Hindsight, family in Vichy and the language reversal

16/3 - Just like in Mexico and Spain, I now have family in France.

The Reichmanns and I did a lot of things this week, including shopping at the grocery store, having dinner with Phil and Genevieve, exploring the ancient village of Charroux, hiking the Puy de Dome volcano and having another large dinner with some of the same friends who had a wild party a week ago. But, one thing seemed to be a constant.

This was my attempt at recreating a postcard I found in Charroux.

Charroux is an ancient village. We bought a jar of rooster testicles on this street.

Puy de Dome is a dormant volcano near Clermont-Farrand.

All of us seem to be a good fit with each other. Upon stopping by quickly one night with Genevieve, Phil (who curiously lives about 50 yards down the street) commented on the good atmosphere we seem to have. We're comfortable with each other. It feels like I've slotted in as an older brother, because I've taken to keeping an eye on both of the kids.

Dany has gotten close, as he held my hand at the grocery store a few nights ago. Nathalie and Philipe asked me to carry Dany after he had fallen asleep during the dinner with Phil a few nights ago and the dinner tonight with more of their friends. I enjoyed having a small body snuggle into my shoulder while trying to keep the feeling of sleep and took pride in making sure he didn't lose himself in the grocery store.

I'm proud to say these were some of my favorite memories of Vichy. I've said before that I don't want kids because it will tie me down, but the idea is growing on me. I like the idea of taking care of another life more and more. And the memory of that sky-high voice asking a simple question will stick with me.

"Tu fais quoi?" What are you doing?

17/3 - There are many devices or experiences in the world that anyone can understand or relate to, even if they don't speak the same language.

Math is one. Love. Pain. Joy.

Laughter is another. I played foosball with the Reichmanns and their friends last night, and all of us were laughing hysterically, fueled in small part by alcohol. But in those few moments, all of us spoke the same language fluently.

We sat around the dinner table, drinking, sampling rooster testicles, laughing, hurling jokes, discussing the different ways one can refer to the male and female genitalia and giving me a bad time, especially about my beard. But it was nice because the family could see I was trying my best to speak in French, so they tried their best to speak in English. This reversal is a funny thing.

The fact I can't understand everyone immediately when speaking French is just that: a fact. Like a week ago, I accepted that and and relaxed. I felt in control again. It did not matter one bit that several of the women my age said the beard makes me look old (it does) and that smoking cigars is something an old man does (true). I just looked into their eyes, grinned and shrugged in a playful way.

As I ride the train away from Vichy, I reflect on what I've gained over the past six days. Other than stronger French skills, I've gained a new family. Like my family in Mexico and Spain, I look forward to the next time we cross paths.

I recently read about one way of finding inner peace and calm is to provide service to the community, to make yourself useful regardless of whether you get paid with money. My week in Vichy was a way for me to help my fellow human, and all of us benefited. Nathalie and Philip are better with their English and, like me with my parents in Paris, translating French to English for me helped them.

Nathalie, however, is better at English than her husband, as he usually looks to her when struggling to find the correct combination of words.

18/ 3 - It happens every time. When I reflect on what I've done through the prism of hindsight, I'm always amazed. March had always been shaping up to be a busy month, but it's been a whirlwind with my parents visiting and the exchange with the Reichmanns. Every time I finish some sort of trip or plan, I have that momentary moment of nostalgia, a melancholy feeling that I have nothing else to look forward to.

I had been looking forward to both of these for months, and suddenly I'm on the other side of them. My mind has been stretched once more. I think a better time to properly digest my experiences will be next week, as I'll host friends from England this weekend.

As a final thought, I took pictures yesterday in Paris while waiting for my bus. I found myself in La Defense, the area of the city with many tall and shiny skyscrapers. Once again, this camera has stunned me.

Tour EDF, the building that houses France's main electricity company.

Christmas in Ireland and escaped chickens

23/12 - As I lay here in bed, my sleeping pattern all jacked up from the time change, I figured I should start this post off with a little bit of education.

Ireland is not part of the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England are. Instead of British pounds, the Euro is used in Ireland. That's good for me because the exchange rate for USD to Euros really isn't that large. And according to a taxi driver this morning, about 10 percent of the population speaks Irish, a language whose letters are not pronounced like their English counterparts. Most people study it in school, but since few people actually speak it in everyday life, important aspects of the language such as grammar are forgotten. It's like Welsh and Gaelic in Scotland.

Here's an Irish phrase: "Nollaig shona duit." Merry Christmas. Don't ask me how to pronounce it.

