Leaving is Bittersweet

     As I write this, it is 8:30 pm in my little corner of France.  Europe went to Daylight Savings Time last night so now we're back to being 8 hours ahead of Colorado time.  I am all packed.  I have cleaned the cottage the last two days and so have very little that needs to be done tomorrow before I start loading the rental car to head to Toulouse.  I will spend Monday night there near the airport and then will take the hotel's shuttle Tuesday morning to get me to the airport around 7:30ish.
     My flight leaves at 9:55am.  The first leg is Toulouse/Frankfort.  Then it's a long Frankfort/Denver flight.  CoCo is all set with the paperwork that she needs to reenter the US.  I took her to the vet in Vic on Thursday.  We met a goat coming out as we were going in.  I love rural France!  (I doubt the goat was getting his traveling papers.)
     This afternoon I was given a lovely "going away" party.,  H and G had invited their (and now my) English friends, Elaine and Tony.  Elaine baked two wonderful cakes - a Victorian sponge cake with strawberry jam and cream, and a chocolate cake.  Hélène made tea and my French neighbor (staying in the gite nextdoor) brought beignets and a lovely peach wine spritzer. 
     It was a beautiful sunny afternoon so we helped set up the patio furniture, which had been in storage for the winter, and sat outside to enjoy the sunshine and blue skies as well as the flowers and greenery of Spring.

My Going Away Party on the Patio

Me with Hélène and Giuseppe - my "family" in France

     This has been my home for the past seven months.  I can't imagine a better place to have lived for my French experience.  And so saying "Goodbye" has not been easy.  It will be hard to say farewell to H and G tomorrow.  It will miss seeing them everyday.  I will miss seeing Hélène at her computer when I take CoCo out for her morning walk.  We wave as I pass by her window which looks out onto the walkway.  It will miss seeing Giuseppe as he's working in the yard and garden.  They have been so good to me!  Their friendship has been a constant source of help and comfort.
     I know I'll be back.  This place is in my soul now and I must return!  But for now the bend in the road is taking me back to my beloved Colorado.  I am so anxious to see everyone there again!  Andy, and my dear friends.  Cindy is coming on Friday to spend a few weeks.  It will be great to see my "babies" at the zoo and to get back to my weekly and monthly routines with friends.
      I am so thankful that all of you have joined me on this journey.  I had no idea when I set out that I would be returning quite so soon.  But that's the fun thing about a journey - you are never quite sure just how everything will turn out!