l'auberge espagnole

"when you first arrive in a city, nothing makes sense. everything's unknown, virgin. after you've lived here, walked these streets, you'll know them inside out, you'll know these people. once you've lived here, crossed this street 10, 20, 1,000 times, it'll belong to you because you've lived there. that was about to happen to me, but i didn't know it yet.

urquinaona, which sounded like sioux, was added to the list of once bizarre-sounding names tucked into my brain. urquinaona slipped in next to honolulu, punxsutawney, piccadilly, massachusetts, saskatoon, machu piccu, it became normal and familiar.

later, much later, back in paris, each harrowing ordeal will become an adventure. for some idiotic reason, your most horrific experiences are the ones you most love to tell."

-l'aurberge espagnole

well said.