Six months come and gone...

I am currently sitting on our living room couch- it is 9:35am...I didn't set an alarm to wake up to- the apartment is silent except for my fingers on the keyboard. It's very strange. But before I go into the goodbyes...let me tell you about our last week in Paris.

We tried to keep our usual schedule as much as possible for the last week- the kids and I play in the morning, lunch and nap, off to school and then to the playground after school, and back home. Cory was still completely obsessed with his airplane and airport...an activity that he can play on his own for a very long time. I have to steal a story from the dad's blog...so the kids REALLY like to play "traveling"...every single day we play some form of it. Cory starts out "mom, we have an airplane to catch at 8o'clock...let's go" (he calls Addy mom) and off they go. I am their taxi driver to the airport, check them in at the airport, am their flight attendant on the airplane, and then check them in at the hotel they are staying in when they arrive wherever they are going (the destination changes...recently it has been back to Barcelona). Literally, we play this game EVERY DAY. Since maybe 2 weeks in to Barcelona...obviously because travel has become such a big part of their lives. Well, they have recently gotten really into Peter Pan. They watched the movie a while ago and were afraid of Captain Hook, but after much convincing that Captain Hook isn't actually mean, he is only pretending..and seeing lots of billboards in the subway with him, they are finally over it and LOVE the movie. And the songs, and love that I can pretty much quote the whole movie to them. So their airplane game has turned into a mix of airport and Peter Pan...apparently Peter Pan and Captain Hook need to get to Barcelona at 8o'clock. Swords and all. It might be a "you have to be there" kind of story. :)

Moving on...the kids had their Halloween party at school on Friday- they don't do much for Halloween in Paris...in fact, the grocery store is full of Christmas stuff already...no Halloween and no Thanksgiving...we thought the stores at home bring Christmas in too early! I hauled their Halloween costumes with us on the train and got them dressed up at school with all their little friends...super cute! It was their last day of school so we had to do the goodbyes...which was harder than I anticipated. I have really gotten to know and like a few of the moms...so we all exchanged information and promised to keep in touch.

Over the weekend I did a lot of wandering and admiring of the city...we had some nice weather- cold but clear...and I did a lot of walking. I went to a meetup "nightlife" group on Saturday. We went to a restaurant that is supposed to have the best crepes in Paris...I don't know if they were the best...but they were pretty darn delicious. And we drank mucho cider- which is traditionally what you drink with crepes, I guess. After the dinner we all (about ten people) went out to a pub and hung out, and then to a little jazz piano bar to listen to some tunes. It was really fun...met some great new people that I would totally be friends with if I was staying here. Oh well...depending on the election, I may move back. hehe.

Monday was a little bit tough...the kids didn't have school, most of their toys were packed away AND it was raining...so we were stuck inside with not a lot to do. There was a break in the rain for a little while, so we rushed out to the park to get a little bit of running in...and then got caught in a huge downpour. Some nice fellow let us into the entryway of an apartment building where we stood and played "Simon Says" until the rain stopped and then ran back home.

The cab came to pick us up for the airport at 5:45am. I offered to help with the whole airport checking in process...up until security when I couldn't go with them. There were some long lines, but luckily, due to the airport game...the kids are old pros and things went pretty much as smoothly as could be...considering the seven 50+lb bags of luggage, car seats, stroller, snacks, plane activities, etc we were lugging around. I warned the guys ahead of time that I'm not big on the dramatic goodbyes...that I'll visit sometime soon and we can skype...it really isn't any big deal. So we all hugged, said our big thanks...Addy was very sweet and nearly made me cry when she started crying and hugged me and said "I want you to come on the airplane to South Orange"...we waved, blew kisses, and then they were through the security gate.

Conveniently, my friends that were flying in, came in about half an hour after that...so I had a coffee and waited. It was nice to have an instant distraction and not have to think about going home to the empty apartment. So we came back, dropped luggage off and headed out to walk a little bit (before a nap was in order for all). I took them over to Notre Dame, over my favorite bridge as the sun was starting to go down...sigh, I am going to miss that. And we got caught in a little rain, so we ran into a brasserie and had a bowl of soup and some wine. Then headed back home for some yummy baguette, a few different delicious cheeses, apples, wine...sooo good. Again- sigh...I am going to miss that!!

