The Queen of Break-Up Travel

The November rain fell in succulent drops on the ancient, cobblestone streets. I stuck my tongue out to capture a raindrop. But then I remembered I was in Paris. Sophisticated world-travelers didn’t walk around the Left Bank with their tongues hanging out like a dog in summer heat. And then I remembered I was heartbroken. Three weeks before I ended a relationship with George, the manager of a Japanese restaurant whom I fell in love with over endless helpings of sushi, Udon noodles, Tempora, Yakitori, and Sake. As break-ups go, it was civilized. We realized we wanted different things and that was that. Except now there was a hole in my life where he had once been. I couldn’t pop into his restaurant on the way home. No one was going to surprise me at midnight with an excellent bottle of wine, my favorite sushi roll, and a wicked grin. Who would I watch European soccer matches with and yell at the TV? I wasn’t ready to stare into the George-sized hole in my life. And the typical avoidance strategies available after a break-up – crying on the phone to friends, getting drunk, watching movies based on Jane Austen novels, [...]