A friend recently sent me a message asking if I ever felt the same way Marlin felt when he reached 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney. Like, wow, I've actually made it here, I'm here. I said yes, very much so; more often than not I have to stop on the street and remind myself of where I am and what I am doing. And I haven't stopped being thankful for the places I've been and what I've been able to do. (Thanks EFitz<3)
Well, that is similar to how I felt after a 5 1/2 hour train ride from Paris, stepping out into warm Mediterranean air (it's been around 70 degrees fahrenheit here, perfect for shorts, a t-shirt, and maybe a light jacket) and seeing a family member for the first time in over a month. We spent Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday together, Gretchen showing me around the main parts of Nice. But her life is just so adventurous that on Wednesday she left to go to Japan, so I am here alone. And having already been accustomed to being alone, being alone and having access to a full apartment is ten times better.
Ever since the start of this trip my interest in cooking, baking, and food in general has soared. Not in the way that I just love eating (although true), but in that I've realized how many options are out there for flavor combinations, new twists, and efficient ways of using everything that is available in a certain place. I realize that in college I will likely not have all the time or materials I want to cook three flavorful, creative, healthy meals a day so right now I'm justifying the fact that I've been spending so much time in just the kitchen. I've been exploring Nice in between, but this is more so a vacation than the other places I've been so far (that's not to say that this whole trip hasn't been a relaxing getaway from home life). In conclusion, from time to time, I can't keep from feeling like I'm wasting time that I should be spending going on grand adventures in places all around me, but then again, I already know my time here is going to be something I remember forever. Plus, planning is tiring, and who knows the next time I'll be able to be in utter bliss like this with so little worries (excluding my New Zealand trip...).
The apartment is up on a hill overlooking the center of the city, and close at the bottom is a daily market from 8-12 with fresh fruits, veggies, and fish. Today I walked down at 11:30 to see what kind of items were on "Le Plateau" a table in front of the stands on which, close to closing time, vendors display buckets of fruits and veggies perhaps a little bruised, scratched, or a little overripe, for only one Euro. So I bought five eggplant for a Euro, two big bunches of carrots for a Euro, and some apples (not on plateau). One never knows what will be on le plateau but it's fun to save money buying the cheapest produce and planning the daily meals around that food. With a juicer, blender, and more at my disposal, I'm eating more than enough of the daily required servings of fruits and veggies. After grabbing a baguette for 85 cents, I felt like a true Niçoise trudging up the hill and chewing on warm bread. Yeah, I could live like this for quite awhile.
