Expat Expo

Confession - I love the Flag for Follow up option on our Lotus Notes email at work. Without this nifty little feature I think I would drown when it comes to answering important emails or remembering the emails I open when I am super busy but would LOVE to go back to. Now the other confession is that sometimes I use it to flag some very important maybe not so work related things... like the one I had set today. About 2 months ago I was forwarded a link to an Expat Expo that will be taking place in Paris during the first week of  February. Now two months ago this was definitely the last thing on my mind - exactly why the reminder feature is so useful - but today I was more than happy to see it pop up and did a little exploring. The expo will take place for three days in February and covers pretty much ANYTHING an expat here in Paris would want to know. You would think that after almost 7 months here (GULP - I just realised that by the time this rolls around it will be over 8 months since I arrived!!) I would know everything that I need to know but it simply does not work like that. If I had to break it down I would say I spent the first 3 months just trying to get adjusted to the fact that I live in Paris ( 1 month was spent just trying to sleep at night), the next three months I was finally comfortable enough to get started with my French lessons, actually go into a bakery when there were other people in line, start to go out with some friends, meet new people and even travel a little, that leads us to about a month ago when I realized that it is time to really get settled in because I am not going anywhere for awhile!! So after a little exploring on the website I think that this could be the perfect little kick in the right direction.

This little expo offers everything from:

• Conferences on Successful Integration (I am working on this one but I am sure they will tell me to speak more quietly in the Metro!)
• The Challenges faced When Learning French (This one really caught my eye and I am pretty sure I could actually lead this conference)
• Cooking Demonstration (Ok.. this is obvious... We all know I will be at this one, need volunteers for taste testing? YES please!)
• A Guide to your Style Profile (This one is about as obvious as the one above - shoes, bags, jackets, shopping in general, I am SOOOO there)
• How to Make the Most of Paris (This one just seems like it would be silly to not attend)

 Now that you have seen all that I am sure you agree it would be incredibly silly for me NOT to attend. If not for myself but for everyone that has been dealing with me and my French lessons, getting lost everywhere I go and enteratining me : )  Anyone want to join?????

Well I guess I start here....

As I sit here contemplating about how lovely (HA) my visa picture came out, it has become quite obvious that I need to start documenting this adventure I am about to embark on. Let's take it from the top. **NOTE TO ALL READERS** this is my first BLOG experience so bear with me as I learn the ins ands outs of this cool little tool. Back to the story at hand .... In approximately two months I will be opening a brand spanking new chapter in my life - the catch- it will be starting in PARIS. Quite the city and quite a bit to take in -trust me, I know!!! I have been offered an AMAZING opportunity by my company (Alstom Power Inc.) that will require me to pack up and move across the pond to Paris, France. I will be working within Alstom University, as the Events and Communication Coordinator, fancy title, thanks Michael (he is going to be my boss while I am a guest in Paris, lucky him). While I am there I will be involved on a variety of projects that are still in the works, like I said this will be an adventure. I have been to Paris once before when I first began at Alstom University (AU) and enjoyed every moment that I spent there. From that moment on it became a goal of mine to spend as much time as I could traveling, exploring and possibly even living in Europe to truly experience the amazing lifestyle they live there. Now here it is - all coming true and very quickly at that! I signed the contract last month and since then I have experienced every emotion possible, well that I think are possible anyway, and I plan on experiencing even more as the big move becomes more of a reality. To begin with leaving the amazing family and friends I have is going to be one of the most difficult things I have ever done. Yes- I went away to college..... but bottom line hopping in the old black Jetta (I miss that car) and cruising down 89 South is a bit easier than the thousands of miles I will encounter between us now. But rather than focusing on the fact I will be missing everyone like CRAZY - I can focus on the fact that I am now the holder (or will be) of a FREE place for everyone to visit in Paris. So start saving your pennies people. You know you want to. Then there is the amazing team at work I will be leaving, I am sure they will miss my constant rants about cannolis (is that how you even spell that??), pizza, whatever I had for dinner the night before that I am convinced was the best thing ever and the constant sneezing. But,again, I am going to focus on the great people I will be joining and meeting in Paris. I hope someone has warned them about my never ending energy level, my obsession with food  and the need to be talking constantly.... All in all this new chapter in my life is going to consist of good, bad, exciting, scary and everything that is possible to have in-between.... so keep checking back to see what the latest scoop is. I will also put a note out there that I have a HUGE (when I say huge, I MEAN huge) family that I am hoping will keep up with me on here to avoid the monster chains of email I have considered bombarding everyone with : )

More later as I now try to figure out how to make this thing HEATHERIZED!!!