Making Friends

One of the things that has been most challenging for me with moving to France is finding and making friends. I think moving anywhere new presents this difficulty. The big question is, how do you meet people?
I am fortunate that my job has allowed me to meet some amazing people. All of my colleagues are fellow expats and that gives us common ground immediately. I feel like I hit the jackpot in connecting with a co-worker, Jennifer (there is just something about people named Jennifer, on the other side of the pond a few of my BFF’s share that name).

Let me tell you about this amazingly soulful person. The instant I met her I thought, “wow, she has a lot of positive energy!!”  Jennifer has a contagious laugh! From anywhere in the office she is often heard sharing joy and fun with others.
She is genuinely kind and generous. There was a day a few months ago in which there was a train strike. This particular strike was for 3 days and greatly disrupted my daily commute. Jennifer suggested I just stay at her place in Paris to avoid the craziness. Not only did she open her home to me but she went out of her way to make an Asian meal and show me some tricks in the kitchen. A bonus attribute is that Jennifer is also half Korean and is willing to share her knowledge in food and cooking this cuisine, knowing it is James’ absolute favorite.
Our friendship has continued to grow as time goes by. I love having a friend on this side of the pond to text and girl-talk with. I enjoy window shopping and grabbing the occasional lunch when our work schedules allow it. She can make me laugh and brightens my day, like all of my friends are able to do. It is truly one of the things that has made me feel more like myself here, connecting with someone in a friendship and having that social aspect of life.
So all of this is wonderful, right? Yes! However, this fabulous friend is going to be returning to Australia in a month. For reasons that have developed it is very unlikely that she will be returning to France. Australia is lucky to be getting her back! Yet, I can’t tell you how sad this makes me! I know that no matter where my friends are they are my friends, but it was nice having one a little closer to hangout with from time to time. This is bittersweet for me. I feel lucky to add another amazing person to my life but it will be difficult to say goodbye. It has taught me that I am capable of making friends here in France and I will hopefully find others.  Maybe one of my friend finding strategies should be to wander the streets to find other Jennifers, from my experience they are some of the most wonderful people in my life!!!

Thanksgiving recap

When we last left off discussing Thanksgiving I had found all of the ingredients. Fast forward to Friday evening and I tackled the 2 desserts (yes, I know that Thanksgiving was Thursday but on this side of the pond it was a regular ole work day). I made a pumpkin pie and the infamous salted caramel cheesecake. I think I finally was able to go to bed about 12:30 a.m. after waiting for both of them to be done baking.

Saturday morning consisted of making the caramel topping for the cheesecake and prepping other dishes. I knew that the beast of a turkey was going to consume the oven for the majority of the day so my plan was to have the green beans and stuffing ready to go in the oven after the turkey was "resting" (until researching cooking times, I didn't even know that this was a part of the whole roasting a turkey experience and that it needed to rest prior to serving).

The turkey, all 22 pounds of it, went into the oven about 1:30 p.m. This was a team effort as I was unable to lift it and get it into the small oven on my own. Once the turkey was in the oven I had a little down time. A short while before the turkey came out of the oven I peeled all of the potatoes and got them cooking.

My assistants, Maëlle and Audray

Making the mashed potatoes wearing my fabulous apron that Grandma made me this summer

The girls helped me out a bit and seemed to be pretty excited about the experience.  Our guests arrived just as the turkey was ready to come out of the oven. James and I attempted more than once to transfer the turkey to a platter and were unsuccessful(no fancy turkey pan and things to lift it out with). This made for a less than amazing presentation of the turkey but other than that everything turned out great.

Our simple table arrangement, using EVERY chair we own

The party of 7 that helped me to celebrate Thanksgiving in France

Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy and green bean casserole (no fancy serving platters in our house yet)

Dessert=pumpkin pie and salted caramel cheesecake

Enjoying the meal

Thankful for these 3 people!

Cousins

 

 

 

 It was the first time I have been responsible for cooking all of the items of the Thanksgiving meal. I was pretty anxious about figuring out the timing and it all turning out alright, so you can imagine my relief when it did. Doing all of the cooking definitely adds appreciation for all that my Mom and Grandma do for the holiday meals. I hope that James and the girls can one day experience a Thanksgiving in the states, until then I am happy to know I am capable of making it happen here too! It is also a bonus to have some leftovers to prolong the day for a little while (and have 2 large bags of turkey in the freezer).

