Cheese, Pastries and Children: My Year in France: It's not what we have in life but who we have in our life that matters

So I promised to write more often, and I kinda sorta kept to that. I wrote a post back on December 9 but for some reason half of it was erased. Awesome. So I never posted. Cause I suck. Instead, I am going to write about what me and my mom have been doing as well as trying to incorporate what wasn’t lost from my December 9 writings.

There are two songs I have been in love with lately. One, a new Corey Smith song called Moving Pictures. Listen to it here. And the other is Paramore Last Hope. Listen here. I believe in music and art. It can change the world. These songs have treated me amazingly as of recent, seriously listen to them.

I also wanted to give a quick shout out to my friend, running coach, and cousin. I mentioned her blog in one of my last posts but I should have made a bigger deal out of it and even included a link. Read Psyched2run here. It is a great blog, she’s an amazing woman and friend and go exercise!!

I am pretty sure my family is curious about what my mom and I are up to. So I will give you the breakdown thus far. On Monday, I went to get her at the airport via train. I swear. So much complicated. Not only is the airport an hour from Paris, but I live about 50 minutes from Paris. This was my first time doing this train hopping situation. I am pretty good at the trains and metros now but good lord. I had to take my train, to the metro to another train. Because I was kind of pooping my pants and because I woke up at 5am that day I got on a second train that wasn’t exactly right. There is a non-stop train from Chatlet (which means nothing to you all) to the airport…well of course I did not get on that one. 150 million stops later I got to the airport. Then I got stuck. Apparently I needed a separate ticket from Paris to the airport. I am not sure why because its within the 5 zones (I won’t try to explain the crazy that is the French transit system) so I figured I needed the special ticket I had. Well, that’s not true. SO ANNOYING. And honestly, how the hell was I supposed to know?! Then I had to get through the airport, which is a nightmare. Ps, this sounds like a lot of complaining and it kind of is, but at 6am having only ingested a banana and already had 60 issues, this wasn’t exactly fun. C’est dommage.

I got my mom!!! Then we had the bullshit of getting back home which was just that. I actually literally shit my pants on the train because we were running late (more train/ticket issues) and I was standing in line to get a ticket for my mom for the train when they blew the whistle. Well, me, my mom and her THREE suit cases ran to the train and threw the bags on, while one tumbled off the train, so we could catch it. This means I did not have a ticket. Well of course for the first time ever!!! They say they are going to check tickets, and I knew I was going to French jail. I never necessarily ever wanted to spend time in jail, much less a French one… but!!! Christmas miracle, they didn’t get check them? Anyway. Three suitcases. Yes my mother traveled to Europe for three weeks with as much luggage as I brought to live for a year. She is an amazing woman and I ordered about 3,000 things for Christmas for my French family and my mom brought as many of my gifts as humanly possible. Which apparently it is, in three suitcases. Haha.

The first day we spent with my French family. Hanging out eating (because, france) We had a French meal for lunch which is like some sausage and bean thing. My French mom doesn’t know the name, but it’s good. And salad of course. My mom and I went through her suitcases and I started wrapping some of my gifts while she took a nap. That evening we had another French dinner, the name I forget. But it is like a bunch of appetizers, essentially. My mom ate fois gras for the first time and got drunk on wine. Classic France. I am really glad she got to eat this stuff and have the experience with my family here because honestly they are the best.

The next day I spent doing some babysitting because my family was leaving for the Czech Republic. We had quiche for lunch, which I effing love and just spent time with them. They left about 3pm and just hung out. I made a dinner of leftovers and other things cause that’s what we do and we watched a movie. Rather uneventful.

Christmas eve we went to Paris. My mom kept (and keeps) saying how she can’t believe she is in Paris and in Europe. It is funny because I realize I am maybe taking it for granted. I use to feel the same way and now I just feel normal. Like this is my home and although clearly this is a dramatization, I don’t remember not living here. It’s just normal. We went to the American breakfast place because there is nothing like a fake American breakfast when you’re in France!

We were supposed to be staying in the flat that night but ended up not. We packed a bag and that morning dropped it off before breakfast and holy guacamole awkward. I, for whatever reason, am not smart enough to open the door to this place and this is not the first time. Last time was 4am and me and my friend were drunk while my French family were all sleeping inside. Anyway. Well I of course couldn’t open the door and that family was in the south of France for Christmas. Well, all of the sudden someone said hello from the otherwise of the door. Well answered it was a boy I did not recognize. I had no idea what to do and I couldn’t communicate exactly what I wanted to I was luckily connected to their internet having stayed their previously and I used my translator app to tell this kid what’s up. He asked us to wait in the dinning room and he was hastily cleaning the living room where he apparently just slept. Well I texted my French mom asking what the hell was up. She calls me in a panic and tells me to get out of the house now and call the police because no one was supposed to be there. All hell ensues, I am shitting myself, my French mom is panicking until 5 minutes later when we find out this kid is legit. The whole thing was so crazy and ridiculous.

