SEC Bound?

Oh wow, this is embarrassing.  The most embarrassing thing I've seen in a really long time.  I am certain that the students from the University of Missouri really regret this....and I'm not sure that any team in the SEC goes unscathed knowing that we let these crazies in America's best football conference.

I know as a Rebel fan I don't have any room to talk...14 straight SEC losses?  But...if it's one thing we do right it is keeping things classy.  You're going to have to step up your game, Mizzou...and I'm not talking on the football field.  

Hotty Toddy.  

Memory Lane

Well, I did it.  Tonight...I took a trip down memory lane.  I was just telling my mom how sometimes it feels like the past two years never happened.  Things at home didn't change that much and I feel like I've been thrown back into a world that is stuck in time.  But the funny thing is...I've done more in the past two years than most people even dream of doing in their lifetime.  People tell me all the time that they think it is so wonderful and courageous what I did...and how truly amazing and lucky I must be.  I really didn't believe them..until now.  It doesn't matter what God brings my way at this point, because I have lived a dream that was a long time in the making.  Not only did that dream come true, but I am a better person for having lived and experienced it with adventure and passion.  

I clicked through hundreds of facebook photos this evening...starting from my first weeks in Paris on up to my very last day.  I've done some pretty incredible things in the past two years.  Things that were scary, things that were breathtaking, things that were just downright stupid...and I don't regret any of them!  I know Paris like the back of my hand and I wouldn't have it any other way!  All of my exploring, entire weekends of hitting the pavement, all the travel and expense, all of the photos clogging my computer memory, and all of the stamps in my passport were so incredibly worth it.  

But you know what makes all of the exploring, traveling, and silliness worthwhile?  The beautiful, smart, talented, compassionate friends I made along the way.  Every single one of you (you know who you are) made my time in France complete and I wouldn't have had as much fun without knowing you.  From Australia to South Africa and England back to Paris, I thank you!! I am prettttty good at picking friends no matter where I go (I've got some truly amazing (the best) one-of-a-kind friends....more than any one girl could hope for)...but in France-I made some rockin' choices, and they chose me-isn't that the best kind?  Everyone I have come in contact with has molded my experience in Paris in some way...and I will forever cherish that.  We had some really good times...haven't we?  A few I will never forget:

Teaching the crowd at Pomme d'Eve how to line dance. 

Ashleigh's Eiffel Tower pastry and champagne birthday.  

Hannah's visit to Paris and London.

Taylor and I exploring not only Paris, but Budapest together.  

Ice Skating on the Eiffel Tower.

Laura and I visiting Kerry for a little ski trip in the Alps. 

The Cinque Terre.  Enough said.  

"Being" l'Arc de Triomphe on my 25th birthday.

Cozying up with Rozy in the "C" at Parc Floral. 

Paris in the snow.

Being a kid again at Disneyland Paris...twice. 

Jour du Macaron!!

Jimmy Buffett with 300 of my closest parrotheads.  

The way everything tastes different in Provence.  

Swimming in the freezing cold Ligurian Sea with Ashleigh.

Late night crêpes with nutella and butter of peanuts.  

Walking by the Moulin Rouge on a twice daily basis.

And those don't even begin to touch the surface with the family or Marie-Césare...I shall save that walk down memory lane for a later date.  

So to all my dear friends, in your different cities and countries, with different lives going in a million different directions...merci.  I hope you know that no matter where you are or what you are doing, I will always be there for each and every one of you.  You have helped shape me into the person I am today.  You are part of my French family just as much as the Lachaize family is.  I will forever love each of you and keep near and dear to my heart the precious moments we spent together in Paris.  For it wasn't only a short-lived experience...but a memory that, to me, will last a lifetime.  

Terrible Reminders.

I woke up to an email this morning telling me that one year ago today I was in Champagne, France touring some of the most prestigious vineyards in the world. They then proceeded to ask me if I would take a survey for the tour group I used.

What a terrible way to remind you how fast time flies!!

Oxford! Oxford! Oxford!!

I've got to tell you, I'm really excited about going to Oxford, MS tomorrow with my mom!  (My 3rd home!) We are going to help Laine move in to her new apartment (Laine..in an apartment at 18? I have my doubts...).  She will be in rush practice all week singing door songs and learning how high she needs to jump during Pi Phi's skit, but we are going down to get things situated for her anyway...although I believe if my parents think she can have her own apartment at her age then I suppose she could situate herself?  I suppose a little push couldn't hurt.  Besides, I have OCD when it comes to organizing so at least her apartment will have the potential to be organized!  

I haven't been to Oxford since fall of 2009 and I am so super excited about going.  Everyone tells me it has changed so much in the past few years I can't wait to go see what is different-although I'm sure it will just make me angry and sad to see that they have let so many people into the University and that the town is too small for such rapid growth.  Oxford is just a little, southern town and it doesn't need to be junked up with so many chain restaurants and Home Depots.  But-I suppose it has changed a million times over since my parents were there so I guess its just a natural progression.  

Going to eat and visit all my favorite haunts-Newk's, Snackbar, BBB, Panini, City Grocery, Bouré, Two Stick, and any others I can fit in! Not to mention spending some time on the square and maybe at the Library (no, not the one with the books...).  Taking my camera so I'll keep y'all posted.  

Camels, Eiffel Towers, and Shortbread-Oh My!

