading about my experiences and would like to read more, I am accepting donations to fund my next trip abroad (I’m kidding… kind of).

À bientôt.