WOOOT WOOOOOOOT!!!

Although I will probably be the only one that gets excited about what I am about to write, I can't help but share it, even if I am like- oh I don't know - 6 months or so late... oops, sometimes I am a bit slow on the uptake. BUT as I was reviewing my blog stats the other day (side note about this to come below), I noticed that there was an unfamiliar link that was directing people - or at least one person, quite a few times, to my blog from A Taste Of Garlic. A blog that I have been following for awhile, because it is all about other people's blogs that are here in Paris, they could be American and here for school, families gettitng used to the culture, French cuisine blogs - there really is a serious mix of everything in this one -stop - about France - shopping -spot.  Anyway, I clicked it and what did I find - a sweet little shout out to my own personal favorite blog - Nouvelles Aventures!! WOOT WOOT for me, the best part is that the shout out is for one of my favorite posts and ever present topic of conversation - Men… French vs American. Now, I would prefer that you go and read  both of the posts yourself (use the links above) but just in case, making that extra click is too much check it out:

The whole preface of this paragraph is about a woman trying to attract Australlian or French men...

" From what I hear, she’s not doing too well on attracting French ones...

Unless she want’s to inform me.us otherwise?

Perhaps she needs to take some advice from Ksam at Totally Frenched Out or Laura at The Everyday Life of a Young American Girl in France?

Or perhaps she should ask Heather at Nouvelles Adventures who asked Why are French men so irresistible in her post on Men… French vs American?

Heather is, of course, one of the three joint winners of this week’s Award for Explaining What You Should Know About France! "

So thank you Mr. Keith Eckstein for noticing my little blog and sharing it with a few others, although, as I mentioned before, I am a bit slow on noticing in this case, it is very much appreciated and I hope my man comparision will help someone out in the long run... because we all know how my French man experience worked out... or should I say didn't work out ;)

** Side note - only because I mentioned this above when reviewing my stats for the blog. Not that I expect millions of hits or even want that. I write to share with my family or friends who need a break from work and there is nothing interesting to read on MSNBC or CNN (hehe) and could be wondering what I am up to. But mostly I write for me, because when this whole experience is over I want to be able to remember every dance with a pompier on the 14th of July, every strike I sat through on the metro, every heartbreak, every experience and well just everything. But please if you do read, feel free to comment and share, I sort of look forward to the thought that someone will!!

Thankful

It is that time of year again. a time that should come much more often than once a year, but going back and changing history would be pretty close to impossible (with that said if any one has any leads on where to get a good time machine, make sure you let me know...). It is one of the only days where most of us take some time and reflect on what we are really thankful for in our busy, complicated and sometimes overwhelming lives... and then hopefully we all take the time to share that thanks with those that deserve it and most likely need to hear it. This will be my second Thanksgiving away from home and my first with no family here visiting to help take the edge off of being alone, it seemed like it would be so easy and well honestly until this moment, right here as I sit and realise that everyone is finishing their work day and are heading off to the bar where the inevitable high school reunion will take place or are in the kitchen prepping the tasty trimmings, it was. Family and friends means something different to everyone and well to me they mean the world and not being able to be a part of the smiles, drinks, dinners and fun times (yes, this includes waiting in line at some ungodly hour, still tipsy on margaritas or whatever the drink of the evening was...) that will take place in the next 24 hours is always hard to take in BUT it only makes me more thankful for everything I do have, everything I have experienced in my 26 ... ok that is a lie, my 28 years ;)  and what I am surrounded by now... so after couting one blessing for each of my years, here is what I came up with (in no particular order).

