If there is one thing that I have learned from all of the "wife swap" that Maggie has forced upon me, it is that every so often, things are required of us that we are less than willing to do…and without being forced to do these things, we would become bratty, obnoxious, and usually overweight.
Simply put, we often have to do things that we just don't want to do…and more often than that, we cannot always do the things that we want to. For example, on this fine morning in March, with the air getting crisper and the temperature slowly rising, my two best friends are making their way to Cancun for the elusive, much anticipated Spring Break- where they will bask in the suns rays, drink on the tab of the hotel, and frequent such high class establishments as Senor Frogs.
I, on the other hand am headed to New York City for the day, as everyone that i've been spending time with these past few weeks has finally departed for their various destinations…while they've finished midterms and spent the last month counting down to this week, I'll be picking up and getting on a ten hour flight back across the Atlantic, arriving in Paris late on Sunday. This coming week, I will have an abnormal (for my life in Paris) amount of work to get done- all the while knowing that my best friends are sunning themselves in Mexico.
Let me back up here for a minute…because I've left a few things out…
Yes, I came back to the states for my spring break and spent the majority of my time back here in DC.
They tend to say that there is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find they way that you, yourself have altered. Strange, indeed, it was to get back here…sitting on my couch again, getting up for those greasy omelets from downstairs, worrying about who I would run into on the streets…it all seemed very surreal, though just months ago, this was the life I led every day.
Especially in college, the immaturity of a young age tends to overwhelm the hope for decent interactions…and that was something that I had prepared myself for. Obviously Maggie and Marmol were going to be excited to see me, but as far as a lot of other people were concerned, I hadn't exactly ended on a high note with everyone…there were fights late at night, doors slamming early in the morning, things that went unexplained and glares that cut like a knife.
In coming back, though, I was so excited just to be in DC, that I was ready to bypass the immaturity, make my apologies, and go back to the way things were…what I hadnt anticipated, though, was the growth of those around me- that everyone that i had left…even in the least graceful of ways…would greet me with open arms and grins- equally anxious to forget the past.
I guess I just didn't know they had it in them.
Yes, I have made a grave amount of errors at this school and my social regrets could go on for miles…but somewhere between greeting the bouncer at rugby and eating pizza with Pat's doorman while he looked up TD bank's emergency number…Somewhere in these past two weeks that I spent sitting down at Froggys, walking to happy hour at Paolos, lying on the waterfront and laughing so hard it hurt … somehow none of those errors really mattered anymore- because the people that care about you are going to be there no matter how often you snore too loudly or forget your credit card or make a drunken mistake.
After all, what are all of those but more stories to tell?
One particular evening over this break, we sat around reminiscing about days gone by and the mistakes we'd made and I found myself laughing harder than I had in months…and about things that at one time or another, might've made me cry. I realized, that afternoon, how useless it ends up being to spend time lamenting over things you cant change. Sometimes, we make mistakes- and with Maggie, with Marmol, and with everyone close to me- I have made many, but the confidence that they would be there for me afterwards, to laugh with me and to get through it together…well there is truly nothing that compares to that kind of reassurance, and it is having that kind of honest and genuine confidence in others that makes it so much easier to take the less important stuff with a grain of salt.
It was wonderful to be back in DC for so many reasons- there were so many people I wanted to see and so much I wanted to do: I was back to eating good, old fashioned American food, I listened to country music so loudly it hurt, and I did everything as "American" as I possibly could. I loved seeing my parents, my brother, and- of course- my friends. I leave DC with no regrets about how I lived these past two weeks- minus the pang in the back of my mind that my coming to DC disappointed my father. And that kind of satisfaction is a huge relief.
Yes, my best friends are in Cancun now…and in another 2 weeks, my mom and brother will be headed down to the Bahamas…as I thought, being back here did show me the things I was missing out on- but more than that, it reassured me that they will all be here when I get back- my mom, my dad, my brother, my friends…they're not going anywhere.
And so tomorrow I pick up and get on a plane- back across the Atlantic- back to Paris- for another 9 weeks of cultural immersion
a bientôt!
No comments:
Post a Comment