2010: A Space Odyssey

I just realize I have been in outer space.

It became a new DECADE 20 days ago and I barely even noticed.

I guess that's what living in Europe will do to a girl.


Things I learned from 2009: ( 5 now, 5 later)

*Authors note: I often take inspiration from songs, and find that muscians can say things exactly the way I would, but better.


10. When is comes to making a decision, we often make up our mind immediately, but saying it out loud makes it real. We then own it.

Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing, are the same.
- The Fray

09. John and I used to ask what the REAL question is.
The REAL story is that there is no REAL story, when it comes to REAL life.

The answers we find are never what we had in mind, but we make it up as we go along.
-Nine Days

08. Sometimes all we need is a change of scenery for a change in attitude.

If you could use some exotic booze, there's a bar in far Bombay.
-Michael Buble

07. A good group of girl friends is key to life. There's nothing like them, no one can replace them and they make life worth living. Huge shout outs to the girls...I couldn't do it without you.

Girls just wanna have fun.
-Cindy Lauper

06. It takes work to be happy. It takes effort to feel good. It takes exercise to be thin. It takes determination to say no to bear claws & bacon sandwiches and it takes patience to love your friends.

You better WORK.
-Madonna

The Cold, Cold Rain

In January, I struggle.

My whole life I have been able to work through the temporary seasonal affective disorder because I was living in California, a place where the winter weather is usually mild...the rainy days last less than a week, and temperature rarely drops below 50.

The last two years, I have been able to escape the sadness especially well, due to my employment at a place that brings general joy and happiness to coffee drinkers around the globe.

I always knew that whatever the weather, I could walk into work and make it better with something hot.

Not to mention my first year in Chico when me and Steven would skip class if it was raining and have lunch at the Brewery, then hot chocolates, the rain made us so down!

Last winter, in my 100 year old brick house made into a studio, my space heater kept me warm like a personal fireplace.

I find creative ways to keep happy and warm.

This year, I am out of ideas.

I know what you're thinking. She's in France for heaven's sake, what more happiness can she need?

Well, when its been cloudy and wet for weeks, constantly is around 35 degrees, everything is made from grey-beige stone, the leaves have been long gone from the trees, and your mother has just left, things can get kind of tough.

Don't get me wrong, France any time of year is special and amazing and worth every minute of time spent enjoying the culture...but today I miss California.

Paris, J'taime

How very Da Vinci Code of me to be standing here under the Louvre

Mother rides the metro!

Mum and I at Notre Dame

Overlooking the fabulous Seine

In the middle of the hike up to the Sacre Coeur

Out on the town

Self -taken Eiffel Tower photo. The once straight tower appears to be leaning..

At the beginning of every train journey, one must always validate their train ticket.

Mumsy and I have arrived home from our trip to Paris, and she is leaving tomorrow...I can hardly believe it! These two weeks have just flown by, I don't know how I'll let her go!

Paris was a rousing success! We left early Friday morning on the high speed TGV train and arrived in Paris just before 1pm to flurries of snow and 30 degree weather, much to mothers dismay.

Our hotel was a quaint (is there any other kind in Paris?) little gem near La Republique and was just what we needed to sleep and do a little relaxing at night....it had a large window overlooking darling Frenchie apartments with curly wire balconies charatersitic to Paris and to France.

New Year's day (Friday) we trekked to the Eiffel tower, as it was one of the few attractions open on a national holiday.

Once we arrived at the park where the monument is, we were shocked and appaled at the lines! There were TONS of people! After a few quick photos, we jumped on the metro and headed to the Latin Quarter for a hot chocolate from Starbucks!

Saturday was jam-packed with metro rides, traipsing all over, and a little reuinion with Sarah and her friend, Alex.

We met up with the dynamic duo at a resraurant in the Latin Quarter that Sarah and I have deemed "our place" because it has a wonderful 3 course frenchie lunch for 10 euro....

It was so wonderful to see her after almost 2 weeks of being apart! We had to much to talk about, and Alex and mother could hardly get a word in with her and I talking a million miles a minute about all the important things that had happened over Christmas break.

Before lunch, we went to the Sacre Coeur but when it began to snow, we said, okay that's enough..to Starbucks, then? We did manage to find some gifties that my Aunt had requested and some nice churchie music for mother. I do love a cathedrale gift shop.

After our lunch date, we headed to The Bon Marche in search of brassieres. I have been needing some new ones since my stint with Weight Watchers, and what better place than the first department store (and only on the left bank of Paris) to purchase some! It was a total success, I got two lovely new undergraments.