High Five for Friday/Claques en cinq pour Vendredi

Some of my favorite blogs do a feature of “High 5 for Friday” and I love the recap of the highlights of their week. I think it’s a great idea to be grateful and aware of all the positives around me, big and small. So I thought it would be a fun way to incorporate  the wonderful or fun things that make me smile! 
1. Talent is everywhere! This young man was playing his heart out on this piano in the train station one afternoon. He played song after song and had quite a large crowd enjoying his talent!

2. The opportunity to teach in an university setting again.

3. The fall colors outside of the apartment

4. A new fridge (a big American one). The crazy large turkey fits in it, such a grown-up thing to be excited about!

5. Greys Anatomy! Thankful for an ITunes gift card that allowed me to get the last season of Grey's and watch it on my phone while traveling on the train everyday. 

Preparing for Thanksgiving

Tomorrow is one of my favorite holidays of the year. It includes spending time with family, sharing a good meal and relaxing. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, James and I decided to try and bring some of that experience to our home here in France.

The initial plan included my mom sending me many of the ingredients needed that are not easily found here. Due to unforeseen circumstances the connection we had with shipping is no longer available (I will discuss this very sad news in another post).

So that changed the game plan and required me to find most of what I needed here in France. The first step was determining the menu. I wanted to include most of the important items but wanted to try and keep it somewhat simple too. I decided that we would make a turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy, stuffing, and green bean casserole (and we will add some french baguettes to the meal too). For dessert I plan to make a pumpkin pie and a cheesecake (because the Hus can't stand cinnamon)!

Next step, locate the ingredients. The items that are not available in the regular grocery store include: cream of mushroom soup, canned pumpkin, stuffing ingredients, pumpkin pie spice,  and chicken broth. My amazing mom got creative and sent me a large envelope including pumpkin pie spice, a cooking bag for the turkey, seasoning for the gravy and some stuffing.

There is an American store located in Paris and I had visited their website to get an idea of the items available.

After recovering from price shock I created the bare minimum list. The list included: canned pumpkin, mushroom soup and then I wanted some brown sugar (not available in regular stores here) and cream cheese frosting. The last 2 items were a requirement for some cookies I wanted to make to bring to work on Thanksgiving.

I arrived at the store and it was fun to see all of the brands and products so familiar back home. It was not so fun to see the price tags attached to these items.

Items that I purchased (all items were 4 Euros each with the exception of the frosting which was 6 Euros).

I polled a few people to ask how much they think the above items would cost in the states. The general consensus was between $10-15. So you can imagine the pain I felt when I handed over 30 Euros=$38!!!

Now with these items in hand the last thing to take care of was finding a turkey. The same American store sells them for 12.50 Euro/kg (about $80 for a 10 pound turkey) uh, no thank you! We ordered a turkey from the butcher that we usually go to but received a phone call last week stating that he was unable to locate one for us. James then proceeded to call a farm-they told him that the turkeys are usually not ready until December as they plan them for Christmas. After consulting my American co-workers it was suggested to call another grocery store that is often able to order them with a 1 week notice. James was able to do that last week and secured a 5 kg (10 pound) turkey that he could pick up on Tuesday (yesterday).

Yesterday arrived and he received a phone call stating that they were unable to provide a turkey that small and that the smallest turkey available was 10 kg (22 pounds). James called me and asked what I thought and I told him that my main concern was if our oven was large enough to accommodate it. We decided that he would go to the store and look at it and try and guess if it would fit, never-mind that we were going to have enough turkey for 18-20 people and there are only going to be 8 of us!!!

I arrived home yesterday and there was a VERY large turkey in the kitchen. We tested it and it fits in the oven (without much room to spare). So mission accomplished on locating all ingredients!

Sending a great big "HAPPY THANKSGIVING" to all of my family and friends. I hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow! I will be sharing pumpkin cookies with my American colleagues and having an adventure on Saturday as I try to create a Thanksgiving experience here. Wish me luck and if anyone wants to come on over we will have plenty of turkey to share!!!