The day started off with yet another snag. While charging something in my hotel room, I was packing my bag when suddenly there was a loud pop and a flash of light. All other lights in the room switched off and would not come back on. My first thought was of panic because I thought I'd have to pay a heavy fee to fix that problem.

But after a few moments, I realized it was probably just a blown fuse; a simple fix. Other than the fact I had to go find another new wall adapter because the first one turned black after blowing up, I was fine. From that point, I just shook my head and laughed; It's all I can do at this point. I just let the front desk of the hotel know what happened; they were understanding.

After a three-and-a-half-hour bus ride on which I fell asleep several times, I've arrived at the farm of Mary and her daughter Anna. It's not really a farm; more like a house with several acres Mary and her daughter utilize to their own advantage. Mary (maybe in her 60s?) picked me up at the bus stop in Swinford. She walked right up to me and asked if I'm Michael, somewhat surprising me.

The house is in a rural area, several miles from Swinford. If I want to go to town to get a pint, it'll be a bit tricky. There are three dogs, several cats, four horses (one of which is a mini), two cows, goats, ducks, chickens and pigs. What Mary expects of me is to work five hours a day for five days, but that work basically entails giving her a helping hand - nothing too strenuous. In return, Mary is giving me accommodation and meals (she used to cater; she's a very good cook!).

Jessica, a 22-year-old Canadian from Toronto who recently graduated with her Bachelor's degree, is also here for the next few days. She's been traveling since September and will go on until February, and it's good to have someone around my own age here. It doesn't even feel like I'm so far away. The fact I'm staying in a comfortable house helping take care of animals and getting home-cooked meals makes this feel normal, routine.

One last thing here for today: Stella saw my scathing WhatsApp message last week. There was no reply. What she did to me is beyond rude; it's shocking. But I'm not angry. How can I be if I still got the opportunity to do cool stuff while traveling? I'm not going to stress about it because I know karma will come back to haunt her. Doing something like this is not what a decent person would do to a fellow human being. Though I was screwed, I still squeezed value out of a bad situation.

25/12 - Merry Christmas all the way from Ireland!

My first full day of work yesterday followed the theme of my trip up to this point: snags, snafus and fuck-ups. While helping Mary clean the horse stables, I left the gate open, thus letting one of the horses out. Thankfully, it just kept close to the stables, munching on grass.

Later, I didn't do a complete job cleaning the yard and the garage. After that, I accidentally let four chickens and guinea fowl escape the coop. I thought the door was closed, but apparently the birds can squeeze through tiny openings. Yes, chickens aren't the smartest of animals, but on that occasion I was outsmarted by one. Hearing the news she had chickens loose, Mary was none too pleased with me and said I needed to improve or I was to catch the bus out of Swinford on Monday. I also nearly let a couple of goats escape too.

After the work was finished, Anna took Jessica and I to Swinford for a few drinks at a pub. I can now say I've drank in an actual Irish pub, and my Irish buddies kept buying me pints of Guinness. Six pints later and an hour after closing time, I think I held my own with my hosts. However, it wasn't the smartest idea to get tanked the night before an early morning start, as Mary actually had to come into my room and wake me up. I'm really making a good impression on her!

The thing I've noticed so far is how this trip doesn't even feel like traveling. The benefits of home-cooked meals after a couple hours of manual labor gives it a totally different vibe; it feels like I'm just living with a family (which I am). The work has me tired, and I got an amazing night of sleep last night. The fact I'm enjoying this "vacation," and all of the work that comes with it is one reason I'm one strange dude. It makes me feel like I'm doing something positive for another human being, and it's something I can look back upon and be proud of doing it.

After all, how many people can say they spent their vacation working on an Irish farm? At the very least, I've learned to lock gates behind me. Animals are escape artists. But, I guess I always seem to learn the hard way.

26/12 - My first Christmas away from family is in the books. Though I didn't spend it with my own family, I spent it with my Irish family. Mary can really cook! It was a full Christmas lunch, complete with turkey, stuffing, potatoes and carrots and other foods, such as bread sauce. To make bread sauce, you take some bread and mix it with milk and butter. But the turkey was the best I had in a very long time because it was juicy and perfectly cooked.

Anna took Jessica and I to a Christmas party at her friend's house, which was at the end of several miles of one-lane roads through the countryside. Dave and Lisa have a baby, and their house is incredible. It looks new with a modern design. Behind the Christmas tree was a two-story window. The same people we drank with at the pub the other night were here, and we just played party games.

Being included in that social group has made me feel comfortable right away. Anna and Mary do make their guests feel welcome in a warm, family environment. The only other time I've experienced this homey feel while traveling was that month in La Almunia with Felix and Rosa over the summer. The fact it doesn't even feel like visiting a different country is still stunning.