My week alone in France has been filled with new experiences. I have never slept in my French home alone (sans Sophie) and it has proved challenging. Despite being tired and jet lagged, every night has been an odyssey in wakefulness. I have struggled to fall asleep, stay asleep, and get any deep rest. That has been challenging as I am a girl who needs her eight hours to feel right but my days have been filled with gardening and the joy of being home so it has all balanced out. I think it is unusual for me to sleep alone anywhere and I guess I hadn’t realized how comforting it is to have a puppy or man that I love breathing next to me. It has taken me a few nights to get used to being fully alone and it is not something I’m sure I will ever take for granted again. Last night I finally slept and dreamt and didn’t wake up a 100 times. This morning I awoke to the sun shining through the curtains and practically leapt out of the bed with joy that I was rested.

The weather has been lovely here. Every day is in the 60s and the sun has been shining, I have taken walks, gardened my heart out, and visited with friends. Last night the boys came over and we went to Bubbas for dinner. It was really nice to be with them and laugh and tease each other like we used to. I absolutely delight at getting Dave going and because we are so similar it is really natural for me to know how to do that. I loved seeing Sean, Jo, and Meg at the restaurant and I even ran into another friend who invited me for coffee the next day.

Today is Sunday which is supposed to be a day of rest in France. I will depersonalize my house (to get it ready for Airbnb rental) and do a thorough cleaning. I will take a long walk and visit my friend in her beautiful garden . I will close my eyes in the sunshine and try to hold onto the memory of the peace I feel in this place.