Apparently, I have been here a week.

7 days ago, I was so tired that I could barely brush my teeth. Now, I feel completely normal.

I cannot believe that it has already been a week. The passing of time jumps out at us sometimes, suprising us when we least expect it. And by "us", I mean me.
Every day, I make new discoveries here. I learn new words, I go new places, I kiss new people on both cheeks.
It is so easy to forget that I am living the extraordinary. Sometimes, I look up from what I am doing, just like I would on any other day of my life, and remeber where I am.
I love those moments.

On Saturday, we had school in the morning (yes, they have school on Saturday mornings here). In the Afternoon, Maelle and I got a ride from Xavier into Colmar with our bikes. We went to her old school's Carnival, and ate Cotton Candy ( Barbe a Papa, or Old man's Beard, in French).
After that, we went to the park and I rode my bike around Colmar for awhile.
To get home, we rode our bikes on the off-roads under trees next to fields of corn.
Have I mentioned yet how much I love it here? Yes.

That evening, the family went to a Dance Gala, which was a lot of fun.
I danced the Cha-Cha and the Twist with Xavier, and a very attractive French boy even asked me to dance.
If only there wasn't that pesky language barrier..

On Sunday, the family went to a market, in a nearby town called Sigolsheim, to sell a bunch of old things.
The market was a lot bigger than I thought it would be, stretching on for streets and streets full of stands. I found it amusing how much of the stuff was related to American culture, especially when I spotted about 15 collections of Buffy the Vampirte Slayer in French.
But not all of the items being sold where what I expected either. There were stands full of archaic looking objects - sculptures, furniture, books, swords, metal work, you name it - next to stands overflowing with fresh friut and vegetables.
The village was beautiful too! It was nestled in hills fulls of vineyards, and is one of the stops on the Alsatian wine tour.

Today, was a pretty average school day. Only two days left!
Tomorrow I am off on another school field trip to Europa park, which I am very very excited for.

Right now, it is raining outside. It is such a different rain than in Tucson - softly and smoothly coating the world rather than pounding down upon an earth that hasn't seen water for weeks.
All the windows in the house are open, and the cool air seems to flow through it. I am starting to feel more and more comfortable here, and I am trying every day to find my voice again.
Right now, I am wrapped up in the extraordinary.
I have to go brush my teeth, and it is almost 22:22.
make a wish.