First impressions

I live here now, not in Paris exactly, but here as in France. This has been my world since Monday...pas longtemps. Everything is oddly familiar and yet completely new. I've visited here so often and I speak the language, I know this city better then I know most cities in America. Still, new.


Rain


Taking a nap in a cathedral with all my luggage


Washing lettuce in the bathtub


Purple metro tickets


Tiny dogs


Techno music in boutiques


Pear nectar


Afternoon naps


New dresses


First letter writing


Scarves; everyone everyone everyone wears one


Goat cheese and mustard potato chip dinner


Scenester party at Palais Tokyo


Fancy chic bar for drinks after


Mastering my pronunciation


Helping with English homework


Chocolate Mousse at midnight


Art exposition


Kir cassis


Cigarette smoke (in my clothes)

Orange alert

I've landed, I'm here.

The goodbye girl

Yesterday was neat. I am reminded once again what great friends I have and how lucky I am.

I got a package in the mail from Friend…a fancy lady purse in a beige color with a gold chain handle and a fantastic matching fancy lady dress in beige and white. These pieces look awesome together and separate; I wore the purse to a party that night and got loads of compliments. Way to go Friend…I will certainly be wearing this outfit when I go somewhere fancy for lunch. It just screams wear me with elbow length gloves and a little 60’s swing coat…I’ll be quite fetching in this ensemble as I have an afternoon at the art museum and then lunch in a chic tea salon. Hurrah!

After a delicious afternoon nap I went down to visit the always lovely always charming Ms. Lara-Bell, her going away gift to me was a FANTASTIC highlight job. Seriously the best I've ever had...it looks like a sunburst across my hair with wonderful little hints of superblonde throughout. (I’ve received confirmation that this hair is officially ‘hot’. Rock.)

After a little soirée at Lara's Tony had a surprise going away dinner planned for me…McDonald’s! The All-American meal: McDonald’s extra value meals (super-sized & ordered without meat of course) we floored it back to his place and topped our buns with veggie burgers. Dessert was Ben & Jerry’s ‘All Americone Dream’ and late night TV. Perfecto.

Today is my final night in Brookfield and I am off to Chicago early tomorrow morning to visit Fatima until Sunday when I am in America never more. This may be the last post before Franceland in which case I wish to say ta ta for now...a bientôt!

Every generation needs a revolution

For The One Who Has Me Convinced:

You are a brilliant example of what is right (no pun intended) with this country. Thank you for renewing in me a sense of hope and excitement about the future. There are some people that make me happy just by exisiting in this world...you're it!

...

For those of you living under a rock please be informed & entertained and check this out!

Recovering the archives

Since I've been home I started going through all my old books and papers and deciding what I want to bring to France with me, and most importantly, what I want to teach these kids about America and my culture. I love art and literature and am very excited to be able to have some small in voice in what will be taught. I was always a bit of a wild child in school and it was hard for me to be inspired to sit and focus...the stories had to be good (in the words of a seven year old) so that I would want to know more and continue reading. I hope that these books and bits of culture create a sense of wonder and excitement about other cultures, ideas, and lifestyles. I have to say I'm becoming more and more excited each day...I can't wait to start.

Primaire:
Classic American Children's Lit: The Cat in the Hat, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, The Bernstein Bears, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and The Wizard of Oz…

Lycee:
The poetry of Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Sylvia Plath, and Langston Hughes (potentially Howl by Ginsberg), two of my favorite plays A Streetcar Named Desire and The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, A collection of American short stories and perhaps To Kill A Mockingbird or Fahrenheit 451.



(The drawing above from my kindergarden journal...it's probably some kind of fairy princess since that was one of my specialties. I remember being really proud about drawing the 'heart within a heart' above her.)

Let's talk about it

I can’t seem to kick this sadness…it’s been lingering around for days. (For some reason I keep wanting to take showers, to be alone and silent.) It’s like living in some kind of cloud, somehow the day passes by and I can’t remember what I did or if it went by fast or slow. I left Tony a terrible voice message on my drive home when I stopped in some random small town. I kept almost falling asleep at the wheel so I pulled off to get some coffee and the only place to go was a Burger King. Basically everything about it was depressing…the overhead neon lighting, the people in it, the fact that I was alone and it was raining. It felt like some kind of alternate universe of sadness. He called me back to see if I was ok but I didn’t pick up, in fact, I didn’t answer anyone’s phone calls or text messages. I’ve just kind of been letting the phone ring. Sorry that I’m being so miserable and awful but lately I just don’t know how to relate to anyone/anything/any situation. I’m tired of talking about it already. Yes, I’m leaving. But there has to be something else we can talk about. (…this is sounding much more dramatic then I intended. I only want to say I’m sad, I don’t feel like I fit in, I miss you, I’ll be fine…except right now I’m not, take care.)

Letting go

Minneapolis, adieu. I sped down your streets in a fury to head East, home. There should be something profound I can say about my time in this city and yet words fail me. I know only this, these past 4 years have been more then amazing. I don't feel any sense of regret or emptiness about leaving, only a feeling of overwhelming fullness and appreciation. Friends & lovers the journey isn't over, you can still follow along from home...next stop France.