Lunch at Chez Moi

A few weeks ago we were lucky enough to be invited to a lunch at Chez Moi. It is a small, quaint restaurant located in the 11th district of Paris, very near the metro station Saint-Ambroise. A colleague of mine invited us to celebrate her birthday with a luncheon. She invited a small group of people and we shared a great lunch consisting of salad, quiche, dessert and coffee. What is great about this location is that you really feel like you are sharing a meal in someone’s home. The kitchen and dining area are essentially 1open space and it is family style dining.
During the week the restaurant has different salad and quiche menu options as well but on this day it was a private lunch so we had the entire restaurant to ourselves.
It’s a fun spot to go to celebrate an event or share a meal with friends and yet not have to cook or clean up! Our first experience at the restaurant was equally fun and we look forward to going again sometime soon.

The birthday girl

Yummy salad

One of the quiche (this one has zucchini and peppers)

Dessert

Owner and Chef of Chez Moi

The group enjoying dessert outside as the sun decided to join us

My really cute date for the luncheon

Trying to make Turkey Day happen

Spending some time with family a few weeks ago and James shared with them that he thinks I should make a real Thanksgiving meal and try and celebrate here in France. I told him that I wasn’t sure that I could find the ingredients here and that I would have to think about what a traditional Thanksgiving meal is.
There is a store in Paris called “The Thanksgiving Store” and it is a grocery store for Americans. I decided to go on their website to see what supplies they have in store and get an idea of the cost. After about 30 seconds of looking I quickly determined that if we are going to have a Thanksgiving meal here in France and buy supplies here, it is going to cost a fortune!!! To give you an idea of the cost of items at the store, the small container of the pumpkin pie spice cost 9.90 Euros and a box of Lucky Charm cereal is 12 Euro, which is about $15 in American money. So my dear American friends and family next time you pour a bowl of your favorite cereal think of me and the fact that I would need to win the lottery to have that everyday. I also do not see whole turkeys in the store in France. We asked our butcher last week if he would be able to get us a full turkey. He is able to do so, we just need to place the order a week or two in advance.
So my mom has graciously agreed to send me some supplies from the states. I have an idea of what I want to make. I want to keep it simple but also make my fellow Americans proud and represent this beloved holiday well!
So please tell me what you think the perfect, simple Thanksgiving meal would include! I will need to finalize my list of items soon to ensure that I get the supplies in time to create this celebration. Of course I will be working on Thanksgiving AND Black Friday so the plan would be to celebrate on the Saturday following Thanksgiving.
I look forward to your suggestions and ideas!!!

Salted Caramel Cheesecake=AMAZING

Last weekend James was feeling under the weather with a nasty cold and thought that the magic cure would be if I made him a cheesecake. Cheesecake is a bit labor intensive and therefore it is typically reserved for special occasions but seeing as how it could be the next cure for a cold I was willing to give it a try.
If you have followed the blog for any amount of time you know that James LOVES cheesecake and I have had many trials of making cheesecake in France. From the beginning of trying to find real cream cheese, to what to make the crust from as graham crackers are non-existent here, to finding a spring form pan. Well I am proud to say I have come a LONG ways in this department and I truly think this is THE BEST cheesecake I have ever made. I went on the web in search of a new recipe and variety to those I had already made. When I came upon a recipe for Salted Caramel Cheesecake I knew that my search was complete.
The main recipe is from this site, with a few adaptations. I only added salt to the cream cheese filling part and then sprinkled some sea salt on top of the caramel when it was complete (didn’t add any salt when making the caramel). I also didn't find dulce de leche so just used a can of sweetened condensed milk.
In 1 weeks time I have made this twice, once for the cold cure and the other for some dinner guests this weekend. It is just as amazing the second time and I know that this is on the top of the family favorites list.
When you make it, because I know you will, please let me know if it makes it to your favorites list too!

Dinner for two, the name…

On many occasions when James and I have been walking around the city he has pointed out a restaurant that he really enjoys. It’s an Indian restaurant, Le Mughal, and it is suppose to have great food. I have only had Indian food a few times in my life and can’t even recall what exactly I have tried.

