I often have the sensation that after I leave a place in which I've lived, the streets, shops, restaurants, and people that I've met there will stop spinning in their axes and stay transfixed in time until I return. I felt that way about Madrid, only to find, upon stepping onto those very same cobblestones two years later, that the walls that I once knew were covered with colorful graffiti, the friends that I had kept were hiding their receding hairlines, and the tapas bars that I frequented had been renovated. I would have had to peel back layers of commuter metro rides, late evenings, early mornings, and café con leche's sipped upon lingering afternoons to find my Madrid again.
If anything, I was grateful of my new view of the city. I too had changed, and I liked the way it felt to be a bit more mature, aged, ready for newer adventures but always appreciative of all of the magic that a city can bestow upon a person.
I feel differently about Paris than I did about Madrid. It's hard not to imagine this busy, packed, tourist and Parisian-filled city constantly moving and transforming. Sure, the landmarks that I passed on a daily basis on my aimless, endless walks will remain the same, but the layers of dust and human life that happen to land upon them will shift perceptibly. I cannot wait to see where things go... as long as my favorite boulangerie is still on the corner of Rue Madame and Rue de Rennes and my favorite spot for some wining and dining along the Seine isn't too crowded :)
I'm thankful for this gray city, and for the people that I know and love that helped me figure out my place within it. I guess it's on to new adventures, and hopefully the blog will come along for the ride!
