35. The Good, the Bad and the Last Day

Tomorrow is technically my last day, but since it's 15 hours of travel and associated time, I'm not counting it. That's going to be a whole different beast.

Today is my last day of actual Europe-ing, and it comes with mixed feelings. 

The Good Feels

1. Coming back to the most multicultural city in the world

2. My brain feels weird (this will be under each list)

3. I get to see everyone I know and care about back home

4. I get to meet new people when I get back home

5. I'm ready to feel like I'm contributing to the universe again

6. I'm ready to find the life balance that Europe keeps teaching me that I need and I often lose

7. English

8. Water pressure

9. Canadian money, ie. no more conversions

10. Movie theatres with chicken wraps

11. Ketchup chips

12. Operation "bank account recovery"

The Bad Feels

1. Leaving some of the most beautiful places I've ever seen

2. My brain feels weird

3. Leaving pure free time, and getting back to real life (though that's really nothing to complain about)

4. Less sleeping in

As you can see, the good outweighs the bad, which is why I will be on that plane tomorrow.

I have mixed brain feelings, hence the "my brain feels weird" in both lists. I'm not sure how to feel about this trip. It was a very, very different experience from last years trip.

I came back from last years trip feeling elated, like the world was a whole new place, and there was so much to see that my brain felt like it was floating above itself with anticipation of what was next.

That's not to say that I'm not elated by this years trip, but it's was extremely different (not just the fact that they were very different cities), and I'm really not sure how I'm feeling right now. Happy, obviously. Sad, obviously, as anyone would be to end a trip like this. Dreaming up the next adventure. Learning lessons I didn't even know were on the table. 

Last year I found the trip cleared up my head. It didn't solve anything, but it provided some breathing room and some new experiences that opened up my mind to possibilities. If you know me, you know that this last year has been a transitional year, and continues to be. 

This trip, ending tomorrow, feels like it's left my brain in a bit of a jumble. I don't think it's a bad jumble, but it's definitely a jumble. I think that only time will tell what the differences are (though let's be honest, I could pull out some main ones for sure), how they affect me, and what I choose to do about them.

That's what it's all about after all; how you react to a situation is what "makes the man / woman". There is few more important things / actions that shape who we are, to ourselves or to other people. (I'm in no way saying that I am a master of this, because I am most certainly not, just that it's very important)

Anyhow, lets give Oprah a rest, and get on with what I did today, the last day of this epic vacation.

Clearly it involved the Eiffel Tower.

You can see both elevators crossing on the any to the top! Which is terrifying, by the way. It's very high, and once you're up there, the space is limited, but people don't feel like treating it that way. It's netted, but still way to high up for comfort. At least my comfort.

I found this wall with what I initially though was a cool form of graffiti, but it turned out to be an even COOLER form of graffiti, which is painted underneath, and then has paper glued on and then ripped off to create the image. I think.

Mind officially blown!

From there I went to Galerie Lafeyette, a fancy place that I felt ridiculous walking around. It was full of brands I've never even heard of, that were levels above any of the other brands that I can either not pronounce or afford. It was intimidating!

I was there to find some salted caramels, a special request from back home, and I left with those, some chocolate, and a tree ornament. So, I consider that a success!

These images are of the inner-working on this upper-upper, fancy-pants "mall", which I'm sure I've just insulted people beyond comprehension by even calling it that! Bah!

It's fancy as hell.

After stopping off at Marks & Spencer and making some choice bad choices there, I needed a post office. Yes, in a matter of one hour, I had bought enough treats "for people back home" that I needed to ship things back. 

After that adventure, I headed to lunch, because my stomach was all up in a huff about needing food!

The French make a weird Caesar salad (and yes, I know some might say that my interpretation of a Caesar salad is not only weird, but a deadly-breath-weapon), but man is it delicious!

And the tiramisu. I'm not sure how I'm going to function back home without French and / or Italian-made tiramisu.

Actually yes, yes I do... much healthier and a liiiiitle less happy! lol

From there it was time to take the metro across town and make my way to Île Saint-Louis, my favourite part of Paris. I haaaaad to walk by Notre Dame (no for real, the metro let's you off right beside it, and there isn't a stop closer to where I was going).

I get that the front is pretty, and is what we're all supposed to be impressed with, but the sides and back need some more attention, because they're stunning! 

I had to go inside. It seemed crazy not to... because look at it!

After that, I walked to Île Saint-Louis, and saw these two hand-painting beautiful type on the side of a bar. So much fun, so much talent.

After some more walking around and buying a few things for back home (no clue how they're going to fit in my luggage, but I'm going to call on the luggage genie to give me a hand tomorrow morning), I went to dinner. 

I knew where I wanted to go, but didn't remember the name or exactly where it was. This is where the photographic memory was useful, because as I walked near it, I could sense it, and there it was! 

Sorza. 

Eat there one day, because look!

 

The friggin' lamb though... I can't even talk about it.

Then I went home, packed up as much as I could, cleaned up as much as I could, prepped documents, collected receipts, all that last-night jazz.

And now that's the end. As I mentioned, tomorrow is a travel day, and then I'll be home. 

It's weird, to have been away for so long, but being used to it now, but also be used to being at home.

Strange stuff, folks, but the world would be a very boring place without the strange, wouldn't it?

My next post will be tomorrow, and I will recap the best and worst of each country / city (with an overwhelming "best" list), and throw a few more thoughts in there for good measure.

Nighty night, everyone.