One evening James and I were going to have a date night and decided to go to dinner here. To our disappointment it was closed for their summer holidays. Since then, I had told myself that I needed to plan a dinner here for the two of us.

At work one recent Friday I tried to locate the restaurant and wasn’t sure if this was the exact one that we had walked by many times. I texted my brother-in-law to verify what the name of the restaurant was and then proceed to figure out if reservations were needed. With the help of a co-worker we called the restaurant and was told that they had 2 seatings, 7:15pm or 9:15pm. I knew that the first time wasn’t an option and wasn’t sure if it was too late to wait for the second. I thought for a while and then decided that the 2nd seating would be fine as we could go have a drink first somewhere.
Once I made the decision to take a reservation I gathered all my courage to call and attempt to make the reservation (in French). No one was answering the phone in the late afternoon but I was finally able to reach them on my way home from work. The gentleman that answered the phone seemed to quickly understand that my French was limited and attempted to respond to me in English a little too. I made the reservation and told him our name. Trying my best to use the correct pronunciation of the French alphabet I gave him our name. I was certain that he wrote a name down but was more certain that the spelling of our name was going to be WAY off.

That evening James and I shared a drink at a local restaurant and then I proceeded to take him to the restaurant for dinner. I was using my Google gps to try and locate the restaurant without him knowing. While trying to figure out which direction to walk he tried to help with looking at the map. Within a second he was giggling and knew where we were going. I said “you know where we are going by just knowing the name of the street?” He said “yeah, we are going to the Indian restaurant!”

We arrived at the restaurant and James gave them our name, to my surprise it was close enough to whatever they had written down during our phone call and proceeded to seat us at our table. We enjoyed some amazing food! Everything was truly delicious. From my other experiences eating Indian food I remembered having naan, but I don’t think that I had ever seen naan with cheese in it. Maybe that is an added specialty for the French palate.

Our appetizers

My dinner, butter chicken

James dinner, lamb

At one point James asked who I had make the reservation for me. He guessed that I had a friend or co-worker do it or that I completed the reservation online. I told him that I had made the reservation and that I was sure that the restaurant was expecting 2 people for 9:15pm under the name Lazer, so not our last name, really not even close. However it all worked out and I was pretty proud to surprise him for a date night at a place he truly enjoys.

A million dollar smile! I am one lucky wife!

Inquiring minds want to know

Here are the LONG overdue responses to the questions asked by those of you who participated in my Thank You giveaway. I really enjoyed all of the questions and hope to do this again in the future!!! I am sure you will all sleep much better this evening after finally having my responses :)

What has been an unexpected blessing related to life in France?
This is a tough question to answer but I think that one of the biggest blessings has been learning to believe in myself more. At times this experience has been scary, frustrating, and discouraging but looking back on this last year I am able to see how much I have accomplished and the fears I have overcome. I was just talking to James this week and reflecting back to a year ago. At that time I went on my first interview here in France. I cried at the train station because I was worried that I would get lost, my brother-in-law met me on the other end and escorted me to my interview to ensure I would find it. Today I am navigating the city well, have been on many more interviews and really overcome the fear that I wasn’t able to do all of this on my own and here I am doing it and pretty well on most days.

What has taken the most getting used to?
Besides the language I would say that the other thing that took some adjusting was using the mass transit system. I was so used to jumping in my car at whatever time I wanted/needed to leave. Now I am operating on train schedules and they are not going to wait if I decide to change my outfit or pack a quick lunch.

What would you have be the same in France as in the US if possible? And excluding friends, family, and a dryer!
While France is considered the fashion capital of the world, I would really love a few of my favorite American stores. Isn’t life just better with a Target, TJMaxx and Old Navy within a 15 minute drive?!

Being the crafty-pinterest-loving gal that you are, what have you found t satisfy that part of your life?
I have REALLY missed this part of my life! It is a goal to try and find ways to incorporate more of that here. Cooking has been the one thing I have really been able to get more into.  The crafty and creative side of me has been a bit neglected.  I tried to get my “fix” while I was back in the states and did a few sewing projects and brought a few supplies back too.

