Joyeux anniversaire a moi!!

J'ai habité a Paris depuis dix mois!! C'est incroyable comment vite le temps passe.

Sometimes I think about it and it feels like it was just yesterday that I was standing at the gate in Boston crying as I waved goodbye (and got yelled at by the security agent for not paying attention), or waiting outside of the boulangerie until there was absolutely no one around so I could go in and buy my bread without peeing my pants from fear!! It is a little unreal how much change can come and how much progress can be made in just 10 short months. Although I came here for work and to experience some of life’s crazy ups and downs I promised myself before I left that I would speak French no matter how long it took. Even though some days I feel like I should be fluent in this silly language I know that I am getting just a bit closer everyday. My goal is to be able to carry on most conversations in French before May 15th. Why that day you ask ... just because ; )

In honor of these last ten months I have come up with 10 things I am very happy about right here -right now:

 1. The fact that my family and some of the very best friends a girl could ask for have supported me being gone and growing, especially through all my tearful calls home, my stories that probably make no sense because you have no idea where I was or who I was with, my drunk dials and my always present indecisiveness about when I will be home next. Being gone makes you realise who really will be there - bottom line. Thank you.


2. My fantastic group of friends that I have made here. These people have truly become my "French Family". They help me with everything from setting up my cable and internet,  to sharing recipes and little known restaurants, singing cheesy songs over coffee with me, inviting me to meet other people and see things I would never imagine finding if I was just exploring on my own and they always have stand up advise when it comes to being homesick, work and all the other little things that may come up... (including but not limited to shopping dilemas, Mr.Cocktail, interpreting textos and deciphering what they maybe serving at the cafe for lunch...)


3. Coffee. At first this incredibly strong black stuff just kept me up all night. Now I wake up craving it. Two in the morning (usually with some tasty little biscuit or cookie) and one after lunch. And if you throw in sitting outside on a gorgeous spring day you can't go wrong.


4. My Franglais. Yes that is my mix of French and Anglais. This is something I have been working very hard at - as mentioned above and there are days when I literally want to jump up and down and scream YIPPEEEEE when I understand entire conversations... you can't even imagine my enthusiasm when I actually speak in a complete and proper sentence. It's a beautiful thing.


5. My ever-growing dictionary of inappropriate French Words... This actually factors in from Number 4 - but now I will be able to go home and use all the bad words I want and no one will ever know. Sorry Ma but it's going to happen ;)


6. Pain au chocolat - enough said. Seriously how I have lived for 27 (oh snap almost 28) years without this buttery chocolate filled delight is beyond me.


7. Euro Disney - yes maybe this one sounds strange. But I had one of the best days of my life here when ma seur et son copaine were here visiting. My face honestly hurt from laughing at the end of that day. Between the rides, the princess crowns, the crazy people we saw and hearing Disney characters in French - I couldn't have asked for a better day with two more amazing people.


8. Vin Chaud - another one that maybe a bit odd but I have MANY happy memories attached to this cheerful little winter drink. Especially walking around the bitter cold land of Strausbourg with my parents, exploring Hambourg with a very dear friend and of course daring to battle the winter cold still sitting on a cafe's terrace (I live in Paris, I can't say no to a terrace). It makes for a happy little pick me up. This one can also just include all of the other delicious wine I have been lucky enough to experience here in Paris as well. Because let me be honest - I have tried a lot and I have liked a lot...


9. My boot collection - yeah yeah yeah - you were all just waiting for this one. My shoe/boot collection has "matured" quite nicely since my arrival in Paris and yes that makes me a very, very, very happy girl


10. Last but not least - knowing that I still have an incredible amount of experiences to look forward to, more friends to make, laughs to laugh, wine to drink, tasty treats to eat, French to speak without the Franglais, and relationships to build and grow in- with people both here and back home. I am incredibly excited about the last one in the list of many but then again I would be lying if I said I was not excited about the rest of the list ...