south of the border

well for about three months now i've been living in richmond, virginia, capital of the south. it's only an hour south of where i went to school (fredericksburg), yet it seems to have a much more southern atmosphere. i've more or less adjusted to life here but i'm still enjoying the sights of the city, my lovely apartment, and exploring new places.

i still think of my life in france, from time to time. things are definitely a bit different here. instead of biking everywhere, i just bike to school and to my tutoring job. instead of a high rise in the middle of the city i live in a historic building near the museums. but things are great here. even if i can't buy cheap fresh bread i can at least buy shredded cheese that is not swiss and mexican food is widely available and affordable. and have i mentioned my apartment? it's wonderful. right in the middle of the fan and the museum districts (both historic areas), our apartment is on north boulevard (which apparently is just called the boulevard - very southern, isn't it?). i could go on and on but instead i'll invite you to see for yourself and leave you with four words: exposed brick, covered balcony (porch culture is huge here). what's even better is i've finally got a place to put all the things i've amassed, from oriental rugs and stained glass pieces, to a record player and travel pictures. very satisfying.

in my exploring thus far i've discovered some great little restaurants and cafés nestled into the historic streets. another lovely part of the fan is monument avenue, actually just a few feet from our apartment. the old street got its name for the momuents that line it, interspersed along stretches of the wide, shady medians (great for bocce ball/boules). there are some beautiful stretches, particularly now that the leaves have started to turn.

so while my current locale may not be as exotic, in some ways it's just as interesting. this is not the end of my travels (ha!), i'll still be exploring the area - in fact we're planning trips to charlottesville, williamsburg and norfolk sometime soon. and there are big plans in the works for this summer... so stay tuned.