Cheese, Pastries and Children: My Year in France: April 2015

This is nothing against my own mother, she's a saint and an amazing woman. But weekends in my house in France SMELL SO AMAZING. My real mom can cook and she taught me so much about cooking and now I can cook pretty well. (the baking, that's all my sister) But during the weekends when I am home in France, it smells amazing. My mom here normally cooks pretty good stuff on the week days but it is always weekends that we have the best meals. Today, Sunday February 1, it smells so good in this house. I wish I could put something up so y'all could smell it. I don't even know what it is and I don't actually care. I have eaten some crazy shit since I have lived in France and I am a picky eater. Like seriously picky. I think it is one of the best things I have learned since being here. You just have to try it. If you hate it after fine. I will tell you peas, I still cannot do peas. No way. But, I do eat beans sometimes I eat rabbit smelly cheese. The food in this country is undeniably good.

I have recently been hitting up the movies in France on Sunday's when no one is in Paris and it is kinda great. The English movies have French subtitles which is actually kind of great cause it is also like a school lesson. A two for one, if you will. I have seen Foxcatcher and The Riot Club. The Riot Club is a British film full of really hot dudes. It isn't out in America and from what I can tell it won't be, so I am pretty lucky to have gotten to seen that. Lucky and happy. Haha. There is also a German movie coming out that I believe is called Phoenix. The shitty part about this is, it is in German, I don't speak German and so the subtitles are in French. My French reading is at about a 75% sooo seeing this might be difficult but I think we are going to try anyway. It really looks so good.

A few weeks ago I went to one of our regular bars and it was a country night. I can't begin to explain to you what it was like hearing a VERY American old guy sing country songs and people were even dressed up, including the owner of the bar. It kinda felt like home. Brought back tons of memories, that is for sure, and it was nice to make new ones as well. But goodness, if you could have heard how this guy was talking, it was way way too much.

A while back I had a conversation with my older kid about leaving. His mom and I were discussing how I was going to be leaving and coming back two different times. He said to me that I had to come back. And I told him that at sometime I had to go home and I wouldn't be coming back. And he asked why and I said because I was sure his parents did not want me living there forever, and he said "but I love you". This is one of the worst parts about this. I figured I would become close to these people but I never really thought about the consequences. This killed me. I have made family forever in these people I have lived with but moving and not seeing them everyday is starting to kill me. I am getting really close to leaving here and with all the trips and things I have planned in the next few months it is going to fly by. This is by far one of the worst parts about having this experience.

Every once and a while we become much happier in this house thanks to french wine. Catch my drift? A lot of these times end up in really deep and philosophical conversations with my mom here. It is kind of great. I will miss this a lot. We talk about everything from religion to marriage to gun control the difference in the US, France and the Czech Republic. It is really a great thing for me to be able to have someone who has had experiences in all these places. We recently went to a costume party together and that was super fun. She was egging me on to talk to guys and it was awesome. If I ever needed a wing woman, she would probably be my go to. It helps that she doesn't look any older than me. It was all made even better by the fact that I was the designated driver that evening. Speaking of the party, it was amazing. I was absoultly shocked in how much every single person participated and was dressed up. Everyone was dancing and getting into it. This doesn't always happen at things I have been to in the past. The whole experience was great. The food, the champagne (yea I did have one of these) the costumes, the dancing, all of it. Below is a picture from us. Kind of. haha.

My older kid took his english test for school. Like a majority of the reason my French family wanted an au pair was to teach the older kid English so he could test and get into this international school. The school day is mostly in French but then they break off to small groups to learn English. Well...MY KID PASSED. My work here is done...thanks...but not. Haha. I am still here for a while and now the family refuses to speak to me in English so I can get better at French. This should be fun. Speaking of school, I was actually the only one at school the other day. The teacher asked me if I wanted to go home or have class. Well apparently I didn't answer fast enough because she said I was staying. It was kind of awesome. We spoke in French and we talked about cultural shit and phrases we say in America compared to France and it was kind of awesome.

