As September 1 approaches, we are hearing more and more about "la rentrée". Literally, it means "the come back", but it's so much more than that. It's got its own identity. Its own (huge) cultural significance. It means the end of summer, the return to the city, the start of the school-year. It's a milestone, a way to say, hey, I made it through 3/4th of the year. I guess the closest American equivalent would be Labor Day, but even that doesn't carry the same kind of weight that la rentrée does.

This whole rentrée here in Paris seems so backwards to me. In Bretagne, I couldn't wait for la rentrée to come around - it meant that the thousands of tourists who had descended on the city for the summer would finally go home. It meant no more traffic jams, no more slow drives to the beach and no more hearing snooty Brits at every turn. It meant the return to normal life.

Here in Paris, it's the exact opposite - the rentrée means the city is starting to fill up again, and traffic jams and crowded metros will once again become de rigeur. Though to be honest, I don't drive and with the exception of some of the local shops being closed, I really didn't notice much a difference since I live in the heart of Paris. Others who live farther out though have mentioned their neighborhoods are like ghost towns. Put 2 and 2 together, and I guess who know who was causing traffic jams in V-town now, don't we? I'm telling you, seeing ''75'' license plates caused just as much fear on the road as British ones!

But I guess this rentrée is a special one for me - it's my first in Paris. It marks the end of what was essentially a three month vacation, as well as the start of my new (single) adult life, my new home and my new work contract. Hopefully it will be a good year!