After Barcelona

June 25, 2016

So I'm back on the TGV again, this time leaving Barcelona and heading back to Montpellier after spending a week in Spain with Dan.  It feels weird leaving him again.  It's also odd that I'm going to France and he is going back to Canada. By the time I'm back in my little studio, he'll only have just taken off from the airport in Barcelona.  When he lands in Toronto, I'll be finishing dinner.

As a side note, the TGV between France and Spain really only hits that magical 300 km/h for about 10 minutes as it leaves Spain and before it gets to the first town.  You can feel it build speed, your ears "pop" and the world wizzes by.  And then you feel yourself decelerate again.  Regardless, it is still a fantastic way to travel!

There is a part of me that feels good about going "home" to France.  Yes, I used that word when Dan and I were talking last night.  It is interesting that I referred to France as "home" over dinner.  I'm clearly comfortable there, which is a good sign.  At the same time, I'm a little homesick as Dan equals home too and seeing him was a bit of normal again.  Yes, I am looking forward to going back to Toronto again, but I'm aware that it will be different too.

After experiencing life here in Europe, life in Canada by contrast has both pros and cons. Two months ago I would have spoken only about the pros of Canada, but now I see the cons too.  Canada is incredibly safe, I don't think I've ever paid as much attention to my surroundings as I have since getting here.  I rarely worry about my cell phone in Toronto, it regularly lives in my back pocket or on a table in a cafe.  We are, for the most part, a world away from the challenges in the rest of the world.  Here, those challenges are just a few hours away by car.  On the other side, we are truly challenged by our vast land area and our very tiny population.  There just isn't a large enough tax base to fund the massive investment required for our infrastructure needs.  We are also heavily influenced by the North American need to work all the time.  Europe has a much better sense of balancing work and personal life.  Not that they don't work hard, they do, but it seems that when work is done, its done and you focus on family and friends.