salut, paris.

When you leave a friend or a family member, when my HM and HF leave, and now when I do too, you say, "Salut"...and though I always thought before I got here, that Salut was just used for hi or hello, it seems it's more for going than for coming, and for me that means there's the chance of returning once more.

On the Metro two nights ago, coming home way late from a party to celebrate the end of the semester, a musician with an acoustic guitar sang in an australian accent, "feels like I'm knocking on heaven's door." And even though I never give money to musicians on the Metro, I was moved enough by the song and by the vision of Paris I was getting through the windows that as he passed, I gave him 60 centimes and said, "That was lovely." He smiled and said, "Thank you! Lovely even!" and kept walking through the car. He exited the car when the doors opened and as he walked by where I sat, with the doors just about to close, he said, "I wish there were more out there like you." and kept walking.


Today I got lost one last time - I left my house, went somewhere where I knew - the market - to see it one last time - and then took a street that I had never been on before and wandered for an hour until eventually, without checking maps, without asking, without even caring much at all, I found my way home.