1. My parents - because well I wouldn't be here without them (duh) but because the four of them have made me a person that I think they are proud to call their daughter and that is one of my highest priorities in life.
2. My health - even if gracefulness doesn't fit into that category.
3. My love of trying new things - because well without that, I think I would have had a pretty boring 28 years and I would be missing out on some pretty awesome things like Thai food, the view from the top of the Arc de Triumph, meeting new friends, writing this silly little blog or my Franglish skills.
4. Burlington, VT - because this town and the years I spent there changed my life, it forced me to start trying new things (see point above), grow up, make my own choices and it brought me to some of the most amazing and best friends (and one really big punk) that I will EVER have in my entire life - this I know for a fact.
5. My sisters and brothers - because even though we may not see each other all the time, they motivate me to be the best that I can be without even trying. They make me proud to say I am the oldest of 7 and I wouldn't trade any of them for the world.
6. Shoes - you all knew this one was happening and was happening early on, come on now. It doesn't even need an explination but I'll give you one - THEY ARE AWESOME.
7. My iPhone or more specifically Google Maps on my iPhone - maybe that sounds materialistic but I dare you to get around Paris on your own (especially after a drink or two) without instant access to the Metro schedule and map and without Google Maps guiding you and let me know where you end up... I dare you...
8. My iPhone (again) because it keeps the best tunes constantly pumping in my ears and music is something that has ALWAYS been able to fill me up on even my worst days. I can't live without it.
9. A certain gentleman who offered me the experience of a lifetime by believing in me enough to move me to Paris and then support me (constantly) as an honest friend and mentor.
10. The rest of my family, because well they are amazing, all of them - I have the coolest grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles and everything else in between a person could ask for, we laugh, we cry, we talk, we do it all and most of the time with a smile and someone telling some cheesy joke ;)
11. My bed - because some days well I just need it and there are some folks out there who don't know how comforting it is to have a place that really is all your own.
12. My job - even though sometimes it is beyond demanding and recently I have been spending 12 - 14 hours a day in the office, it has given me an invaluable amount of experience and I know that the amount of time I spend laughing and being happy at work is a million times more than a lot of people experience.
13. Being blond - because I always have an excuse when the occasional stupid thing slips out from my mouth, which as a surprise to most of you does happen.. .but only evey once in a while..
14. Skype - an instant connection that can dull the pain of homesickness in just a quick mimunte.
15. Peanut Butter and Bacon - another random one, ok I guess two, but seriously, they both really deserve to be on here.
16. My camera/pictures ,  because for me there is nothing better than sitting down and flipping through memories on a good day, a bad day or any day in-between.
17. My PIC (partner in crime) and her kiddos - they make me feel like even though I am thousands of miles from home that I have a home here too, they make me smile on my worst days and have completely accepted me as a part of them. I can't be thankful enough for this. (DAMN IT - I started crying again, I had been doing great since I started the list!!)
18. Tissues - for a few reasons, one being the above reference to tears and because the paper business has been keeping my family busy for as long as I can remember and we are super lucky for that.
19. Kisses good night - they are perfect and always a delightful finishing touch to the day, I may not be getting any of those currently but it doesn't even matter, I look forward to the day that I am and then I will be thankful for that.
20. Mail - not the bills and junk crap that is always coming but the handwritten cards I still get in the mail from a few people and the letters and pictures that show up under my door when I get home from work. A little letter always brings a smile to my face.
21. The last ten years I have known my bestie - No matter what she has NEVER wavered, even when she had every right to. Hell some marriages don't even last this long. She is truly a solid rock in my life and I wouldn't ever change that. 
22. Sundays - because Sundays are fundays. To me they are the one day in a week when you can go all out and crazy or just lay in bed all day and not feel bad for it. Sundays are even better when spent with some of your favorites. There really isn't anything wrong with a Sunday - you can not hold the fact that it's the day before Monday against it. It isn't Sunday's fault!!
23. Lilies - just because they are beautiful, smell amazing and can brighten up any room, any time, any where. 
24. Being able to read - yeah this is probably a given, but reading is something that truly relaxes me and can whisk me away to another place when I need an escape, so maybe I am not thankful that I can read but that I love to read. 
25. The people that I can truly call my friends - there are a lot of people I know out there and many that I care about but only a handful that I would put myself on the line for and think about every day.
26. Red Velvet Cake - I can't help it the stuff makes me crazy. Seriously I am drooling just thinking about it and I am super thankful that I can now whip up a tasty batch of my own. 
27. The time I got to spend with an amazing woman I will forever hold dear in my heart and cherish like my mother, and especially getting to tell her how much I loved her one last time. 
28. That I am only 28 and have years and years and years left to travel, laugh, read, eat, cry, visit, adventure .... you get the point!!

Sending giant Turkey hugs and stuffing kisses to my family, friends and every one in between.

 Happy Thanksgiving <3

Think, Thank, Thunk...

My very own princess Kathleen Wamser shared this awesome link the other day and after reading it, I can't seem to stop thinking about all the thoughts that were included in this article. It was originally posted here: My Random Stuff, a cool blog/website that has a little bit of everything and then some - photographs, music videos, song selections for your next work out (oh they know me so well, I am going to get right on adding that playlist to my ipod ... insert cough to cover up sarcasm here), quotes and all sorts of other random stuff - just like the title promises. After being here for almost 18 months (my anniversary is in 9 days!!) I feel as though I have spent more time reflecting, thinking, wondering and more reflecting than I ever have and recently all of that thinking has started up again. Being alone and in a brand new place causes you to seriously re-evaluate what is important to you, why you thought something was important, the kind of people you want to surround yourself with, what your goals are and why somethings seem so much harder than they need to be. Then you sort of get used to your new surroundings and they don't seem so big or scary and out of touch anymore, then you somewhat slip back into going through the motions...  This post about thought provoking questions, really got my brain back on that re-evaluating wagon - there are lots of choices to be made in the next 3 months or so, what is next, where do I go, is France my new home, is New England where I am really supposed to be, am I ever going to be able to live with someone again (this one may seem a bit dramatic, but seriously living alone gives you an unreal amount of freedom, I get to watch what I want, eat what I want, drink right from the oj container - sorry about that Mom but it's my house ;),  make my bed or not, sing as loud as my vocal cords allow me in the shower,  leave my laundry drying everywhere or be a total neat freak...) so with that said - what do these little gems leave you thinking about??

