"Tu fais quoi maintenant?"

"What is it you do, now?" or "Tu fais quoi maintenant?" have been repeated questions (in English and in French) regarding my life as of late. For my response: I'll blog. And just for kicks, here's where I am blogging from, right on MY STREET, facing "Café Delmas," a favorite café of Hemingway, frequently mentioned in his book, A Moveable Feast.

(click on all the pictures to make larger!)

Alas, my days of globe-trotting and seemingly endless summer have now come to an end. Though it may sound bizarre to those of my friends inundated with medschool studies, gradschool, etc. I am very happy and eager to begin school and enter into a more structured life here in Paris. Moreover, through this recent involvement with Rotary, I am refreshingly reminded that I am not alone in this adventure, but instead supported by and propelled to action here in France through Rotary International.

As a timely punctuation mark for this new phase of Ma Vie Parisienne, the Rotary-Scholars to France welcome weekend took place two weekends ago in Paris. Joining 16 other scholars assigned to France and Morocco, we enjoyed a great weekend of dinners, speakers, general orientation, and a final grand soirée as our formal welcome to France from Rotary International. Similar to most everything the Rotary does--it was a top-notch weekend, with informational speakers, friendly people, beautiful meals, and a humbling welcome to us as "ambassadors of goodwill."

Rotary Scholars to Francophone countries, France and Morocco  

@ Auberge de Jeunesse, Opéra

Rotary Scholars before our grand Rotary soirée meal and program

@ Novotel, Gare de Lyon  

A major highlight included meeting the other France-scholars, and bonding across many cultures and origins.

Rotary Scholars from the United States and Italy- we 3 are assigned to Paris!

@ Seine Cruise with Scholars

 Thus, for those of you who have asked, puzzled over my ostensively endless traveling around euroland  (consider this a personal shout out to you, Madison McMahan!) May you rest assured, I have returned to glimpses of my life back in the States--now happily grounded by school and motivated for community involvement via my support and affiliation with Rotary Club- Paris la Défense.