A hop, skip and a jump on the metro later, we were at "les grand magasins" which is a collection of the largest departments stores in Paris (except of course for The Bon Marche), The Galleries Lafayette and Printemps.

It was a lovely day of shopping!

Sunday was a crazy day.

Our train wasn't even leaving Paris until after 9pm, so we had the whole day ahead of us!

We headed to the Louvre to go to the gift shop and look at the books. It was, however, free Sunday at the grand museam, so all of Paris was there. The lines were so long it was unreal.

We did manage to find some nice gifties for Matt and my mother's husband (better known as my father), so that was a major step in the right direction.

It was a cold, cloudy day, but mother and I decided to walk the Seine to Notre Dame and my favorite English bookstore, Shakespeare & Co.

There was a mass going on inside the famous cathedrale, which was cool and something I'd never seen before, even though that was 3rd trip to Notre Dame.

After a quick Refresh Mint tea at Starbucks, we climbed on the metro to retrive our bags from the hotel (they were kind enough to store them for the day), we were off to the train station to meet our TGV to Aix..where we arrived just after midnight to the pouring January rain.

Swiss Alps and Swiss Chocolate

The large bridge that extends out over Lake Geneva

Which, is the largest lake in Europe

Geneva's most famous jet stream of water, which shoots out of the lake into the air

Gorgeous snow falling in Chamonix

The little cog train that took us up into the Alps to the top

It was so cold we only smiled to take a picture

Ski lift device that took us up into the skiers paradise

Inside the ski lift

Mother Has Arrived!

Mother holding my homemade crepes

French manicures at "Le Institut Mireabeau"

Mumsy with a very frenchie sign

Us at Book In Bar

A Christmas day walk in the park, I was talking during the picture

Mother is such a pro at the market now!

The pensive shopper

A spot of herbal tea at Book In Bar

Just us and the books!

Mother wasted no time diving into the French way of eating..!

It was a dark and stormy night... just a few days before Christmas, and mother's flight was set to arrive from Frankfurt, Germany at the Marseille-Provence airport around 6pm. It was raining cats and dogs in the torrential fashion common to southern France...not exactly ideal flying weather.

Donning my new rain boots and peacoat, I made my way to the "gare routiere" (bus station) to catch the shuttle and make the 30 min ride to Marseille from Aix.

I arrived about an hour before mumsy's flight arrived ( it was a few minutes late due to weather) and proceeded to wait with the other anxious persons there at the gate where passengers were to be met by their respective parties.

Mumsy came barrelling through the automatic double doors, suitcases in tow, ready to embark on her adventure in the south of France! We spent the next hour riding home and trekking the 20 minutes to my house through the windy cobblestone streets that were soaked with moisture, and it continued to pour.

The last few days have been a blur of shopping, eating and talking..what mothers and daughters do best! We have been cooking up a storm (thanks to my new found Julia life), shopping at the market, picking up gifts for the family, and mum has been attempting to speak French with real live French people!

I have taken her to all my favorite spots in Aix, like Book In Bar (my favorite English bookstore), Les Thes Anglaise (my favorite tea shop), Paul ( my ultimate favorite patisserie) and we even got French manicures in France!

Mumsy has taken quite a liking to macaroons, madelines and nutella crepes.

Tomorrow we head to Geneva, Switzerland for a vacation in the frozen north that includes a cable car ride into the Swiss Alps to see the Matterhorn-trademark to Toblerone chocolate.

Turning Point

I love this pic of Nikki and I trying to decide what to do, Dec '09

Our hostel in Paris had legitimate bunk beds. Good times, Nov '09

Cousine Amanda and I, Nov'09

Boris and I at f(r)amily Thanksgiving..spy school photos, Nov '09

Sarah and I, IPN, Nikki's Birthday, Nov '09

Whitney, (our au pair friend) and I have matching Longchamp purses, Nov '09

Starbucks in Geneva, I will forever be grateful for that bit of home, Oct '09

Italy and I. Period...well, of course my friend Diet Coke, Oct '09

Boris and I at Sarah's Birthday, Princess fizz ready to go, Oct '09

Sarah and I hiking St.Victoire, Sept '09

Our level 4 Prep Language Program group at Alejandra's Birthday Sept '09

The first night I took everyone to see our front door, Aug '09

I am officially halfway through my program..I can hardly believe it. Some of my favorite memories are those nights spent around my kitchen table, drinking tea and talking about our lives with my new found close friends.

We have reached some good conclusions, make some hard decisions, and shared some experiences that will last us a lifetime, and bring smiles to our faces whenever we remember our times together.

Here are some favorite memories from the semester, via photos.

Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly

Aix is all dressed up for Christmas!