Flashbacks

Lately more than ever I've been having realistic flashbacks to being in Europe. It makes me more and more frustrated every time because it's so far from reality but feels so real. And today that feeling was multiplied by a zillion.

First of all, last night I had a dream. I don't really know where I was exactly, but I was at some kind of meeting or conference or something for language teachers. Mario was there. And when I left, I tried to follow him to say hello, and he waved but kept going, too fast for me to keep up. Once I got outside and caught up with him, he was already at his car. (Yes, he even had his car there with him in the United States.... in my dream.) And out of his car came all of his friends that I met while I was actually in Europe. Finally he stopped to talk. It honeslty was such a realistic dream, I felt like I was really talking to him. I could even feel the feeling of the handle on his car door, and what it really felt like opening it in real life.

Okay, back to my real day. I was cleaning off the top of my dresser today when I picked up my chapstick that I had in France. It's practically gone now, but I opened it anyway to double check before tossing it. I smelled it, and it brought me RIGHT back to my apartment in France. I can just feel exactly what it was like to stand in front of my bookshelf before bed, put that chapstick on, and put it back on the shelf. It reminded me of spring time, putting that chapstick on and leaving for my next train to my next big adventure in my next European city. It reminded me of the fresh smell of my apartment, and digging through my suitcase and leaving a hotel to go see a city. I will never throw that thing away.

As I was driving to work today, I SWEAR I saw a car drive past me with a European license plate. I looked in my mirror and it was deifnitely from Minnesota, but I seriously think on the front there was something resembling a European license plate.

Then, this man came through my line at Target. He reminded me of someone I knew from France, and finally it dawned on me. Claude! One of my teachers from when I studied in Pau. Now, that's going waaaay back, but still.

THEN, I came home and turned on International House Hunters. They're in Germany. All the houses look just like Mario's! The bathroom tile was the same. The seaircase was the same. The exterior was the same. The colors and layout were similar. I felt like it confirmed my knowledge of German architecture or something. It really made me realize just how much every little thing I did in Europe taught me SO much, even if I didn't realize it at the time.

I WANT TO GO BACK!!!