I just got back from a lengthy, relaxing, and vexing vacation to the South of France for a month. I speak what the Canadian's call 'Cereal Box French', which means that I know the words for 'wheat', 'sugar', 'chocolate' and 'part of a nutritious breakfast'. I know my numbers, up to twenty, the days of the week and various nouns (strangely 'ghost' and 'horse' came in handy). I say this because what I missed the most about being in a country where I do speak the language fluently was eavesdropping. I love to eavesdrop, and I love making up stories in my head about the parts I can't hear or missed. I even love eavesdropping on mundane conversations. I listened today, my first day back, to two women behind the Customer Service desk talk about how they arrange things in excel. Frankly, I was in heaven.

If you are an obsessive eavesdropper like me, I recommend a cruise vacation, especially one to Mexico with lots of sea days. People on cruise ships love to talk, about anything, to just about anyone. And right now, I'm so down for that!