Stefanie's random thoughts on Toulouse / France

Stefanie's random thoughts on Toulouse / France 

A fresh, new breeze into my life. New smells, tastes, colors, sounds.... fresh and enlightening.

Meaningful travel with this particular group. Different. Supporting each other. Looking out for one another. Enjoying my own space, my own privacy, enjoying being around and with them.

Easy flowing all around. Roommates. College dorm? Together and building.

The Kitchen. To share food, share laughs, share conversations, experiences, opinions. Sylvain and Nordine – what a pleaseure. Drinking coffee out of a bowl. Funding systems for dancers in France. Heavy french doors. Many old dance works created in Europe. Wine, puffed corn crackers. Baguette and S. Pellegrino water. Cheese... French Words. Recycled garbage. We all cooked food. Tons of coffee. No expectations, no rules. Only the one rule to close the kitchen door while cooking because of the "ticklish fire alarm". Everyone could flow in and out. Sometimes super busy, filled with tons of smells. Sometimes quiet. Only one person. A beautiful dance created in the space with 7 people cooking, preparing food. A breeze flowing in from the large windows.

Efficiency yet pleasure and indulgence. Recycling. Bringing your cotton shopping bag – Je suis tout bio. Merci. Bike riding... what a joy and freedom. Rent a bike on every corner. Tisseo buses. Trains every 3 minutes. What a dream! Things are where life is happening! Restaurants, shops, grocery stores, fresh markets, coffee, baguettes, … All. All in the midst of life, in the midst of people. No separation. No isolation. Easy flowing. Connected and accessible.

A beautiful webbing of differences- diversity. Everything is in it's right place in that webbing creating beauty. Creating life.

Efficiency in people maneuvering through the streets with shopping bags, strollers, walking with someone else or single, on their bikes or in the car.

Indulgence. Sitting down for 'une cafe' in the sun, with a cigarette, and a croissant or baguette of some sort. Conversations. Community. Together and building.

Old buildings with the smell of dust. The sun hitting the buildings..... pink and red in color.... embellished, heavy front doors, balconies embellished with squiggled balustrades. Buildings wildly collaged and patchworked together. Life is inside of them. Life flowing in and out of them.

And I? I smelled and tasted and saw and flowed. Flowed through it all. Enjoying it all. Breathing it all in. Nourishing my curiosity.