Adieu, pour toujours 🥀

The Embassy of France recently sent an email reminding me to log into their visa portal before my personal information is cleared from the system after 1 year. Surprisingly, I don’t even mind doing it and deleted the email right away ✌️ 1 month at a big French group has taught me a super painful, hard lesson: Things are not always as they appear. Out of sight, out of mind. To begin is easy, to persist is an art. All in good time; patience is a virtue. Just do the right thing in your affairs. The rest will take care of itself. Paris may be branded as the City of ❤️ as Emily in Paris clarified: “The French are romantics, but they’re also realists. The key to success in Paris is not just knowing the rules, but knowing when to break them ⚔️” And there's an Irish way of saying goodbye. When people depart, they don’t simply say: “See you again.” There's a beautiful expression: “Tiocfaidh ár lá,” carrying the idea: "Our day will come." That if 2 people are meant to meet again, somehow, someday, their paths will cross once more 🤞 But in French, perhaps I'd say something different: "Adieu, pour toujours 🥀" Some goodbyes are not promises of another meeting. Some chapters are meant to end 👋 "Poured my heart into a crowd Didn't lift me up, just pulled me down Now I'm dancin' on my own Fingertips are gettin' numb Overthinkin' everything I've done No more numbers in my phone I was born to be alive No more cryin' here tonight I will never be this young Kill the darkness in my mind Grind the blade and raise the knife 'Cause I've only just begun Oh, I used to think that they were right On my side they wouldn't lie So done with that Talkin' shit behind my back Build a castle made of glass So done with that I'm a fire burnin' on I do what the hell I want Middle finger to the sky With my head held high I am fearless, I am strong Watch me rise along the dawn Ain't no stoppin' me this time Got my head held high"