So here I am...sitting on the couch in silence typing up my blog. I am very much looking forward to my travel time and then to returning home...and figuring out what to do with my life next- any ideas?!

Hope you are well...I'll be blogging (and emailing) along my travels (the rest of France, Istanbul, and Italy) so don't worry, just because I am now unemployed (ish) you will still get my stories.

Later...

The pressure is on...

With just over a week left in our 6-month adventure, the pressure to spend it the best possible way is overwhelming. I’m glad I have a couple of extra days in Paris after the family leaves so Ican wind it down on my own.

I finally got back on track, literally, for some running…it had been several weeks of being sick/busy/lazy…and finally, after harassing Matt about not blogging- he told me he would write a new blog as soon as I went running…ouch. So, I went. And I’m sore, but glad to be working out again.

The kids and I had a typical week- play in the morning at the house or playground (depending on the rain). Then lunch, books, nap and off to the metro for our long commute to school. Then to the park after school with their little friends and back home. Cory had his 4th birthday on Monday…Rob and Matt found balloons and decorations and baked a cake. He got an amazingly detailed, huge airplane and airport for a present…and LOVES it…he has been taking such good care of it- I thought we would lose half the pieces by now for sure. On Wednesday(no school) Matt took Cory to a science museum and Addy and I had some time to ourselves. We did some painting and decorated a “pumpkin” (it was actually a squash) and then went out to a café for a croissant and a quick carousel ride.

I went on a meet up adventure on Saturday to learn about urban street art in Paris. It was really cool. The two organizers really know a lot about the street art scene- have met with some of the artists and done interviews and such. Mostly we saw stenciling. Most of the artists are in their 50’s and have day jobs (interestingly, many are teachers) and aren’t doing it to rebel or deface property- they actually usually get permission or else find a wall that is already in pretty bad shape. One of the guys started doing it because he used to walk his son to school everyday and the area they lived was really rundown and depressing, so he wanted to add some color to his son’s day. Very cute. Anyway, I learned quite a bit, and can now appreciate the art (that I usually don’t even notice) that is all around me here, in Paris. I feel a little bit more connected to Paris- like I know something that other people don't...

And in typical “living here for 3 months” fashion, I met some cool people, that I would, of course, like to stay in touch with and would probably hang out with and become friends with if I was here longer…boo. Three months…such an annoying length of time. We had lunch after the art tour- visited a new area of the city which was really cool…had a fantastic morning/afternoon.

Today (Sunday) I got up and strolled over to the Jardin du Luxembourg for a run...it was really nice- too bad I didn't think of doing that before. The path around the outside is just about a mile, so a couple of times around the park is a good workout...and it is pretty...flowers, fountains...you know, typical Paris park. I strolled back home and am working on a couple of projects here and am heading out to mass at Notre Dame and then to a Pub for some live music this evening. Again, figuring it all out, just before leaving.

Other than that, I am still just trying to figure out my schedule for the time I have to travel…constantly.

Hope you are well and I will be seeing you soon.

The countdown has begun...

We have just about two weeks left in our 6 month adventure…which just seems unbelievable. And while you loyal readers are aware of my love for Paris…I really am looking forward to going home. I told Matt the other day that I really miss my favorite cereal- he didn’t find that too strange seeing as I go through cereal on an above average basis. I haven’t written in a little while, so let me catch you up…

I forgot to mention my trip to Versailles in my last blog. I took the train out a couple weekends ago to visit the extravagance that is Versailles. It was actually sort of an annoying experience. Don’t get me wrong, the palace and the grounds were breathtaking…but the crowds and lines were ridiculous. I went on a Saturday…but not during tourist season. I waited in line to buy a ticket to get in for 40 minutes. Then had to elbow my way through a mass of people in a “line” to get my audio guide…and the rooms were a bit hard to get through because of the number of people. They have some art on display inside the palace by Jeff Koons that is….interesting. I understand that many of the pieces had some kind of significant meaning to their placement, etc…but I felt like a big purple balloon dog sculpture and an inflatable lobster hanging from the ceiling sort of took away from the experience of Versailles. Maybe that’s just me.

