Comment dit-on << sigh of relief >> ?

Great news: my Visa came today, after only a one-week wait as opposed to the predicted two! At this rate, the French are shaping up to be as efficient as the Germans!

Today is also, incidentally, the one-year anniversary of my departure from Germany and arrival in Italy. It doesn't feel like that long ago that I was riding through the Swiss Alps, alternately guilting my fellow passengers into helping me with my bags and haphazardly tossing them down the train steps at every transfer. Not to mention accidentally packing my room key in Tübingen, which caused quite a furor as I was attempting to check out; I then had my first experience with the Poste Italiane when I mailed it back to the Hausmeister. Then when I arrived in Parma, I feared myself to be utterly incapable of leaving (or at least locking) my apartment, as I was apparently lacking the magic Italian touch to manipulate the old-school, pronged key...I could struggle with it until my hand hurt without effect, while my advisor could make it pop open with a simple turn of his wrist.

Yes, July 31, 2008, was surely an eventful day. I look forward to more of them!