This has no title

Because to be totally honest I have no idea where I am going with this post. Which has seemed to become a bit of a problem when trying to write lately. I have so many things swimming around in my Franglish head that sometimes I have a hard time trying to even complete one thought. So be prepared for anyone who is still even reading this little thought-keeper of mine that this entry and probably for the near future these will be a bit all over the place. For starters in the last few weeks the realisation that I am moving on and hopefully forward is here. I have spent two absolutely amazing and fantastic and unreal years in Paris. Now I am sure almost everyone will tell you the time the spend anywhere in a foreign country is amazing but mine REALLY was. I saw castles, a french Mickey Mouse, was here when the announcement of the new French President was made, partied with firemen and maybe even made out with one (I'll never tell), did some of the best shopping I have ever done, was able to see countries and cities and places that I KNOW I would have NEVER experienced otherwise (riding on and swimming with an elephant for example), I have MC'd an event with over 100 people and pushed myself to not throw up on stage from the butterflies in my stomach, I have been able to show my friends and family that visit around "my city", I have gotten lost again and again and always found my way home, I celebrated my first Christmas without my parents and siblings by my side (thanks though Skype and a few special Christmas Elves), I have seen sunrises while still out drinking and have danced until my feet can't take anymore, I have had my heart broken and fixed and broken again and I am still waiting for the right thing to happen, I have eaten enough bread and pain au chocolat for a lifetime and I have the closest most fantastic friends here now... even though there are only like 4 of them I wouldn't trade it for the world... these friends mean just as much to me now as my family. Which has made the choice to pursue my life in the US incredibly difficult. Really putting yourself out there to someone and relying on them time and time again creates a bond that I have never experienced before in my life and I am not sure I will ever experience again. So trying to get through the incredibly tough decision process of to stay or to go has been impossible. Even right now as I type this I am questioning everything I am doing - even if my choice was in the other direction, I think I would still be feeling exactly the same. See the problem now is I live two lived. They are intertwined in certain instances but for the most part they are just running along side by side with each other. I don't know if any of you have ever had to live two lives or make a choice that will cause you some regret no matter what the outcome but it will throw you for a doozy. No matter how prepared you are for it (or think you are for it)!! But the bottom line is I have chosen to take the next step in this little adventure we call life and along with making that choice comes so many other choices... such as:

What the hell do I do with all of my shoes and how is the poor sucks stuck packing them going to feel about that? Is he (or maybe she) going to treat them with the love and respect they deserve?

Where the heck am I going to live? Ma and Pa??? Room for rent?!?!?!! hahaha.

What exactly is the next step in my career? What do I want to be when I grow up? Because recently the most appealing jobs are my return to being a live in full time Nanny and hot dog sales girl on Church Street?

How do I know if I am making the right choice? Because this one is one question I wake up thinking about every night and I'll be honest the cover up is starting to not be sufficient in covering up the bags under my eyes....

When this all sinks in and I have to actually (well buy the one way ticket home) deal with my choice, will my friends here still embrace me the same way they have over the last two years and can we manage to stay as amazingly close and influential (well at least they have been for me) as we have been?

And who is going to drop me off at the airport and wipe my stupid tears away as I go through that gate at CDG and head back to the US one last time? Because it is a messy job - just ask my Mom... she dropped me on my first trip coming over...

Uh oh... the waterworks are welling up. That is an appropriate stop time for now.

Cheesecake Brownie Goodness.

