I've been back in Grenoble for a week and it's been absolutely wonderful. It's bizarre, I was so miserable here for most of my previous six month stay, but for some reason I came back for more. It's like an abusive relationship, I couldn't stay away. But so far it's been great, mostly because I haven't had to go through any bureaucracy this time (yet) and I'm now used to standing in lines for long periods of time.

When I left everything was gray and dead and cold, and now everything is green and there are flowers everywhere and the air smells nice and the sun is shining. And I've been getting so much work done because I have an office here! And it's next to a window looking out on a bunch of trees and always smells like pine. ANd I've been speaking only french at the lab except with my supervisor which is fun.

I spent this week seeing all my friends left here, going all my favorite places, eating favorite foods and drinks that we don't have in Italy (a lot changes from one side of the mountains to the other) and enjoying being among mountain-y people with bad style again, no stilettos or designer sunglasses here.

It was weird coming back after being away 3 months, it was almost like coming home. And communicating in french feels like speaking english right now after being in Italy knowing very sparse italian. Even this terrible residence hall I was miserable in all those months found a little place in my heart somehow...but I won't be sad to leave it tomorrow after spending a week sharing this room the size of my bathroom in Pavia with Yvonne all week. I'm doing the rounds, staying a few days with each my friends. Ok, thats all for now because Yvonne is sleeping and the sound of a keyboard is amplified in this tiny room. Goodnight.