If you had to pick one day that was the most memorable since you first arrived in France, what was it? What did you do? (keep it PG, lol)
This is a tough one as there have been many memorable moments but I think the first day we got to stay in our new apartment is at the top of the list. It was like reaching a destination that I had been traveling to for SOOOO long. To final be in our own home together and no longer in a state of constant transition was truly an amazing feeling. I think the first night we grabbed sandwiches from Subway and just sat and looked at each other in amazement that we were finally at this point.

Has your choice in wine changed?
Prior to coming to France I don’t know that I really had a strong preference. I drank what others suggested and sometimes grabbed a bottle of wine based on how cute the label was. I am pretty sure this would give most French a heart attack! Since being in France I am always excited to try new wines but with the decision left to me I choose a Coteaux de Lyon or Monbazillac (white wine).

What meal do you miss the most from the states?
Thanksgiving dinner! I am going to attempt to make a Thanksgiving meal this year if I can get all of the needed ingredients.

What’s been your most embarrassing moment so far in France, haha?
Do I dare say that I don’t think I have a real embarrassing moment?! The closet thing is probably when my brother-in-law snapped a really great picture of me sleeping on the train with my mouth open like I was in a deep sleep. It was one of my finer moments!

What is the biggest difference in our culture compared to the French?
In my opinion the biggest difference is food. The French LOVE food and take great pride in it. However they seem to naturally eat more whole foods as there is just so much less processed food available here. They have 3 solid meals a day and usually don’t snack (with the exception of “gouter” which is a snack around 4-5pm and usually only the children eat). Their meals seem less rushed as almost everyone takes a real lunch break of a minimum of an hour. Having dinner with family or friends is almost always an entire evening event and seems to be savored more. Don’t be mistaken, they know how to indulge in fine cheese, wine, and desserts just like we imagine them doing but they are so much better at doing it in moderation.

How are you staying so cute and thin with alllll them bakery’s around?!
It’s true, the bakeries are EVERYWHERE! I really try to limit my visits to them but if I do go it usually requires walking there so I think I burn at least 1 bite of whatever I am eating by all the walking.

Interview with “The Good Life France”

Prior to my time in MN I was asked if I would be interested in being interviewed for a website called “The Good Life France.” This website is a wealth of information! It has everything from the practical things one may want to know about France all the way to the fun things to do and see.
I find myself taking a look at the page often and as one of my go-to resources. So stop on over and give it a visit-and of course feel free to check out my interview too!!!
The Good Life France
Thank you to Janine and The Good Life France team for letting me be a part of your amazing work! I feel honored to be featured and for you sharing my story.
Hello and welcome to those of you stopping by for the first time. Thank you for visiting and feel free to stop over anytime!
P.S. If any other expats find me through “The Good Life France” I would love to connect and hear from you!

Party of Lights

One of the cool things about living in Chartres is the light show that takes place from the end of April until the middle of September. The light show consists of 29 different locations, some of them are the large and well know spots while others are small and off the beaten path. The show ranges from still images projected onto buildings to animated shows that are quite elaborate.

Last Saturday evening marked the end of the light show for the season. Additionally this was the 10th Anniversary of the light show so the city decided to celebrate. We started the evening off with dinner at our home with some family. I made another new dish and I am proud to say it was a huge success. After dinner and dessert we walked around the city to participate in the celebration.

James and I had walked around and looked at the lights a few other times during the summer and we were lucky enough to share them with my Mom, aunt, and cousin when they visited. However this evening consisted of a much more elaborate spectacle. There were performers everywhere! Music and a 3-D show in the city center. The city was full of energy and life.

For anyone coming to visit us during the time that the light show runs, this is a must do activity!

The Cathedral lit up with one of many displays of the evening.

                                    

The women dancing on stilts.

Not sure what this is suppose to be but there were many of them on display.