** There were 25 questions total, all totally worth asking and reflecting about, I just chose a few that really got my gears a grinding...

1.

This one is easy for me and anyone that knows me, I would be a solid 6 years old, that leaves me enough of an excuse to keep on dreaming and imaging that it is ok to sing in the metro, dance around in your underwear, eat ice cream for dinner (occasionally) and truly cherish your family and friends like they are all you have in the world.

4.

Exactly... tell me the right answer to this one, It is the exact question that played through on repeat for weeks when I was deciding whether or not to pack up my life and leave everything I knew and loved to move here... not to brag or sound snotty, but seriously - even on the hardest days, it was the best choice I have ever made.

5.

This one is a bit touchy, because I am sure someone, somewhere will judge me but I would stop ALWAYS putting everything and everyone's feelings in front of mine, I truly enjoy making my friends and family happy and smile.. but sometimes for me always making everyone happy is a downfall because it really gets in the way of what my true needs or wants are.

6.

There are a few of you out there that know exactly what I thought when I read this one...

11.

Abso-effing-lutely 

18.

Immediately I want to say no, but mostly because I think that is what you are supposed to say, but honestly I think I would be lying if I said no, there are somethings I would never give up, replace or change but there are a few in the back of mind that I wonder if I did it differently where and who would I be now??

23.

Everyday I wake up and remind myself of this... no matter how badly I miss home, don't understand something, just want a break from work and life in general I counteract it with this exact thought and almost always, I can approach the day with the right frame of mind...

24.

My family, my true friends, listening to music and singing like no one can hear me, eating a delicious meal with fabulous company or sometimes even alone, laughing so hard that it hurts, a good glass of wine, experiencing my life in a new country and being challenged everyday, a sunny day (if palm trees and the ocean are around I definitely smile at that too), a great pair of shoes at a steal of a price, cupcakes, watching my family and friends babies grow into beautiful, loved little people and knowing that tomorrow I will get to experience something else that makes me smile...

Get it on ...

FYI - This video is a bit "racy" if you will, so if you are against balloon animal intimacy then you may not want to click the play button... but seriously it's pretty funny so think long and hard before deciding to skip it!!

I mentioned a few weeks ago some crazy European news stories that I have stumbled across, I also made mention of the (almost always) more sexual film titles that the movies here in France have BUT this morning a friend shared this commercial for Durex condoms that seriously made my Monday morning.

** For those of you who are unaware - I broke up with Monday today and I am considering protesting it for the rest of my life. Monday is never any good to me unless it's a paid day off, a vacation Monday or basically unless I am getting some benefit- talk about a healthy relationship, all take and no give :)

So this little clip really made my morning. I am almost 100% positive that this would never make the airwaves in the US, maybe it can be found on YouTube, but a little bit of kidding around like this may help promote the use of condoms and safe sex, or at least inspire some giggles from the audience!! Happy Monday all!!

A Haircut and then some... seriously...

I am almost 100% positive that I have mentioned having my hair cut here in Paris before by the one and only Crazy Japanese Hair Lady - Fukiko... and let me tell you what, I don't think I'll ever be able to stop sharing my hair adventures because they just keep getting better.  

I was introduced to Chez Fukiko a little more than a year ago by the one and only PIC and I am not sure that I have ever been happier about anything (ok, maybe that is a slight exaggeration but seriously every time I go in there it is such an adventure I laugh for days every time I brush my hair after seeing her...) This last visit (yesterday) did not disappoint.  It was time for a trim and a bit of a refreshed look and so going to see Fukiko was the only rational solution. It may not look like the most exquisite salon and I am sure there are plenty of designer places where I could have my hair cut with golden scissors and be served champagne and macaroons, but nothing beats the fresh tea and coconut cookie you get while waiting to be beautified ( I think I may have just invented that word)!! Yesterday as the PIC, the two nuggets and myself entered the salon we were greeted with hugs, kisses and laughs - as she kindly reminded me it had been much too long since I had been in to visit.  After being washed and conditioned I made my way over to the cutting chair, where next to me a sweet family was also being beautified ( I am really liking this word). The family started talking to us as if they had known us for years, they became especially active in the conversation when Fukiko decided she needed to play match maker for me. **Sidenote, every time you have your hair done at the salon, Fukiko insists on taking a photo to hang up on the walls to help decorate. She insisted that PIC and I search through her boxes of photos, looking for pictures of ourselves and some young American gentleman that she thinks is my future husband. Now searching through photos for a person you have never met before if nothing but interesting and well impossible!!** With my Franglish in full force we traded stories about what had been going on since I had last been in there and she tried to sell her other young American client to me. Luckily for my hair this conversation took place while I was getting my hand massage (another fine service that you don't find everywhere) because I was laughing so hard, I am sure that if she was cutting while this was happening my blond locks would be a tad bit crooked!! Once we finally got back on topic (my hair), I really ventured out on a limb and described what my expectations were for my new cut (in French) hoping that all of hours of lessons I have had paid off ... Luckily for me (and my French teacher) I think things turned out ok and it may have been two of the most hysterical hours I have had in awhile. You see not only does Fukiko cut hair and entertain with singing, matchmaking, and photo browsing she also gives up one hell of a massage once you are finished ... she starts this massage off by aiming two hairdryers at your back to relax you with the warm current of air and proceeds to take over. This massage comes complete with a head massage, temple rubbing, spine straightening and breathing exercises (these look slightly inappropriate - see exhibit below)! She then completes the experience with a photo and carefully selected fruit bon bons as you exit. I don't care who you are or where you come from, this is one of the most eccentric hair experiences you will ever have and if I do say so myself - the haircut came out quite nice as well :)