So not only was I lucky enough to have my family be here when I ran my first half marathon ever, but my cousin, friend and amazing running coach is coming to Paris to run in the Nike Women's 15k in June!!! I am so excited!!!

So my backpacking trip is all planned! Well most of it. We at least have places to sleep and ways to get to each place. We are going to London, Amsterdam and Lisbon, Portugal. I really could not be more excited. I want it to come now, but at the same time that means the end of this time here in France. If anyone has an ideas of places to visit or places to eat, the most important, please let me know. I am open to all suggestions.

In a few weeks it's a holiday again. My last one here till summer when I work a little bit for the family cause they asked me too. Why not extend my time here before I get back to the real world, whatever that is these days. Well I am excited to finally CONFIRM we are going to the Czech Republic. The mom, dad and I are staying in Prague without the kids for a few days and then we will continue on to the village where the mom lives. I am actually not even sure where it is, I just know it is a small place. I am incredibly excited about this opportunity for so many reasons. The food, the scenery, the language, the customs. All of it. I get a small taste of the Czech world seeing as how I live with someone from there but there is no way it can be the same. I am really excited. I have also been told by several people that Prague is a place you HAVE to visit. I am not however looking forward to 12 hours squished in between a car seat and booster seat for the drive over there...that should be a real experience.

Recently I have found Chipotle in France and if you follow my social media you will see that. I wondered around Paris this past week and I have included some pictures. I have been shopping a lot looking for things I need for my backpacking trip, I am so excited. I also went to a castle this weekend. It is amazing to me that up the street I could go to any number of castles. CASTLES PEOPLE! I have been to so many since living here and it is an amazing experience every time. The Louvre is a castle and from the outside you can tell but the inside is a museum. The other places I have been, you can actually see the real insides. I have included some pictures below.

A lot has been happening and I know I have not written a lot and for that I am sorry. Follow my social media, I try hard to post on that as often as possible. I have included a bunch of pics and just stuff around. I will label them so you know what they are. Things are good here and I am still running, most of the time. Haha. It isn't easy and it is starting to get hot which is awful. I complain, but I complained during winter too. I might as well get use to the heat again. I am sure I will have a solid post after my trip. We leaving Friday for the Czech Republic. We are going to Prague for a few days then the village where the mom is from. I seriously cannot wait. It should be interesting because they don't speak French or English and actually the dad here doesn't speak much Czech, just the basics. I will get to go to a bridal show while I am there which I literally cannot. I am very much into event planning in case you didn't know and this is going to be so cool to see how another country gets married and to see how they have these events. The event will actually be in, you guessed it, a castle. Haha. I have the perfect cute outfit which I just bought. I am sure there will be pictures to accompany that later! I work full time this week before we leave and I worked mostly full time last week cause one of my kids was sick and the nanny had time off. So it should be interesting. Pray for me.

Ah! Last thing, I wanted to make a list of things I miss, a lot...
-Shower curtains. Apparently they don't love them here, ever, its so strange.
-A clothes dryer. I WANT A DRYER BACK!!
-Cold drinks. This takes getting use to and it is possible to overlook it but goodness. I want a cold beverage with ice!!!

This whole post is probably a bit of a disappointment, specially compared to the last one but this is all I got for now. I will try hard to do better next time and I will try and write during my trip next week so it will be all ready when I come home!

I love music, I think I have made that more than clear as of recent. I am stuck on a few songs lately and there are a few songs that are on my life's playlist. Here they are for your enjoyment. Seriously listen or don't or hate or love them but music is everything. Really.
Big Sean- I don't fuck with you (here)
Shawn Mendes- Life of the party (here)
Shawn Mendes- Stitches (here)
Mumford & Sons- Believe (here)
Mumford &Sons- The Wolf (here)
Avicii- The Nights (here)
Avicii- The Days (here)
Imagine Dragons- I bet my life (here)
Elle Henderson- Ghost (here)
Jason Aldean- Burnin' it down (here)
Fetty Wap- Trap Queen (here)
Kendrick Lamar- King Kunta (here)
Hozier- Foreigner's God (here)
Fall Out Boy- Uma Thurman (here)

Title quote: This gem is from the book Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.