Looking good in the 3-D glasses

Another location of the light show, the theater

Here’s to another year

 

Prior to leaving for my time in MN I completed the paperwork necessary to renew my visa. Given my experiences in the visa process in the past I wasn’t expecting for it to go very smoothly. I gathered all of the documents that were listed requirements and put a few others in just in case. James and I went to the prefecture office to submit my documents and request the renewal. To my total shock and amazement this was completely painless and we were out of there after about a 10 minute interaction. I was given a receipt that showed I had made the renewal request. This receipt served as proof of the renewal until my official visa was available to pick up (in case my current visa date expired).

While I was in MN, James got notice that the visa was ready to be picked up. The paper said it had to be done within 8 days. This was a slight problem as I wasn’t even going to be back in the country for 12 days. He went to the prefecture to discuss this and was told not to worry, that it would be available for up to one month.

Upon my return to France I went to the prefecture alone (am I getting brave or what ?), paid the required fee of 106 Euros (much less than the 340 Euros for my 1st visa), and was given my Carte de Sejour. Success! This officially means that I am allowed to stay and work in France for another year!

What do James and I decide to do to celebrate? Why go out for sushi of course!!! Totally French of us huh?

                                           

                                                   Here is a sampling of our yummy sushi!

                                            

                           Proudly showing off my Carte de Sejour outside of the Prefecture office!

                                  

Increasing the cozy factor

 

This weekend we did a little DIY/decorating in the apartment. It is nothing major but the affect is wonderful. As most of my friends and family can attest, I enjoy decorating and creating a home. This process hasn’t been as fast as I would like it to be with our new apartment but I am finding a way to increase the cozy factor a little at a time.

While I was back in the states I was able to hit up my trifecta of favorite stores: Target, Ikea, and TJMaxx, for a few items. Additionally, one of the best things about our new items is that a few of them were made by my grandma with a little help from me (I would like to take more credit but she really did a most of the sewing). I also was able to make a few pillow cases for our bedroom with the assistance of Molly (who is quickly becoming a sewing guru). I love that I was able spend time with both of these ladies and to do some crafty things while I was home. It is one of my favorite activities and I haven’t been able to do much of that in France up to this point.

So I won’t keep you waiting any longer, here are some photos of the lovely additions to our home. There will be more to come as soon as some boxes arrive, as my shopping in the states exceeded the suitcase capacity, no big surprise there!

The table runner with a fun reversible option.

One of the new pillows that My grandma helped to sew (2 others arriving in the boxes)

James installing the curtain rods. Before and after

Maelle’s room, before and during. We underestimated the size of her window so will get another curtain panel to complete it.

The fancy pillowcases I made with Molly.

So there you have it, the fun little updates. There will be more to come…

I am Fancy and I know it!

This post comes to you from the train on my way home from work. As  mentioned in my previous post about the generosity of others during my time in MN, this blogging in motion is made possible by dear friends.

In a conversation with one of my bff’s prior to my trip back to MN, I had told her that I was still somewhat struggling to meet people in France and find ways to connect and create a social circle here. I have some wonderful coworkers but outside of work I haven’t been able to find avenues to meet people (besides James as I also don’t expect him to find me my own friends). We had talked about how the blog was really a good outlet for me and maybe through the blog I would find others in France feeling the same. During our chat I told her that I spend so much time on the train everyday and it would be the perfect use of time to blog, however I was going to need to look into getting a lightweight mini computer to really make that something easy and practical. So one of my shopping tasks while in the states was to check out my options and specifically netbooks.

Fast forward a few weeks and I am having coffee with the above mentioned bff. At the end of our coffee date she told me that her and her husband would like to help make it possible for me to get a netbook. This should have come as no surprise as she is one of my biggest life cheerleaders, but this act of generosity literally brought me to tears.

Thank you will never be enough, and if the blog doesn’t help me find one single friend here in France I still know I have the most amazing friends on the other side of the pond!!

Gratitude

Five weeks ago I boarded a plane and cried as I said goodbye to James in Paris. At that time I knew that I had a return date set for France but it felt like all of the other times leaving him in France and not knowing when we would be together again.

Today my time in MN comes to an end and I have shed a lot of tears saying goodbye to everyone near and dear to my heart that are here. As I sit here waiting for my flight back to France I wonder what it would be like to have everyone I love on the same continent. 

