The sixth bit, in which Katie fulfills her life-long dream:

May 24-August 3, 1999, Katie's trip to France:

Two and a half months in France--dream come true!  Except that I was crying as the plane flew away.  After a bleary-eyed week in Paris, which I wished over and over to share with Jared, I settled in my new home:  Annecy.  Here, I determined to return fluent or perish! 

Annecy, a small town by the Swiss border, is just about as picturesque a town as you will find on earth.  (Google it, I dare you think otherwise!)  When I wasn't in school, I wandered those streets, drinking in the culture, seeing all I could see.  But after some weeks passed, I realized I just wanted to go home.  

There was drama while I was in France.  I kept thinking that I didn't love Jared enough to keep him, but I loved him too much to give him up.  To make matters much worse, he ended up getting Mono!  I never did worry that he was home kissing anyone else.  (And if he was, he did an excellent job keeping it a secret!)  He spent a good month on his Mom's couch in a deeply sick depression. 

With ten days left in France, I found myself "dans une cabine telephonique", wailing away to my Mom.  I kept trying to figure out how to get home early, but my irrational arguments didn't seem worth $100's to my parents, so I had to stay the entire ten days--GASP!  (Feel free to shake your head at me :)

Upon arriving in the good old USA, I stayed quite briefly with my family in AF, then drove to Logan, broke into Jared's apartment while he was at work, and waited there for him to find me--surprise!  (Only, Jared really and truly hates surprises.  (It took me at least seven years to believe him.)  He would have much preferred that I told him all my plans, exactly.)

Our blissful reunion was short-lived.  August of 1999 brought a painful, but mutual, break-up.  We decided to part ways till I was less wishy-washy about marriage....

Jared in the green room of the house my roommates (and later I) moved into.  He was the best man at his best friend's wedding and caught the garter.  I believe Suzy sent this photo to me.  I spent about 1/2 of my time in France looking at it.

Jared and his brother Brad on his 22 birthday! 

Katie on Les Champs Elysee.

Please pay close attention to that sign--this is a dog rest room!  I could not handle the French's strange affection for small dogs! 

Katie on a castle wall, overlooking Le Lac D'Annecy.

Something that is irreplaceable to me are the letters and emails we sent back and forth while I was away.  It was so gratifying to get to know Jared like that. Since I mostly wasted my time wishing to go home, Jared got really fancy letters, as you see.

This was my favorite letter from Jared--sent with 33 one cent stamps!  We used to send these a lot, just to tick off the Post Office--I was a little bitter about the stamp price hikes....In any case, it's pretty amazing that this letter made it all the way to me, don't you think?  Put a smile all over my face!