It's been a while.

Over a month, in fact. Once I left Freiburg for Munich (and then Mijoux, France), my internet access was limited, and blog posting never seemed to be the top of the list. When I got back to Freiburg, my internet use seems to have been limitless, and yet I spent all my time on other things.

I am tired from all my computer use. Living in a room by myself, in an apartment with three other people who don't interact all that often, never seems to get better. If I want social interaction but am supposed to be getting homework done, I just sign online. And the computer screen sucks away my day.

The best thing about being in Munich was living with a family. We left the cereal out for each other at breakfast, discussed the day's plans when we saw each other, ate dinner together, watched movies, and said good night, sleep well. They were busy, but they were there.

At first, it made me more legitimately homesick than I think I've been. Usually I miss people, but I don't actually want to be there. Being around my mom's best friend, or maybe simply a family, made me miss my family. Seeing Rebecca with all her friends, many of whom study in other cities now and she hadn't seen in months, made me want to be reunited with the people who know me best.

And I got used to the apartment, and the U-Bahn, and Rebecca's grandfather's continual comments about film ("You know, that's not real. They can do anything in the studio!") and the weather (it was snowing a lot in the US, and there was no way Rebecca was going to make it to Lansing in time for her cousin's wedding). As my departure approached, I considered staying. Throwing away €90 worth of tickets and staying in Munich a few more days, and then buying a new ticket home to Freiburg.

In Mijoux, I missed Munich and the family I had left there. But in Mijoux, there was another family, in a chalet on a mountain belonging to the Jura range, which is north of the Alps. They have a moody teenager, 11-year-old twins, and adorable 4-year-old Florent, who usually speaks French but ended up using more English by the time we left. They have a cat, Blackness—which sounded like 'Loch Ness' to me the first time the daughter told me. I was about to tell Maraia that I wished I'd stayed in Munich, or had simply got off the train to Basel when it stopped in Freiburg, when the cat appeared. Immediately, everything felt better.

I'm glad I didn't get off the train in Freiburg. It would have been a waste of money, but more importantly, I wouldn't have met the friendly people we stayed with, or learned to ski a little, or snowshoed up a mountain. Or eaten couscous and shrimp and potato and carrot soup and lentils and delicious Galettes de Rois. (It's good for me, I guess...but I really only would regret not eating the cake.) And I would've had to spend hours on the computer planning a six-week trip after we got back to Freiburg.

Oh wait. I've still spent many, many more hours planning since getting back from France. The end of February is coming sooner than I'd like to think, and with it, two months off. Hopefully I won't want to be back in Freiburg so soon next time.