Today I have been home exactly one week from my France trip, and I’m still getting harassed by some of the most annoying words to post to a traveler: How was it?

It’s annoying for a couple reasons. First, no one actually wants to hear about the frustrating things, like taking the Metro in the wrong direction. They want tales of sipping wine and beautiful vistas. Secondly, how do you answer that question succinctly? I can and have sat down for hours talking about the wide array of feelings and circumstances I faced as a solo traveler. No one at work wants to invest in that type of outpouring honesty.  And lastly, they want to interject their personal travel stories that are of little interest to me. Now before you write me off as a jerk, let me explain myself. Recounting a trip where you were eaten by leeches in South Carolina is both irrelevant and not interesting as a response to my tale of crepe ordering in Paris.

 Okay, now it’s opening hunting: I am a big ole jerk.

If I worked with more interesting, more worldly people, I perhaps wouldn’t be burdened with woe when the question is posed. But, for example I was asked what part of Paris I would be visiting. I responded with something like “I’m hoping to take the whole city in” to which a quizzical look and “what city?” was given. They thought Paris was a country. I wish I were kidding.

 Instead of answering the question accurately, I whiddled it down to: it was awesome.