The kids grandparents- Mimi and Papa were in town for a few weeks…so we had a lot of people in our little apartment, but we all had fun visiting museums, playing at the park and spoiling the kids with all kinds of new toys. Those two left and Rob’s friend Jean and her son Sean came in for a long weekend visit. Sean is ten and Cory just idolizes him.

Last weekend was my last “free first Sunday” at the museums. I went to the Pompidou- which is a modern art museum. The building itself is very modern- one of those places that Parisians can’t decide if they like or can’t stand because it stands out so much against the old stuff. It is huge and had some really cool art in it. Sometimes I think it is really interesting, and sometimes…like in the case of the inflatable chair exhibit…I think, ummm- pretty sure I had these pieces in my college dorm room. How does one decide that is art…but it generally has some kind of social implication. I’m not sure what that was for the inflatable chairs, as most of the information was in French. I also visited the Louvre...which was pretty crowded. I had already spent a few hours in the Pompidou and wasn't up for too much at the Louvre...I visited a couple areas I hadn't seen before- went to the Napoleon apartments area which was actually almost more impressive than Versailles. But that was all I could take for one day.

The kids are really enjoying school- and I am enjoying getting to know the other moms. We have started taking the kids to a nearby park right after school gets out. It is the cutest thing…there are 6 kids involved in the transport from school to the playground…and there is so much hand holding, hugging, running, yelling and laughing that takes place en route. Very cute. The moms asked me about my plans after the family goes home- am I interested in staying in Paris…they figure between the 3 of them, they can give me enough babysitting work to make a living. It was very nice…and not a bad option considering thecurrent job market at home. I could work part time at Disneyland, part time babysitting, make my own schedule…and enjoy Paris for a bit longer. Definitely something to think about after the holidays.

Cory has his 4th birthday tomorrow…I made a trip out to Disney Village today to buy a few birthday presents. And did some good old fashioned outlet shopping at the outlet malls…is there some rule about having an outlet mall near Disney? They don’t even have outlet malls out here, but there was one just a short walk from Disney.

I think that is all I have to report for now. I have been sick with a cold for the past week, so haven’t been out much. I have been doing much research about my 3 weeks of traveling after the family goes home…still unsure of my exact plans, but definitely narrowing it down.

Hope all is well with you…be seeing you very soon.

A surprise trip to Seattle

I broke our little bubble that we have created for the past 5 months in Europe and hit the air for a quick weekend trip to Seattle for one of my very best friend's wedding. It was a trip I had been going back and forth on, basically since May...checking airfare- deciding it was just too ridiculous for such a short weekend trip...and then thinking about the event going on without being there and feeling like there was just no way in the world I could miss it. So after months of going back and forth...I decided that since it was that important to me, I needed to just do it.

So I took off at 4:30am Friday morning, hopped in a cab to the main train station (the smaller stations don't start running until 5:30) and then took the train to the airport. My flight to London was a short hour long flight. And then I had a 7-hr layover. One might think that would be a major bummer...you are tired and just want to get there...but oh no...this 7 hour layover meant I could get a bit of sightseeing done in a city I've never been to. So in the two and a half hours I had (between train time to and from the airport and making sure I had enough time to get back through security) I managed to see: the London Eye, Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace (and they happened to be doing the changing of the colors while I was walking by there), Tower of London and the Tower bridge. The quick trip on no sleep just really reinforced the fact that I most definitely am a rock star. You should be impressed.

Then I climbed aboard the longest flight of my life. Oh my gosh. Despite being exhausted, I wasn't able to sleep at all on the plane...and had the shortest attention span ever...I couldn't bring myself to sit through any of the movies they offered- and they had good movies...I was just totally restless...for ten hours. Ugh. Plus, there was a period of time while we were flying over Iceland with 200mph winds that created quite a bit of turbulence...not fun.