It is quite hard to sum up how amazing my time here in MN has been. I have been showered with love and generosity and my heart is overflowing with gratitude for all of the people I am lucky enough to have in my life. I believe that it is possible for me to have pieces of my heart in two different countries because of this and knowing that I am returning to James.

Prior to coming for this visit I knew that I would enjoy my time here and being able to connect with everyone in person. During my visit I got to meet 5 brand new itty bitty family members, run around and create memories with my niece and nephews, see most of my amazing friends, and hang out with my wonderful family.

The only thing missing from this trip was James and the girls. I am grateful that James understands the importance of me being here and loving me enough to allow us to be separated for almost 5 weeks.

So I leave MN today sad, but also thankful and blessed. I am returning to France and SO excited to see James and discover where some new possibilities that are on the horizon take me.

While thank you doesn’t seem like a strong enough statement I hope my parents, family, friends and James know that I am forever grateful for having them in my life and for their endless love and support!

Keeping it real...

This post is slightly different from most of my entries but it's just me keeping it real with my thoughts and feelings...

I have been so excited for my trip back to see friends and family. Like a kid counting down the days until the end of the school year kind of excited! Yesterday was my last day of work prior to leaving so that I could give myself a day to pack and get some things done at home before leaving tomorrow.

Yesterday afternoon I found myself a bit unsettled about the trip, strange and so unexpected! I tried to figure out what in the hell could be wrong with me! Really I am SO excited to see my people and do some things I have been missing like crazy so why could I possibly be anything but over-the-moon happy about getting a month in MN.

After a little analysis (no one should be surprised that I analyze, and often times over-analyze) I have come up with 2 things that have caused a slight shift in my feelings. The first is quite obvious (well to me it is), I am sad that I am not going to be able to share this month with James. The logical side of me knows that it isn't possible for this trip but I know I am going to have SO much fun and I hate that he will miss out on that. I also love when he can spend time with the other people I love because him being able to connect to them is important to me too.

The second reason is a bit more difficult to admit and talk about. In this last year I have continued on my journey to try and lead a healthier lifestyle and lose weight. This has been a pretty long journey for me and I have worked hard to get to where I am today. I am still not at my goal but have made some more progress this last year. There are things that are included in my life here that are just naturally part of my day and help me to stay on track. Going back to the states is going to challenge me in this area.

I am aware that there are certain things that will contribute to the challenge for me there. Some of the main ones are that:
A lot of my socializing will include food or drinks.
There are favorites that I haven't experienced in a year (restaurants and foods that are not easily available in France).
It is easy to overeat things when I think in terms of "OMG I don't know when I will be at this restaurant again or have this meal again so I better really enjoy it!"

However, I have found along this journey that knowledge and putting my fears out there will help me to stay on track. So after giving it a lot of thought I have a plan (again, who is surprised that this girl likes a plan). I want to enjoy going to dinner with friends and indulging a bit in things but I need to find a balance and ways to be active while I am there too.  I am going to try and be active in some way each day (just as I am most of the time in France) and I am going to try to eat intuitively (in hopes that I am eating when hungry and not overeating or eating just to eat).

So that is where I am at this morning. I want to return to France still on track, I want to prove to myself that I am capable of things that are difficult in this area of my life.  I don't anticipate that I will lose weight during this month that I am back in MN but I hope that I come back to France having maintained (and not gaining). My main goal is to enjoy every last second of my time there, spending it with amazing people and doing fun things!!!

I am off to get those suitcases ready now!!!!

Winner, winner, chicken dinner...

Or more like winner, winner, wine or chocolate!!!!

There were a whooping 11 entries for the giveaway (3 people who subscribed as a "follower") and 8 comments! So I numbered the entries from 1-11, starting with the followers as numbers 1, 2, and 3 and then comments were number 4-11 in order that they were made.

I am sure you are all on the edge of your seats to find out who won, so I won't keep you waiting any further.

Winner number #1 is Rod and Jody. So you get to choose which of the items you prefer. The other winner is DRA.

So Rod and Jody if you could let me know ASAP which you choose so I can get the other gift to winner #2.

Thanks so much for all of you who participated! I will be answering all of your questions in an upcoming post. However my suitcases are sitting empty and require me getting my butt in gear to pack :)