first day of the rest of my life...

Well, I arrived in Paris around 8am and my train to Metz leaves at 12noon so I decided to spend a leisurely breakfast in an anonymous Cafe by the Seine, over-looking the Ile de France and Notre Dame no less! I'm pretty sure the little eatery is the Cafe du Pont Nerf (not 100% certain though).

First off I called my family back home to make them suitably jealous that I was enjoying a cafe au lait and a Croque Monisur for brekky in cosmopolitan Paris (pronounces Pariiii of course). Then as I was updating my *gasp* paper travel journal, I was complimented by all of the clearly bored waiters. Very nice feeling to get three phone numbers in your first hour in a new country of course!! [NB: haha unfortunately I never ended up catching up with any of the plethora of Pierres etc that I seemed to attract on my travels through France]

Thank god the Gae de l'est has baggage storage as I managed to pack the biggest suitcase I could find for my trip over. I acutally PACKED my backpack. I figured I wouldn't feel like a true backpacker if I didn't use it once in Europe! I was wearing pretty much all the warmest things I owned, which is pitifully little, hailing from the sunburnt country.

Looking through my journal I see the first lists that I made of 'must-see' places and it feels great to have ticked them off and promptly replaces them with new Dream Destinations!

I remember realising, sitting there in that cafe, that this was one of those moments that lucky people get to experience. A turning point, my whole life was pivoting and I was watching the change. Knowing that I instigated it, that I made decisions that led to that moment, is a powerful thing. Independence is heady to the young. This really is the first day of my life.