I've had several "welcome home" parties over the past couple of weeks as I pass a little bit of time here in Lawrenceburg.  Mom held a lemonade and cookies get together last Friday for old and new neighbors, friends, and that night family came for pizza.  Last night their friends from Columbia came down as well as the Remke's and my dear friend Katie Lyn for a fun dinner on the patio.  Friday night was dinner at my dad's house.  My stepsister, Ann, has just returned from a language intensive summer program in Jordan (yes, the country) learning Arabic and of course I arrived last Monday so it seemed like a good idea to wait until we were both home.  We brought a different spin to the table this time and certainly a couple of more languages.  

What else was brought to the table?  These absolutely precious shortbread cookies Beverly made.  Camels for Ann and Eiffel Towers for me...how seemingly appropriate!  

Not only were they delicious, they were cute as a button!  

The Last 24 Hours

My last day spent with the Lachaize family was spent in the shoe manufacturing capital of France-Romans.  Romans is just south of Lyon and began as a leather tanning hotspot, which over the years has turned into the finest shoe manufacturing city in France.  There is a museum, several schools on how to make shoes, and even some pretty decent outlet shops selling some of France's high end designers' shoes like candy.  I didn't enjoy the shopping part, as we went directly from the train station to their friends' house overlooking the beautiful mountains and lush, green countryside below.  Franck grew up in Romans and we were staying with one of his childhood friends.  It was kinda neat to see Franck's old stomping grounds...where he went to school, his old gym, where he had his first job...

The first evening we relaxed, the kids played outside, and we ate outside under a beautiful tree with candles dangling from each branch.  The table had a simple white linen tablecloth with sage green dishes and beaded silverware.  We all piled in and had fresh steamed shrimp, grilled vegetables, and a bountiful plate of cheeses and baguettes.  It was fabulous.  Top it off with fresh, red, ripe strawberries and cream....it was a dreamy last dinner with my host family.  

The next morning we woke up and had breakfast just as the clouds were burning off the mountains.  We all piled into two cars and headed down the winding road to an old dirt path about 30 minutes outside of the city.  The two lane road reminded me of Highway 64 in North Carolina between Highlands and Cashiers....small and winding.  At the end of the chemin was a beautiful creek and swimming hole with crystal clear water (which we soon would find out to be freezing cold).  It looked to me to be like any other swimming hole I've found in Lawrence County...but they seemed impressed so I pretended to go along as well.  The kids had no idea what to do with themselves so I dove right in and got the party started.  

Trying to "catch" fish...knowing that those kids don't have enough patience to wait on any sort of animal.  

Definitely a first for Marie-Césare.

The kids followed suit, with their fish catching nets and Christian Dior flip-flops splashing in the creek.  We stopped for a little while to have a picnic lunch, but we all tried to keep busy to keep our minds off of my leaving later on the evening.  We all knew it...but couldn't mention it because it just opened up too many emotions.  

My super wonderful French family.  Miss them like they can't even imagine.  

Time came for us to journey to the train station and Marie-Césare did not want to go.  She pitched a giant fit...I don't know whether she knew what was happening and just didn't want to be a part of it, maybe she was scared, maybe she just didn't want to see me go...either way, I wish I could have pitched a fit and not gone either.  But-Chloé being the good mother that she is told her that there are things in life that we must be a part of and do even though we may not agree or want to....and she came along.  She was happy with her decision and we never heard another peep out of her.  I could barely keep my eyes dry on the way to the train station.  

The way the train station in Valence is built, only the people with tickets can descend onto the train platforms.  The man was pretty persistent, but he saw how sad I was and how Marie-Césare just wasn't quite ready to say goodbye, and thankfully he changed his mind.  We were able to spend our last precious 20 minutes together waiting for the giant TGV headed towards Paris.  

Chloé told me that she wouldn't have been able to succeed in her career without me, and without her having so much trust and loyalty invested in me.  I appreciated that more than anything...because there certainly were days when I felt like I was going the extra mile for nothing.  Even Franck shed a little tear, which I have never seen.  Marie-Césare couldn't get enough hugs and we played a few games passing the time on the platform.  She snuggled up to me and told me she loved me, and that she didn't want me to leave.  Gaspard didn't let go of me, and I practically had to pry him off.  It is really nice to know how much you are appreciated, and how much I really meant to this family.  But I am certain they were just as sad to see me go as I was to leave.  I certainly got lucky....but so did they...and we both knew it.  

The 3 hour train ride home was filled with racing thoughts, lots of tears, a pounding headache and countless Kleenex.  As I looked out over the French countryside I reflected on all the wonderful places I have seen, things I have done with the family, all the experiences and things I learned about myself, France, and the world.  But most of all I couldn't get little Marie-Césare out of my mind.  That precious little girl has taught me more about myself than anyone or anything.  We were perfect compliments to each other...teaching each other so much.  I thought about when they picked me up at the airport and she cried because she hated my ponytail.  I read her a book and she couldn't understand it so she ripped out the pages.  My, how she has grown up since then....she was practically a baby.  Two years is such a long time!  

I miss them like crazy and still think about them every other thought.  I know they probably don't do the same, and eventually Lillian, the new au pair, will come and be a quick replacement...but I know we will always hold a special place in each others hearts.  I have no doubt I will be back in the very near future....for the 10 hour airplane ride is nothing compared to valuable time spent catching up with the most caring, kindhearted, loving, loyal, silly, selfless family-that will forever be part of my own.  

Oh Paris, How I Miss You...

Things that I miss....