Tomorrow’s the Big Day

Tomorrow I see my apartment. Tomorrow, I move in to Paris.

I’m nervous, even though the local family’s been incredibly supportive and helpful.

Someone recently told me I need to be more self sufficient and independent. I’ve thought about it a lot over the past two days can came to the following conclusion: I am self sufficient, in that I’ll also find a way to put food on the table and have a safe place to sleep. But I’m not independent in that I need people to love and trust, with whom I can share exciting adventures and boring conversations, from whom I can seek counsel and comfort. I need to belong. I’m not a loner at heart after all.

I had that in the south. I had people I really cared about and who, I think, really cared about me.

Now I’m confronting things without friends. Yet, whenever I have doubts, I think of the parting words of one of those truly amazing people I was lucky enough to call a friend this summer. She looked me in the eyes and simply said: "I'll say good luck, Cookie, but I'm not worried. You'll be fine; you'll be fine where ever you go.”

And then I realize: Yes, she’s right, I will be fine.

So tomorrow the adventure begins.