November 3rd

Colds suck. Viruses have that affect unfortunately. This time it wasn't me who was sick; it was Kate. She woke up with a sore throat, a headache, and swollen glands. Thus I sent her home early. I felt bad since I wanted her to meet Caitlin, but Kate's health and comfort was more important. She did me a huge favor though, she took my backpack with her. That was such a saving grace for me because my back had had enough of that freshman pack. Once she boarded the train, I sat down for a minute. I had a few hours to do whatever I wanted. So what did I do? Any guesses audience? Well they probably were all wrong. The right answer was visit the Luxemburg Gardens. Hey I was jipped on that last night, sunset my ass, so I need some redemption. They were lovely too. I walked throughout several of the paths and sat down on various benches as well. I don't know what it is about gardens, but they always make my imagination spark. This time I pictured myself as a princess. Ahem! I would appreciate no laughter from the back row. As I was saying, I pictured myself as a princess sitting in the gardens of her palace on a crisp autumn day with only the sound of the wind as my company. Suddenly, I hear horse hooves approaching and look up to see a soldier clad in blue mail. He is seriously wounded and falls from his horse before me. I ask what happened but he is only able to tell me the words "run princess" before dying. My ears catch the sound of a battle horn that's close, too close. I mount the horse and ride to the end of my gardens. There at their gates is a vast forest, dense with the unknown. I look back at my palace once more, a pain in my heart. The cry of the battle horn recalls my attention and I gallop into the woods. It isn't long before the noise of the horn vanishes along with the rest of the outside world. I find myself lost among trees, hundreds of identical trees. I slip from my horse's saddle and collapse on the green earth. My lungs become filled with the pollen of the forest as I close my eyes. And that's how I died in the woods as a princess. I love my imagination. After that scenario it was time to meet with Caitlin which proved more difficult than I realized. After many texts, and many metro trips, I finally arrived at the set meeting point, the Eiffel Tower. Once there I situated myself in an obvious spot; near the West Tower by a bunch of plastic bears. Yes, there were plastic bears lining the grass area by the Eiffel Tower. Why? I have no clue. But, they made a good landmark because low and behold Caitlin appeared! That was a victorious moment. We haven't seen each other since high school, my sophomore year to be exact, which made the reunion even more important. She was with a friend of hers from Germany, another American in fact. The three of us decided to grab some lunch and catch over pizza. Good choice. I found out that she has been working many different kinds of jobs in Germany from cafeteria lady to nanny. Crazy really. After lunch we participated in some Eiffel Tower pictures, they are always mandatory. I snagged a banana chocolate crepe before the goodbye hugs. I hope/am planning to see her next semester during one of my breaks. I should be able to make it out to Germany, only a few trains away after all. Still, that goodbye was really hard for me. Caitlin was part of my life from Chicago and to say goodbye to her was almost like saying goodbye to home again. My train back to Le Havre was quiet, thank goodness for that. I arrived safely and soundly all in one piece. My fall break vacation/adventure was over. Damn, it was a good time.