Check out her fantastic hair rollers, I wish I had a photo of her hair Au Natural - It is UNREAL!!

The breathing exercises I mentioned earlier, I swear I could not stop laughing!!

Showing off the new do with my <3 Nova:

A few inches shorter, some bangs to play with and I think we are good to go...
Just the update/change I was craving!!

The rest of my jet setting adventure...

Ok as mentioned earlier, I just returned from the US and the 3rd Annual Alstom University People Quest event ... which took place in Philadelphia. I may have hinted at some adventerous activities that took place while I was there... While I won't bore you with major details I will provide you a quick recap:

1. A monster snow storm hits the east coast the day after I arrive (some places with 30+ inches and no power for 10+ days...) YIKES
2. 360 degree slide/ nail biting moment,  with my driver as we try and make our way to Target to get some final supplies for the upcoming event
3. A power outage while I am at the King of Prussia mall right outside of Philly - wanna see a mad house, flip the power switch at your local mall and let me know how great of a time that is...
4. A power outage at the hotel while expecting 70 participants and guest speakers - of course this happens after I promise all is well to everyone who has checked in from their powerless homes in CT and MA ... timing is certainly a bitch in this case. But with flashlights, space heaters and a positive attitude we prevailed
5. No heat on the first morning of training - revert back to space heaters and extra blankets, never letting that positive attitude fluster
6. When we finally get the heat back, whatever switched it on, also switched on some flames... in turn requiring for an evacuation of the hotel along with all my lovely participants - good times had by all. BUT any of you who know me also know I have a thing for fireman, so I turned this situation around quite quickly...
7. This is not a road block at all but something super awesome we did - our first ever Alstom Chili cook-off. I laughed so hard my face hurt for the entire night. What a blast!!

I am sure I am forgetting something somewhere, but those wrap up the major road blocks and obstacles. Leaving  me to be able to look back on this event as one of the most interesting, adventorous and challenging events I have yet to work on. Lucky for me I was lucky enough to have the most fantastic group pf participants ever, they managed to smile, support and laugh right along with me, which honestly made all of the difference in the world. I am hoping to stay in touch with most of these participants and there are a few I hope to even become better friends with. All in all, I love my job and after an event like this and seeing the excitement in the participants faces, I couldn't ask for anything better (well except for no fires, snowstorms, power outages...) Below is a little recap of our 5 days together.

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Jet Setting...

The last ten or so days have been a combination of exciting, frustrating, eye-opening, exhausting, hysterical and adventurous (and honestly that I putting it all lightly). Last weekend I took off to Philadelphia to launch the 3rd annual Alstom University People Quest event. Something I have been working on since this spring and working hard on I might add, planning a US event from Paris had been quite a challenge. The event itself is a 5-day leadership and management training for about 100 hand picked managers within the company. We have trainings, dinners, networking activities and a few other surprises throughout the week - we will get to those though...
Anyhoo... These ten days started on the plane ride over to the states. Where I met two fantastic women who were seated in the same row as me and even now over a week later, I continue to replay our conversations and laughs in my head. We shared stories about our experiences in the City of Lights, where they came from and how they ended up there, we dished about where to get the best croque monsieur, books that I should read to continue my exploration of the city, shared chocolate and I even practiced a bit of French during the flight. It truly made for an enjoyable experience and made me look back on my time here. I've always realized I am lucky and to take advantage of it but now one day when I'm sitting next to someone on the plane after visiting Paris years down the road, I'll remember to share my favorite Parisian things and words of wisdom with him/her...
This little story is only the tip of the iceberg for the trip... Stay tuned, it was a doozy!!!