La belle vie

I recently returned to Austin from a phenomenal four months in Paris, France. I work for a bike touring company there and spend a good portion of my summers in Paris. This was my third time to go back and each time has been better than the last.

I wish I could have been better at posting but every time I sat down to update I realized how hard it is to put one of these experiences into writing. There were so many people, stories, and photos to share I never knew where to start, so I didn't. This is my attempt at a summary of an incredible summer.

While I was there I was able to travel to Interlaken, Berlin, and London. Every trip was perfect in it's own way.

Interlaken gave me a chance to relax and do nothing but stare at the ridiculously picturesque views. Everywhere you look it looks like a postcard. The air was clean, the people were friendly, and the mountains made me smile every time I glanced up. We took a long bike ride to the city of Thun on electric bikes. This was the highlight of the trip. These bikes were magical.

Berlin was by far my favorite. As soon as I arrived I felt like I belonged. I can't really describe the feeling, I just felt alive. The people were young and friendly and completely absurd. The spirit of the city is incredible. There were times I felt like I was in East Austin. The music, the bikes, the graffiti, the food, all seemed to be right up my alley.

London was the last trip I was able to take and I loved every second of it. I stayed with some friends in East London and they showed us a great time. There is something about London that makes me happy (despite the weather). I think it is possibly all of the quirky fashion, the influx of South Africans, and the array of good music. The highlight of my trip was a tasteful Burlesque show followed by a show by the Dragonettes on Brick Lane. I loved my time in London.

My time in Paris was nothing short of the best. I worked quite a bit but working in Paris is a lot more tolerable than working in a cubicle. Every night I either rode my bike home or walked through the Champ du Mars past the Eiffel Tower to our quaint little 10 sq. meter apartment on Rue De L'Exposition. It felt good to call that place my home for the summer. Every night we got to watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle (from a reflection) in the window across the street. It was perfect!

We picnicked in parks, drank wine on bridges, went on long bike rides, and saw lots of music. I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend my summer. I'm sad it's over but I know another adventure is around the corner.