Postcards from Paris: {Surviving La Rentrée}

Paris picks up in September. The families have all returned from Vacances. The parents start back at work, and the the children begin a new year at school. New teachers and new shoes. Some of the children who I got to know, whenever I brought markers and paper to the playground, have matured a bit since Spring. Some have returned from Vacances with bronzed skin and hair that has been so sun bleached that it appears white. There are a few children who sport shorther haircuts, and others who's hair has grown into new lengths with new styles. All of their ends lightened, a remnant preserved from the fading Summer. Both the adults and the children seem in happy spirits as they reconcile with familiar faces. I love seeing the babies who used to sit statically, urging for movement, and now have begun crawling about. Some using benches, toy strollers, and other children as walking sticks; any source of stability as they strengthen their steps towards the day when they can run and play with the others.
I find that returning to the place where we establish our daily routines can often be difficult. Especially if the vacation was overwhelmingly good. It's difficult leaving behind family and friends, and those experiences that were more of a dream than reality.
Returning to Paris is difficult merely in the fact of distance, but it has some many daily pleasures that establishing routine here becomes a delight. It is already a different season here. The infamous Paris-gray-sky is beginning to linger a little longer each day. Making the slow-changing leaves more saturated with each golden phase of their turning. Surviving La Rentrée is more of a mindset, a flow of thoughts that doesn't constantly reflect back on Vacances, but onto the new season to come.

Bisous,
Reba