things i can't wait to come back to..

so i have been thinking about all of the things I miss back home..obviously my number 1 is friends and family..but..here are some other things i don't ever want to go without.

American Sports..Don't get me wrong I love me some rugby and "futbol". but.

ESPN.
MARCH MADNESS..pumped!
Colin Cowherd (my mornings haven't been complete!)
Baseball is starting..Go Giants!
Home in time for NBA Playoffs!

MEXICAN FOOD. it is pretty much all i am going to eat!

Sierra Nevada. all time favorite. not that i am planning on drinking a lot. but i have had enough guinness and wine for a lifetime.

back to my old fitness/eating habits! (Bay to Breakers in May. eating at normal times)

COSTCO!
TARGET!
Michael's.

the SUN!

people speaking english in public.

no more french music videos! they are terrible!

the list goes on.

just a little walk in Paris...

Erin and I walked about 5k in the Parc Monceau apres petite dej'..best people watching parc ever! we successfully made fun of just about everybody there! I'll try and take some videos of french runners..so great! I wish i wasn't still sick so i could actually run.

Then Erin, Mat, and I went for a long walk.. from the Opera Metro.. we went to the Jardin Tulleries..then walked along the Seine...and up the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe.

i took pictures of just about everything. i thought they were going to kill me. but i won't be back for a while so i had to.

Je ne suis pas parti!

so detail on what happened on thursday and why I am still in France...

so Ryan Air is particular about baggage..it's a budget airline..whatever. so i paid extra to check in two bags..I thought i would be okay.. so i get to the ticket counter, put my bag up on the scale and thought everything was fine. the ticket agent looked at me and said "you know the limit is 15 kg right". My jaw dropped.My bag was over 23 kg. "you can put some stuff in your carry on".

First of all..i had to be at the Porte Maillot by 6:45 in the morning.. It was dark and doing some raining. (thank goodness because I had so many layers on already and I still had a bit of a fever). So walked about 1.5 km before i got into a taxi. Then the shuttle bus takes about an hour to reach this airport..

Anyways back to the baggage...

I went around the corner and started to rearrange things. Unfortunately, I had to throw away two pairs of jeans, at least 10 shirts, my grey heels, a purse, some books, some hair and face products..but whatever time was running out and i needed to get to Dublin for my flight.

So i go back up to the counter..two different groups cut in from of me! i was already fuming and i almost hurt them! i put my bag back on the scale excited that it was actually 14.9 kg. She looked at me and said "no 15 kg. total". The tears started rolling down my face. I only had five minutes to get rid of half of my stuff.

I ripped my bags open..took out all of my books..all of my product..shoes..anything else that appeared to be heavy..after 3 minutes (and 300 bad words) I only managed to pull about 4 km.

"what are you going to do"

The room froze and I had no choice but to throw all of my stuff in my bag and go back to Paris. There was no internet at the airport so i could even search for a different flights. Plus i went back to the trash can to get some of my belongings back but it was already gone. (awesome)

I cried the whole way on the shuttle to Paris..I am sick to so basically everyone starred at me.

I wondered around the Porte Maillot looking for MacDO (they have free wi-fi).. I ended making a 2km loop and nothing. I gave up and just got a bag back to Erin's..

So I "only" wasted about 300 euros in the whole ordeal. I had a hotel room in Dublin that I had to pay for.. plus the fees to transfer my flight to SFO..

Anyways I am staying in Paris until Saturday the 21st.. then I'll go to Dublin (via Aer Lingus)..stay with my buddies Frank and Brian... Then fly to California (destination Disneyland!) for much needed HAPPY time.

Thank you to:
Erin and Mat-Letting me stay for another 9 days

Mother-who called the Dublin hotel and tried to talk them into a refund..plus financial assistance and listened to me cry and whine..

Amy-for offering to help with all of the changes, financial assistance...inviting me to Disneyland and trying to help me find a job!

Frank and Brian-letting me crash on short notice (again!)

Dernier Jour en Paris

had to hit some last minutes sites before i left..probably won't be back until my late 20's..(not too far away!) I walked all of the way from Erin's to pere lachaise..took soo long..then i decided to walk to the sacre coeur..so beautiful. i wish i could have been there all day! i will probably do one more post in tomorrow in Dublin. If not..Au Revoir.

my happy place..

just an afternoon walk..almost there!

that's what I call a good use of natural light (and a little neon..)
\
just glorious..

really..veuve clicquot and shopping..did i die or something?

loving their Spring campaign.

last images of Beaulieu..Chateau Le Breuil..

this is claude! my savior..I could have never survived a day without her! she had great stories and immeadiately took me under her wing! Plus, she is the best cook on this side of the atlantic..


i should have walked out of the door when i saw this. it's real. a real stuffed elephant. it had real hairs on it and stuff.. creepy and i am glad i don't have to see it everyday!


Birthday party for a neighbor boy and raph's best friend..The little boy standing up just spilt on himself and the mom was lecturing everyone for laughing at him. we took a tour of the pig farm on donkeys. yep thats right...biggest pigs i have ever seen in my life! wish i would have had my camera!

