Another enjoyable read was French or Foe?: Getting the Most Out of Visiting, Living and Working in France by Polly Platt. This book provides valuable advice on French culture and customs and offers recommendations on how to navigate their intricacies. As I read it, I was struck by how much many modes of interaction reminded me of my time spent in Mexico. There must be a Latin cultural connection that I hadn't realized (for example: kissing, hand shaking, cutting in line and waiting at stores, the surprising unavailability of staple items in the store, etc.) Reading it reminded me of all that's exciting about living abroad: you never know what to expect next and everything is always more of an adventure than you planned it to be. The result is that small things like getting keys made successfully, or flagging down the gas truck, can feel like giant victories. And that always made me really happy.