Today is my second to last full day in America before I head off to live in France for a month. Really, though, it feels like the last since tomorrow will be occupied with packing and such preparations. I was planning to spend today by seeing Midnight in Paris (I did this morning; it was ok), going to my flute lessons in the evening, and watching old episodes of Dead Like Me on netflix in between the two (I've been obsessed with that show ever since I found netflix has it).
But, as you can probably tell by my use of the past progressive tense and these pictures of random newspaper bits I found, I went on a nice little walk today. I opened my front door this afternoon to see if I had finally gotten the new Beirut single I ordered last Wednesday (I didn't and I'm almost sure I wrote in the wrong adress in my excitement) to find that today is one of those lovely Arizona days where it literally feels like an oven outside! I know that probably sounds terrible, but, having spent the majority of my life here, I love no weather more than when it is scalding hot (103 degrees farenheit to be exact), dry as a bone, and the wind is blowing ever so slightly.
I walked to my favorite place within walking distance of my house: my old elementary school's playground. I don't know exactly why I love it so, but I really do. There aren't a lot of red-tiled, cookie cutter houses to see. There's a string of telephone wires next to it (I think telephone poles are some of the most beautiful things on earth). You can see the big open sky from anywhere, as well as south mountain (my favorite mountain). And...I don't know, it's just nice and oddly beautiful.
I didn't bring my tripod so I had to use the tables and benches in the...well...tables and benches area. I remember when I was really little, before school started, all the band kids would play their instruments here and I thought it was the most glamorous, lovely thing on earth (although they were probably actually terrible). When I started playing the flute in 5th grade, however, they had stopped doing that for some reason.
Hat: Vintage, Shirt: Forever21, Overalls: Forever21, Socks: Target, Shoes: Forever21
And then a random crime scene in the middle of it all.
As the date for France gets closer and closer, the trip is beginning to grow bigger and bigger in my mind. At first, I was just excited to get the guidance in French that my high school french teachers simply don't give. But, now, it's beginning to stand in front of me as this event that will change all of my events to come as well as my perception of all that have already passed. My life will be divided into two, that before and that after. I know that's a lot of weight to put on this trip, but I don't see how it couldn't. For one, I've never left the country before and I've never experienced another culture. Also, I've never traveled alone or lived with another family like I will be. I don't know. It's just an odd position to be in: knowing that you are days away from something completely unlike anything you've ever experienced before.
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