Giving Thanks

This is the first Thanksgiving I've spent out of the country. Though I was homesick for some American style gluttony, my fellow classmates and I put together a pretty decent Thanksgiving spread with all the fixins. We had roast chicken (not enough time to roast a turkey with our school schedule), garlic mashed spuds, stuffing, homemade mac n' cheese, salad, and profiteroles for dessert! Not too shabby, if I don't say so myself!

Walking home today in the rain from Saint-Sulpice metro with my umbrella inside-outting itself over a dozen times, I really put some thought into what I'm thankful for this year.

And here goes, in no particular order, what I'm thankful for:

1) Having people in my life who will miss me no matter what part of the world I'm in.
2) Fresh baguettes and amazing cheese and yogurt.
3) People who allow their dogs to defecate all over sidewalks, in between cars, and anywhere imaginable. And yes, I'm being sarcastic.
4) Gallon sized tubs of Nutella, though I've only allowed myself to buy a tiny jar of it.
5) Meeting people who are equally obsessed with food as I am, so I don't feel like the only piggie in Paris.
6) Paris' well thought out metro and Velib' systems making it a breeze to not have a car.
7) Pascal Beillevaire Demi-Sel Croquant butter.
8) The fact that EVERYTHING is inconveniently closed on Sunday, forcing you to just relax.
9) La biere avec le sirop de peche.
10) The chance to live out a dream and live it out in such a beautiful city.

I really love Paris, and don't know how I'll be able to break myself away from it. I'm dreading having to make any sort of decision when the time comes.

On a side note, though people always say that the French are rude, I had a very interesting encounter the other day while biking home. My Velib' bike basket was stuffed to the brim and I was making my way around the Montparnasse roundabout (its a VERY large roundabout), when a car started honking at me. A couple pulled up and started yelling at me and I assumed that they were commenting on my crap biking skills, or lack thereof. I figured he was saying 'chapeau' and that he meant 'casque' meaning.. I need to wear a helmet? I just said sorry and pulled up to the light. They honked again and this time I actually listened to them; apparently I had dropped my hat in the middle of the roundabout! The nice couple followed me back around the roundabout making sure that I didn't get hit by another car, so I could pick up my hat. Hows that for French rudeness??

Today as I walked home in the rain with my hat on, I was definitely thankful for that nice couple!