So. A few weeks back I mentioned I was trying to bake. I go through incredibly motivate (and sometimes strange) phases and seriously a few weeks ago I was convinced that I wanted to make baking my new life passion. I mean baked goods are jut delightful and they make people incredibly happy why not be the creator of delish bites that will make others smile?? Well I can give you the why not ... It is a whole new experience trying to translate French recipes but the kicker of the why not is baking in a foreign country requires a SERIOUS amount of math and patience and trial and error. So after weeks of searching for a recipe I could make the conversions rather easily I found a tasty little recipe for cheesecake explosion brownies. The name alone of that recipe made you drool... It's ok I understand that is why I selected it!! Well that and what better combo for dessert is there than brownie and cheesecake?!?! Ok well maybe if there was some peanut butter in the brownies but that is for another day... Anyhoooooo. I made all the conversions that needed to be made and started my search for measuring spoons (something I was sure I had but absolutely didn't... Just another reason why my first attempt at baking took almost two years). Now one would think that measuring spoons would be an easy peasy find, HAHA. THINK AGAIN!! They do not use measuring spoon well at least not on a regular basis. A teaspoon is à petit cuillère meaning the one you stir your coffee with and a tablespoon is a soup spoon. Which now that I think about it works but with baking being something you have to be rather precise with I was a bit hesitant. I mean any "baker" you talk to will make it very clear measuring is a matter of being as precise as possible it is pretty much a Science. But at this point I already had all the ingredients and my craving for cheesecake was only getting worse. So off I went... bake away baby. There I was with my makeshift measuring spoons, 1 measuring cup that I was hoping covered every amount liquid and non spoon measurements as possible!! And luckily it worked. I think half of the cheesecake batter ended up being taste tested because after realizing my spoons weren't that accurate my attitude was more along the lines of a little extra here and there won't hurt!! And it didn't. I ended up with a tasty delicious batch of cheesecake brownie explosion bombs that pleased me and my office pals. Now that all is said and done I won't lie... I think I will leave the baking to the professionals. At least until I am safely back in the US with a set of measuring spoons in hand!!

I swear I only taste tested the edges... how many edges I will never tell...

Welcome to the Country

This past weekend I was lucky enough to travel a little bit south to the Loire Valley with two wonderful companions and see what life in the French Countryside is really like. Let me tell you what, it couldn't get anymore opposite of Paris and I loved every second of it (and not just becuase I ate like a champ all weekend with homemade quiche, pasta, roasted chicken, pizza, omlets and desserts like you would not believe). After taking the TGV only 1 hour south it was like we entered an entirely new world. It looked different, smelled different and the people were totally different (by different I mean super friendly, they offered directions, said hello with a smile and even the man making the crepes at a street side stand refused to let me go without having a crepe sucre "on the house"!!!!). Everything about it had my head turning to look here and there, I really did not want to miss a single thing. Although on a side note - I did try out the local Monoprix becuase some genius packer (c'est moi!)  forgot something really important - pajamas!! Upon our arrival we explored the town of Tours and then picked up the rental car to make our way to our final destination. Once we realised that GPS is not always the smartest thing ever, we made our way out of the city and ended up in Amboise, a sleepy little town where Da Vinici is buried...Where we were lucky enough to stay with two gracious hosts at their newly renovated country home. It was a three story, charming house that was built in the 1800's, a complete transition from the tiny cramped apartments of Paris. Being in this type of atmosphere just reinforced the fact that I am a country girl through and through at heart... I felt just a bit more at home being surrounded by trees and flowers and dirt roads. There were no cars honking and it just smelled fresh (and I don't mean fresh in that gross garbage been sitting in the sun all day fresh, I mean the fresh bread ad laundry drying in the sun fresh!)  You can take the girl out of the country but not the country out of the girl...  Even though the weather wasn't incredibly gorgeous (I think that Spring has gone on vacation and Winter is earning some serious time and half overtime pay because it has been gray, cold and rainy for weeks now...) we had a few brief moments of blue skies and sunshine and managed to stay dry enough to enjoy 3 Chateaus, an awesome little market place, a donkey park, a vineyard, a traditional French lunch in the middle of nowhere in a long house built next to an asparagus farm  and some very breathtaking scenery. Walking through these castles and little towns brought an entirely new appreciation for France and made me realise what a young litte country the US is. The stories that have been made on these tiny country streets and within the castle walls are older than anyplace I have ever experienced. Of course the Asian Tourist part of me came out and I clicked away like these castles and towns were going to dissapear and I needed to have proof they once existed. So for your viewing pleasure, here is a SMALL sampling of the weekend...

DISCLAIMER: there are no wine tasting/vineyard photos because I think that deserves an entire post dedicated just to that!!!!

Cathédrale Saint-Gatien de Tours

The view from the house where we stayed. Simple, quiet and delightful!

 


Chateau Chenonceau



<3

 

Chateau Cheverny

The lunch crew at La Coudraie - a delightful m eal, wonderful conversation and even a little sunshine!

I wish I was back here right now...

Chateau Chambord

Sleepy street in Amboise.

I'll take two, toasted with fresh strawberry preserves, please & thanks!

Radishes, radishes everywhere!!

Every good French girl needs a weaved basket to take to the market...

DINNER!!! QUACK!!!