Super Bowl and then some...

Are you ready for some fooooootball? some Patriot packed football?!?!?!?!

Superbowl – well for other reasons as well, but if the Patriots hadn't made it I am not sure I would have had the same vigor to try and make it back to the homestead to watch this big game with my family. Although to be honest, I think as happy as my parents were to see me, I think they would have enjoyed watching the game with a bit more silence then they had. But seriously – I hadn't seen everyone in so long and my attention span isn't what it used to be! It was a night though – everyone in their Patriots gear, eating, drinking and laughing. An evening that will be cherished in my memory bank forever – minus the fact that the Pats lost but next year baby, next year (especially because the Vegas odds are already favouring them – thanks for the tid bit of info Pa, now I sound like I know what I am talking about!! Hehe) Aside from this game I was able to catch up with most of my family, all my besties, play with the two most adorable babies EVER, see a few people from the office and just all around enjoy my time at home. It was a bit jam packed and it went much too quickly, but I think it was just enough home to get me through the next few months, which will be full of who knows what, especially now that I am waiting (and waiting and waiting) to hear about the job I interviewed for a week or so ago (I hope you all have your fingers and eyes and legs and everything else crossed for me). I also stuffed my suitcase full of American delicacies including Velveeta and blue cheese salad dressing. One of the best things about this trip aside from seeing my loves, eating lots of (disgusting and not good for you) delightful American food was that I missed an incredibly cold streak here in Paris. Don't get me wrong I grew up in New England and can handle some pretty bitter temps but the cold here is a whole new ballgame. It is so humid and bitter it freezes you to your bones, actually it was so cold when I left last week the equipment that moves the planes on the tarmac was actually frozen in place and my flight left almost two hours late!! I am hoping that I brought some of the mild temperatures back with me...

Those tired eyes are from the jetlag not the beer I am drinking... I swear ... sort of...

And... just for fun... my favorite Super Bowl commercial this year:

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

My Mother Always Said

When you have nothing nice to say, then say nothing at all. I know that is an old been around the block kind of a saying but for the past few weeks that is the motto I have been living by. At least when it comes to writing in this little blog of mine…. now after a few weeks, I think, I have my head cleared up enough to finally let it out.

On Saturday, August 13, 2011,  I was told that an incredibly important person to me did not have much time left to spend with the rest of us here in this little thing we call life. This was something I was sort of expecting because a recent (re)diagnosis about her breast cancer had not gone well, but I honestly was not ready for it to happen so quickly (nor was anyone else for this matter). So after crying on the shoulders of two caring and amazing friends on Saturday and  spending hours googling whatever cheap flights we could (there may have been a bottle of wine and some junk food involved…) then spending Sunday baking cupcakes with the PIC and her two amazingly adorable children to keep my mind occupied... I finally shoved whatever I could find in my room in a suitcase at 2 am Monday morning and was one a plane home by 11 that Monday….  This was the going to be the beginning of an incredibly hard transition for me, my family and a lot of people around me. How do you fit enough time in with someone you love and try to still just enjoy it without constantly wondering about what the next two weeks might bring? There is no way to prepare and it was the most intense learning and growing experience I have had since I have moved here…. This woman was one of the most encouraging, kind hearted, open minded, funny and loving woman I have ever been blessed to have in my life over the last 20 years. She has been more than a friend of the family (and so has the rest of this fantastic clan) she (well all of them) are my family...

We have spent camping trips (a lot in the rain), hikes up Mt. Monadnock on the coldest and windiest days of the year, parrot head concerts, endless holidays, nights of Wamser Whammies, graduations, proms, Superbowls and everything else you can think of in between together.

Whether we were comparing who’s butt was tighter and more toned (she always won), or if I was shedding tears because of the love of my life at that moment in time, fears about moving here to Paris, drunken Skype calls, or just exchanging simple emails gossiping and catching up, she was always a breath of fresh air and took on the motherly role with open arms and never thought twice about it. But she wasn't just another mother to me and my sister but she also was my Mom's best friend and her PIC (Partner in Crime) ....