/> train station in verneuil..(vern-eye) see that little path that is blocked off.. i could have walked across there with all of my luggage. but no it's block off.


so i had to take all of my luggage across this bridge..only took two trips but i am pretty sure i have strep so it sucked! luckily some nice boys helped me when i got off the metro. oh and five minutes after i sat down on the other side.. the attendant came out and let people across. so much for me trying to be early.

more fun paris photos to come!

catching up...

so i haven't blogged in over a week..things are pretty sucky here at the moment...i quit my job with the Blime's..my last day is wednesday..Claude (the housekeeper/cook) almost convinced me to stay, but Madame Blime threw a little fit this morning and went off on me..so that pretty much dissolved any possibility of that happening. (sorry i can control my emotions and am not a complete basketcase)

anyways...

I have no plan. Well I have a 7-year plan..but it doesn't really start until Mid-May..My current visa doesn't expire until May..so the rest of March, April and part of May are open for discussion..

I would like to travel some more and maybe actually use my TEFL certificate..but until then please keep me in your prayers.. and you never know..i could be back in California next week!

so a couple people have asked me if i need anything..well here is the best i can do! Plus, i just started an online course to get my TEFL certificate. Some of the books are suggested for the course. If you do wish to contribute to my mental stimulation..used books please..i like things that have a little history!

the last supper.

BEWARE: the following will probably change your opinion of me forever. Jody claims that I am now her new hero. I seriously ate like I was John Duvoisin...(johnny no offense but you are a champion eater) i was personally amazed too by how much food i put away.

*This will have to sustain me for the rest of my life. I couldn't even drink a beer after this meal.

ok so we went to this place called Couch Potatas (yes i did spell it correctly!) pretty much put anything you could ever imagine in/on a baked potato.



and they have art..potato art. Batman was my favorite..but there was a great collection!



so this is my potato. i forgot what it was called.. it had chili con carne, peppers, corn, and cheese..tons and tons of cheese.


so this is without the salad..it got bigger. it was massive. i kind of just starred at it for a while. i didn't know where to start. just too big. but then i dug in...


yes scroll up and down and compare the photos. this is not a trick picture. i freakishly finished this potato. all of it. jody and i actually traded potatos (you get two). her's was kind of a curry theme..i don't think we were supposed to mix. but i conquered that potato.




but if anyone has had Darlene Freilich's Biscuits and Gravy combined with her famous chorizo and eggs..you'll know what it means to SHUTDOWN. my body completely went into survival mode to digest this bad boy.

can you believe that this meal was under 12 euros? I can't. so my last night in ireland i did the exact opposite of the great famine. i feel very sick and will probably be in the fetal position for the rest of my life. But it was worth it. I hope everyone has an opportunity to come to Galway and go to the Couch Potata.

another pint of guinness please

'Cause her hair was black and her eyes were blue
So I took her hand and I gave her a twirl
And I lost my heart to a Galway girl

I love this song. I think my new mission is to actually live out some of my favorite movies. I have done PS I love you..I think next i will be doing The Holiday. Cotswolds here i come. I'll definitely need to come back here though. I put more pics in a facebook album..i'll upload a live performance of galway girl too! If you are reading this it means you are one of my favorite people. Know that I think about you daily and miss you dearly.

no words can describe DUBLIN..

so I am in Dublin..I came to escape spending Valentine's Day in Paris. It was probably the best decision i've ever made! Besides the Balloons, Flowers, and kissing couples on the streets, I barely realized what day it was! I am couchsurfing and my hosts are awesome, they are so nice. I made them dinner last night..I hope they like it, they had multiple servings so I think that's a yes.. I SAW a bottle of SIERRA NEVADA in a shop of a window and almost freaked out. I wouldn't stop shutting up about it and then i saw it. I forgot to take a picture though..hopefully there will be another one. I was wanted to go to Scotland tomorrow but i think they convinced me that I need to go to Cork and Galway. If you don't remember the song "galway girl" form PS I love you i suggest you youtube it or watch the movie again. I am such a sucker for these accents. It's nice to come from Paris where I am not attracted to a single guy, to a place where everyone suits my fancy...

i want to live at the louvre...

i went to the louvre today..these are some of my favorites..

keep bumping into famous sites..

I swear I didn't intentionally go to any of these places..just happened to stumble upon them. going to the louvre tonight..i don't think i can take pictures though..

the effects of snow..

these are just an illustration of my being bored out in the country...but the countdown to my return to Paris is on..and i hope you are ready for some great pictures!!!

the world of an (almost) 6 year old boy...aka my world

that darn little groundhog decided to see his shadow and we got more snow here at Le Breuil. and since i am not a big fan of cold weather we are forced to stay inside..i did go for a long walk to day..i'll post some of my attempts at "artsy" nature photography later...but this is just a glimpse into raph's life and now mine. i spend on average..30 minutes a day playing "baby fut" (foosball). i am really trying to work on controlling the ball and passing it..yes there is technique involved. i can build a kick ass train "circuit". i didn't capture my artistic expression through lego's, but that deserves an entire blog!