What just happened?

You know those moments when you stop and wonder how you would have reacted if, say, a year ago someone had told you you would be doing ___ right now? Usually I can't imagine that I would believe this imaginary person, because life has the beautiful habit of being
completely
unpredictable.
I love testing my year against this thought every so often. For starters, I mean I'm studying in Paris France for a semester. I mean, whoah. Honestly--I'm from your average middle class background...this was not in the picture even 2 years ago. And here I am. Or this past summer: spending it in California as a camp counselor and going on backpacking trips (never backpacked in my life. And loved it.) with Tamura Turney? Or even the quote&quote details of relationships: who I've interacted with and how: there were definitely some unexpected twists in April and May alone...I felt practically blindsided.
I love trying to guess what the next big twist will be...and I can already see one coming: my mom, my amazing beautiful strong mom wants to journey to Uganda with our church to be a part of something bigger. And there's a chance (a very slight chance) that there might be room for us to go too.

I mean, what just happened?!? as Kate said earlier today, life just got crazy all of a sudden. It's like it changed speeds and now we're carreening foreward into the next wild adventure.

I love it. I'm hesitant, I'm reserved, but I love it. I love how it's starting to really really look like there's something bigger going on here than anyone would dare to admit. It's like I suddenly literally feel my life being sculpted by loving hands. It'll be even better when I can look back and discern the pattern. Yessssss.

Anyway, as far as today, we did find the bookstore Tea and Tattered Pages, run by a former Californian woman who has a lot of clout. She obviously knows who runs the place. It smelled like old pages...the way a library smells. And there was a golden, long-haired cat to greet us, rubbing our legs like we'd been old friends. I'll admit it: deep down inside of me is a cat-lover. I ended up buying a book about, surprise! Women who move to a different country taling about their experiences. If Paris is weird enough, I can only imagine picking up and settling down in Burma, or Cairo. A completely different world. So I'll loo for some comfort tonight in those pages. And, another God-moment: we met an American girl there named Kim, who's taking a year off to live here; I think she's our age, and was so friendly and completely understood the craziness of life here. Plus, she's just come from 7 weeks in India, volunteering. I mean, she's got us beat in the interesting dept. already. We'll hang out sometime later this week :)

As for the rest...another positive thing about living here is that I'm learning how to cook. I mean, it's either that or sandwiches forever, or eating out (waaaaay expensive here). And with each new try my confidence goes up! So maybe by the time we're home I can hold my own. Or at least be able to hold my head up when someone asks, "Who can make the mashed potatoes?"

Well, even though the time will say 6:06 on this post (or something close) it's actually 1:06 a.m.
here...so I better turn in. Much much love to y'all...