But I arrived safely and was greeted (after the endless line through customs) by my mom and sister...very exciting. We chatted and then Jess had to get back to work and Mom and I grabbed some dinner. After which, I jumped in the car and headed up to Seattle to surprise the bride at her bachelorette party (did I mention that I never told her I booked the ticket-so she had no idea). Funny how normal it all felt- jumping in the car and heading up to Seattle...being totally annoyed as I searched for parking spots near Belltown- after 6 months of being gone. Nothing changed (except apparently south center...which I didn't go to, but heard is amazing now).

After a bit of running around- my insiders at the bachelorette party weren't quite sure what the plan was- I decided to sit at the little french cafe downtown, that I never really appreciated until now- and have my usual Paris Cafe au Lait...and was surprised/overjoyed when I got the bill and the price was about half of what I pay in Paris...in euros- so less than half. It is going to be wonderful to go home and everything will seem so cheap. Anyway...I finally managed to catch up with them...I had been awake for about 29 hours at that point...the girls brought her out with her eyes closed and she turned around and "surprise"...oh my gosh....she was just priceless. Scream, crying, hugging...it was great. Sadly, I could only stay for a few minutes.

I woke up early on Saturday (6 hours of sleep) and met my sisters, dad, nieces and nephew for breakfast at my favorite Auburn spot- Sunbreak Cafe. It was great...they have the best banana bread ever. And it was soooo nice to see the kids...and have them still know who I am. I was a little worried they wouldn't care less about their long-lost aunt Eryn...but they hugged me and wanted to sit by me at breakfast. Pheeew. Then Dad, Danielle, the girls and I headed to Ellensburg to see my youngest sister play in a college soccer game...because my littlest sister is in college now..what?!?! She showed us her dorm room and made fun of her roommates. My aunt Noelle and cousins Tanner and Hunter came out to catch the end of the game and had lunch with us. A big blending of my family...so great. Then us western Washington-ers headed back west. I went back home and fell asleep pretty quickly- so tired.

The next morning was the big wedding day. I met my pal Amy in the eff dub to carpool down to Olympia together. Jen was there snapping everyone's photos and Katy was wandering around making sure all was okay..and wedding pics were being taken...it was all very surreal. Jessica looked absolutely gorgeous...her mom came over and hugged me and I just about lost it right there...but, I kept the tears in. The ceremony/reception overlooked the Puget Sound...the weather was amazing- could not have asked for a prettier day.

After the wedding I went back home for dinner- where my mom made my favorite dinner...what I used to choose for my birthday (before we just started going out to eat for birthdays)...and then went to bed- still not fully sleep recovered.

Monday morning Mom and I loaded up just about EVERYTHING in my bedroom- all the boxes that my mom spent hours and hours and hours packing up- and took them to my storage spot. So I no longer have a bedroom at home. Very sad. I dropped her off at a meeting and jetted back up to Seattle for a quick hello to my old Starbucks store, while having a pumpkin spice latte...oh my gosh, how excited was I for some pumpkin spice?!?! you have no idea....and had possibly the shortest conversation with Ian McFeron in history, caught up with Jessica and Luke for a quick goodbye and then off to the airport.

Mom dropped me off and my dad met me there to say bye. And then, as I was walking to security...out jumps Jessica and Luke with a big "surprise"...I nearly cried (except that I don't)...they got me a pass into the First Class lounge so I could enjoy snacks and drinks while I waited to board...so nice, so thoughtful...and so wonderful to be surprised. So, while I wanted to sit and chat with them- I had a pass for free food and drinks, so I had to book it. hehe.

Now I am back in Paris. Still exhausted. Mimi and Papa are still here and the three of us spent the day with the kids (Matt and Rob went to Rome for a few days)...and they just took them to the park and told me they didn't need me...so I am thinking about taking a nap...although I should try to get back on my normal sleep schedule.

I loved being home. I really do think Seattle is just the greatest place...besides being beautiful and having pumpkin spice lattes...it has most of my favorite people there (with a few exceptions, of course- although you people that are favorites of mine and aren't in Seattle...you really should be) and my favorite people are the best. I can't wait to go home.