Australian Michael Surprise!

On Tuesday I got a message from Australian Michael. I figured it was a mass message, but was fully taken aback to see he was writing to me directly, to say that he was going to suffer a 10 hour layover in JFK and would be coming into the city and it was a long shot but did I want to get lunch?

I met Michael at the University of Bordeaux, and I believe we all owed it to Pam and her friendly warm welcome of everyone who invited him along with the Americans to some lunch or outing (although to be fair, Michael is extremely outgoing, personable, friendly, and never seems to get uncomfortable, anywhere, ever) and he became a close friend that year. I admire Michael for many reasons:

1. He was always down to do ANYTHING! Count on Michael to try any restaurant, any bar, go on any road trips, or meet any new people. He never seemed to be too tired to come out or be social.
2. Michael was daring! He moved to France from Sydney with no French, no real goal, and no friends at all. He lived with a host family with no knowledge of the language before eventually getting his own place
   
3. Michael plays rugby and found his way onto Bordeaux's rugby team. He would always invite us not only to his games, but to the afterparties as well, and always shared his friends with the rest of his friends. In springtime, my roommate Katie and I made it a regular Sunday morning event to cross the Garonne (river) to the rugby fields and watch Michael's games and join the team at the bar afterwards.
4. Michael is fearless. He eventually left Bordeaux to Montpellier, where he continues to play rugby, got a job (yes, his French became that good) and maybe be relocating to Mexico now. Because it's time and he wants to. You have to admire that.

Here is one of my favorite memories of Michael:


At the Thanksgiving dinner Pam and I hosted!


Michael was such a good sport at being incredibly interested as I retold the story of the Pilgrims and the Indians!

We had to start referring to Michael as Australian Michael when he became best mates with another rugby player from his team Michael, from England, (British Michael) and they were seen together everywhere they went. After I had said my goodbyes for the year, I spent my last day in Bordeaux running errands, and happened to run into Michael at a tram stop, he was on his way to a rugby game. It was unexpected, and became our last goodbye. This was the last time I ever saw him, in 2007:



Until yesterday! I was ecstatic Michael was coming into the city and we arranged to meet at Columbus Circle at 1pm. It was rainy and nasty so the trains were slow and I ended up a little late. It wasn't until I got off the train, walking to the Time Warner Center, that I finally got nervous and wondered if I would recognize him, and how did he look? I saw him first, and then he saw me, and it was like nothing had ever changed. He looked exactly the same. Maybe more fit (he's still playing rugby) and his accent sounded thicker than I remembered, but same old Australian Michael! I overstayed my lunchbreak (oops) as we talked and laughed and caught up on all our old memories, our lives since we'd last seen each other, and where we were going next. It was his first time in the States... and he was running around NYC like a madman for a few hours. That is so Michael!

We parted in the subway. I gave him directions to the World Trade Center and I caught my own train back uptown to work.



Okay wow, that was ridiculously long-winded, but it has been almost five years and I am still so nostalgic over my year in France. It's such a great feeling to have a little part of it again and realize it wasn't all a delusion in my head but that it really happened.