I am still here

The storm has not yet passed, but the hurricane-strength winds are dying down and now I'm just left with torrential rain.  The past two weeks have been rough.  I got stopped in my tracks like running headfirst into a glass door.  My French friends (many I didn't even know I had) appeared to support me in ways I could have never asked for or even imagined.  This country is hard.  Hard hard hard.  "I don't understand" is an understatement.  I don't understand the words, I don't understand the culture, I don't understand the subtleties.  But I am pulling myself out of this quicksand.  I am making plans and backup plans, and backup plans for the backup plans.  I don't know how this story ends.  But don't worry, I'll tell you when I figure it out.