Today was a day for productivity.  While trying not to fall asleep in the Belgium airport on the way here last week, I made a list of things I want to do/become before coming home.  Three months abroad seems like the perfect time to reinvent oneself, away from work and baggage.  Here's my list:

Make new friends
Get muscles in my arms
Become braver
Improve French
Become a better writer
Finish writing a book

Today, while perhaps not that interesting in terms of globe-trotting, was great, because I exceeded my writing quota and am actually really excited about where the book's going.  I'm also reading this great book called, "The Art of War for Writers," which is probably the most useful book on writing I've ever come across.  It has several chapters devoted to character development, which has always been my weak area.

But anyway, you're probably not interested in that.  Today I also had a mega craving for salty snacks and would have walked three miles both ways for a damn bag of potato chips or something, but it's Sunday, and basically everything in the country is closed.  So I went to the kitchen and scrounged up the closest thing I could get to crunchy and flavorful:

Look at that dang healthy snack!  Yellow pepper slices with wasabi and a mysterious white sauce lurking in the back of the fridge.  I had my reservations about its freshness, but ate it anyway.  So far no projectile vomiting.  

While hanging out in the outdoor living room, I met Felipe, the man who lives upstairs.  Felipe reminds me of House without the snark.  He has a bit of a limp and uses a classy walking stick wherever he goes, and he had some nice grizzly stubble going on.  He speaks about as much English as I speak French, so we had a delightful half and half conversation.  

Later on, I got pissed that I can't watch Netflix, Hulu, or even videos I own on Amazon while I'm in France.  Something about viewing license, whatever.  If I bought it, it should be mine, wherever I am!  Stupids.  I took out my rage on Angry Birds.  While doing that, Haribo climbed into my shopping bag.  

I hung him on the doorknob.

Pretty ordinary day, but hey-- adventure isn't about covering the most ground.