So we eat and head to Notre Dame. It was so far a really nice day out. The church is an amazing site to see and my mom wasn’t let down. After, we walked around some streets and shops and then saw my favorite building, Hotel de Ville. We watched the ice skaters We did some shopping at a few different stores. After that we had an appointment at the Eiffel Tower. I had just recently done this with a friend but I was excited to go again. Before that, we had a hot dog in a baguette. Let me tell you. Ridiculous. Anyway. My mom was so excited to go to the Eiffel Tower and to go the top. It is kind of nice to see someone so excited about something and it was really awesome to share in that with my mom. It was so cold, of course, and raining. The fog rolled in and you could barely freaking see anything which was extremely irritating!!! We had dinner reservations so after that we headed to another area of Paris.

We were early so we walked around in the rain and checked out some of the things nearby. Dinner was amazing. (see pics) I did like a red wine tasting with our waitress when I couldn’t decide what I wanted. It was so awesome. I had a skirt steak with a blue cheese sauce, fries and oxtail macaroni. My new motto is when in France, eat all the weird shit you can that you would have never eaten before. Oxtail as it turns out kind of tastes like short ribs. My mother had filet, with ratatouille and pan fried mushrooms. The mushrooms were out of this world. Fried would not be the term I would use to describe these. They were like seared maybe and in garlic and spices and other good things. I had crème brulee for desert, because if you know me well this is my most favorite thing ever. My mom had an apple pie with ice cream. After we gorged ourselves we waddled to the train station and went home for the night.

Christmas day we wore our jammies, which I bought us cause they were matching but mine were blue and moms were pink. (see pic below) We had a breakfast of weird things and then we planned on hanging out and watching hallmark Christmas movies all day. Well…that apparently meant us falling asleep and not waking up until it was time to open gifts with my family. Skype is an amazing thing. We skyped Christmas with my dad, sister, brother and brother in law. We still had our traditions and ways we did things but it was just far away this time. It was weird and sad and I missed being around everyone. Again, oh well. Oh! Our Christmas dinner was a pizza. Haha. France has these really good pizzas in the cold section not frozen with all types of toppings we don’t really use…ie amazing cheese and veggies and hams. Anyway, that’s what we ate. I also drank like three sodas and ate chocolate for lunch. No wonder I wanted to pass out in a coma for hours. I am not sure that was the best diet, but hey, it was Christmas! And I am on vacation damn it! The rest of the evening we watched a movie and hung out. Also because I am awesome, I made some drawings of gifts for my mom and wrapped them for her. I have included them for your viewing pleasure below. I am a fucking artist. YOU CANNOT DENY IT!

The day after Christmas we were back in Paris. My mom again was still so excited about being in Paris. We ate lunch/breakfast at a bagel joint I have seen several times. It was okay. I probably won’t go back. France has not perfected the bagel. Again, C’est dommage. We then went to a park that has this relaly big large statute that I don’t know what it is. I mean I know that at some point every few years a group meets at it and travels to Jerusalem. Ps I suck at history. Seriously. I need to practice that. We wanted to hit up some museums yesterday so we made our first stop at the Louvre. What an overwhelming place. It was kind of too much especially when compared to other places. Yea, there is some great art in there but it’s so massive and there is so much and it’s so crowded. It’s just so. My mom saw the Mona Lisa which is what she wanted and I saw the Venus de Milo. You can’t come to France and not go to this place but I have to say it was too too much. Also, as a traveling tip, GET YOUR TICKETS IN ADVANCE. That is all.

We also went to this Christmas market my mother had been talking about for days. It was a letdown. Sadly. They put up a ferris wheel at the end of the Tuileries garden. The market was just behind there. She bought a magnet there and we had a nice time. My mom also, for whatever reason, is obsessed with the French military who are always everywhere so I had to take a picture of them for her. And now I refer to them as her friends every time I see them, which again is always.

We had dinner at a café we found and ate some quiche, spaghetti and a crepe. After, it started raining, which was awful because it was also so cold. We went to the Champs Elysees and saw the Arc de Triomphe. I wrote about this before but it is completely lit up at night for the holidays and it is totally amazing. You can’t put it into words and the pictures never ever do it justice.

I think this is all I will write for now. It is so much. We went to Paris again today but I will try to write again in like three days. We leave for England on Monday and I am so excited. Hopefully anyone reading this had a great Christmas or Hanukah or whatever holiday you celebrate at this period of time. Also!!! Thank you to my friends and family who sent me Christmas cards and a special thank you to my Aunt for an amazing package! I LOVE getting mail!

trials and tribulations of a fat food lover trying to run: as it turns out my latest issue is running at all. For about two weeks I was really sick and running a fever. I was actually getting really scared I was going to have to go see my semi-pleasant French doctor who only speaks French. It wasn’t until about two days ago that I could actually breathe above like 10%. What a nightmare. So. I have to start running again. Luckily I got some really great warm running stuff for Christmas because it is only getting colder here. I am super loving this RBX brand of clothes. I honestly don’t even know if this is a good brand or where you can buy it because I get it at like Marshalls and TJ max but I LOVE it. My sister got me some AMAZING gloves (ps running with cold hands sucks so much ween) and she also got me a running water bottle. Let me tell you how awful running in 30 degree weather for 9 miles is on your mouth and throat and stomach. It is the pits. I can’t wait to try these out and actually run again. I have like two months…kind of because February is like three quarters of a month and in that time I have three weeks of vacation…ahhh. Semi Paris please do not murder me. Merci.

Title quote: pinterest. cause. duh.