January Jetted By

After finally making it back to Paris from my whirlwind trip to the States and Germany, I expected a pretty sedate month of cold and commiseration. I have long since felt that January is the worst month of the year when you live in the Northern hemisphere. It is dark and cold, and no matter how many resolutionary lists you make, heralding feats and fantasies for the new year, motivation skills are essentially null. One of the many trillions of reasons I must NEEDS head to Australia next year is the fact that I am quite convinced it must be way easier to abide by resolutions when the sun is shining in height of summer. Not to mention the fact that the past couple of Januarys in Paris have been laced with the mundane. I usually come back to my current home very excited to have a rest from travel, but desperately missing my friends and family. There is always that sense of let down when the holidays are over, combined with the utter disappointment of wanderlust being satiated in theory, but already rumbling for more in practice. It is usually a slow month for money, a light month for social engagements, and the days are profoundly brief. 

That being said, this January essentially blew those stereotypes right out of the water. I was still completely exhausted when I finally made it back to my tiny little chambre de bonne, but absolutely grateful for a rest from my travels. I always miss my friends and family, but this year I will be back in the States as soon as May, for one of my very best friend's weddings. I have a job that has been going exceedingly well for many months, so I did not return fearing the depths of poverty saved only by my rent-free cubicle. I also have a fantastic little community of friends, many of whom are always up or a pint or a chat (or a bottle of wine or 4). There was also Australia Day: A holiday rather underrated in my opinion, especially when it involves getting free hats and waxing poetic about tim tams and platypi. I even organized a meetup night myself, and had my first successful date in ages! All in all, a veritable break from the traditional January doldrums. 

Now that February is already in our clutches, I can't help but look around at the global warmingly infused temperate temperatures and smile. I am off to Ireland this weekend (5th time!) for a well-needed taste of the Emerald Isles with Dancer Friend, the girl I have known for a whopping 34 years of my life. I shall drink and frolic and revel in legends with high hopes for the year ahead. There may be leprechauns, there may be not, but I shall absolutely float home on a rainbow.