I Miss Stella

France is amazing.
It's taken me 20 years of traveling here to finally, fully understand it.  In the last week alone I've said I could live here probably ten times.  I love the rural, village life, every farmers market we've been to, the melodic language, and the french cafe word for beer (presión).

It takes me back to the days when I used to recruit university students to study abroad.  Well, I tried very hard to recruit students:  Private schools with quite privileged kids, who considered it a way of life rather than an incredible opportunity.  Some of the most frequent comments were:  
do they have peanut butter over there?  
should i bring a lot of underwear?
and,
i think i'll miss my dog/boyfriend/mom/roomate too much.

I used to roll my eyes, hold back my comments and go through the details of what a life-changing experience this would be, if they would just forget all those worries and go for it.

Well, now I have a dog. 
And while I love being here and can imagine staying for a long time,
I, like all those long ago college kids,
finally understand the feeling
of really missing my dog, 
Stella Marie.

Luckily, a fantabulous water fountain in Cahors brought it all home for me.