A cozy apartment and a balcony with two blue chairs. Awaking slowly to no alarm, peeking over to see rain splashing on the wood outside. The sky is gray, a ring of cloud lays over the mountains, and where it isn’t covering, trees of bright orange, red, and green show confidently. I take no pictures when we walk bundled up through the rain. I don’t want to mess up my phone or camera. I take no pictures of the coffee flavored eclair and chocolate pastry I eat for breakfast because I’m starving and don’t want to. I take no pictures of one of the most beautiful views I’ve ever seen with mountains draped in clouds and rain making plants more colorful, lighting more dramatic, and honestly, I feel bad about it because I have nothing to share with you all of this short time in a magical place. But the memories are with me, and I’m doing my best to help you all feel it anyway. This trip has the feeling of a family vacation, the kind that’s comforting and peaceful and that you wish wasn’t going to end.
The rain kept us inside most of the day. We got breakfast and lunch at the same bakery and brought them back to the apartment. I studied for most of the day, worked through problems for my teaching certification and learned until I passed the practice exam. It’s difficult, but doable. I copied all of the notes for my Spanish culture midterm and studied until dinner time. I’m proud of the work I did. We found a restaurant nearby for dinner, then went to a different one when we found out they didn’t serve food. The cook at the second restaurant seemed frustrated that we don’t speak French. Then we walked once more through the rain to our cozy safe-haven. It was honestly a very nice experience. Even walking through the rain was fun and cold, but not too cold. Outside of the apartment I smelled a fire somewhere close-by. Everything about this town is aesthetic and beautiful, even when it’s not. Safe from the cold at the Airbnb, we watched a movie to end our night and made plans for getting home tomorrow. It’s still supposed to rain, but we have no choice but to spend the day in Annecy. I wish I had rain-boots, but I’m sure we’ll love our time regardless. 
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