Unscientific research

Sometimes I really sit here and wonder: what am I doing here? Really, why did this happen to me? What am I getting out of it? What am I supposed to be getting out of it? Is it something great and profound like meeting the love of my life? Or is it something more subtle and quotidian, like appreciating the beauty in everything and nothing at the same time?

Can my blog entries be any indication? Here are the five things I most often write about:

Eating (63)
Language (57)
Just Because (48)
Working (41)
Wandering (38)

I thought pastries (25) and Velibs (20) would figure more prominently. But in any case, I think the numbers are somewhat telling.

Eating. Well, that one’s pretty obvious. I love eating. I love talking about it, writing about it and dreaming about it. I love the food here. Eating, now more than ever, is a daily joy.

Becoming proficient in French was a main goal in coming to Paris. In March, I was hoping I might be pretty fluent by the end of the year. Now I think that’s a stretch, but I’m sort of happy with where I am. I keep waiting for that floodgate to open that everyone talks about—allegedly, I’m going to have this wave of comprehension and capability when suddenly everything clicks and I realize how far I’ve come. In the meantime, I’m happy learning the occasional word and turn of phrase.

Just because. Yeah, just because! Why does there have to be an answer to everything??

Working. Sort of ironic that I work so much in France, a country with a reputation for fucking off all the time. Not only do I work a lot, but I’m enjoying my work for the first time in a long time. I’m proud of what I’m doing. This is a really good professional opportunity. And, after all, I can’t forget that it’s what brought me here.

Wandering. I guess this just goes with my love of the city. I love wandering. And then eating something.

I’m curious what the outsider’s perspective is, too. Any thoughts?