I don't have many memories that don't involve the two of them laughing or plotting some crazy bike trip, vacation or just a night out at Chili's so we could all be together!! I was not only blessed enough to have her in my life but I was lucky enoughto have the opportunity (Thanks to my parents and a fantastic boss) to spend time with her before she passed. In this time everyone laughed, remembered, cried, ate and drank with many toasts to memories... and well... we were all just there for each other. It reinforced something I have always held incredibly dear to me, my family, and the love we all have. The time I spent at home was very bittersweet but it is a time I won't ever forget and although my "other mother" may not be here with us in person anymore, I KNOW that she left us knowing how loved she was, how important, influential and treasured she was and I KNOW that somewhere right now she is watching over all of us and well probably just hoping we have all stopped crying and are making the best of what we can and moving forward doing things that would make her proud.... 

Getting back to normal has been interesting this week and I know it will get easier but I feel like I have a bit of a different perspective on things now and I plan on using that perspective to make sure that I make the most of everything I have around me. I especially want to make sure that the people who were there for me, more than I could have ever imagined, know how much that means and that right now I just can't even find the words (shocking) to describe how lucky I am to be surrounded by those friends and my family. 

One year later...

This time last year I was waiting in line at customs in a lovely little (ok little is a lie) airport we like to call CDG just outside of Paris. I was about to start what has turned out to be one of the most challenging, rewarding and amazing things I have ever done in my life - and this has only been the first year. I have to admit when I left I was scared as hell, nervous I would never make friends, fit in and get over how much I was sue I would miss home - this was a huge veer off of the course I had been moving in a year ago but I have been sitting here just playing back everything that has happened in the last 12 months and I do not even know where to begin to explain it all. The amount of memories I have been lucky enough to create is almost unfair. I have been able to travel to places in Europe I had never even dreamed of being (on that note I leave for Geneva in an hour)... I have final gotten over my fear of entering a boulangerie if there is anyone else in there and hey now I can actually even order bread and treats and carry on a conversation with the lovely madame behind the counter... I can find a metro almost anywhere in this city now and can actually even wander around for days on a time with only a minimal amount of confusion and misdirection ... I have tried more wine and food and desserts than one could even imagine, but still miss a good Weber made cheeseburger and corn on the cob... I am a master of walking on cobblestone in heels and have managed to stay upright on all flights of stairs since the one incident almost a year ago (I think everyone is happy about this talent)... I have met some of the most incredible people ever since being here, really though, I know it sounds cheesy and that I have said it before but I know that I am a better person because of them and that no matter what they will be there (just like the PIC and I were there for the little old lady that had fallen and couldn't get up in my building on Thursday night... more details on this later but it was a very rewarding good deed and I think she was happy to not be stuck on the floor of her apartment anymore!) for me, I have even been lucky enough to be let into some of their families which gives me a feeling of overwhelming appreciation and happiness <3 ... I have purchased more shoes than is rationally healthy for a 27 year old girl but hey I need lots of options to go with all of the amazing clothes I have bought here too... I have been able to experience music, art and lots of long walks taking in some of the most beautiful and intricate sights the City of Lights has to offer... I have been challenged and then some personally and professionally making big changes to lots of things in my life... but now I know I can do this and come out in a better place as long as I know what I am doing is right for me... I have realised that there are also no words to explain how important my family and my friends at home (who are pretty much my family) are to me, not that I didn't see this before because I have always been a huge fan but seriously I can't even describe the amount of gratitude I have for them - they listen, they care, they support, the give me reality checks when I am being a bit crazy and they constantly remind me how loved I am... so I hope they all know how loved they are. I have had my eyes opened by a few of these people and know that no matter where I am or what mood I am in I will NEVER be able to live without them... now I just need to get the ones who haven't made the hop across the pond over here because I can only imagine the ruckus we could cause in this little ville. But seriously enough of what I have already done now it is time to focus on what is left to do and that my friends is how I will start my next year in Paris... focusing on the adventures I will be taking, the challenges I will be faced with, the laughter and memories I can't wait to start making, the food and wine I will try (I am considering a  cooking class), the new summer shoes I will purchase, the late night conversations (and occasional drunk dials) with my favorite people at home and just continuing to appreciate the opportunity I have been given and truly making the most out of it mistakes, successes, tears, laughter, kisses, quietness, singing, dancing ... all of it....  so that little change in direction I took exactly one year ago has turned out to be as far away from the wrong direction as one could possibly get...

"Perhaps if we never veered off course we wouldn't fall in love, or have babies, or be who we are. After all, seasons change. So do cites. People come into your life and people go. But it's comforting to know that the ones you love are always in your heart. And if you're very lucky, a plane ride away."