Avril: les cinq premiers

April was an especially memorable month. It marks my first trip to Rome, Italy.

Everything in Rome is saturated with history. But what really stood out to me is how large everything is. The Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, the voice levels, the hand gestures, the hospitality, and don't get me started about the pizza and pastas. If Rome had a tagline, I am pretty sure it would be "Rome, Go Big or Go Home!" A tagline that doubles as a metaphor for life. I pondered this concept for the duration of my trip.

Here are five of my favorite memories from my time in Rome:

 The Pantheon

The streets of Trastevere

Lunch at L'Angolo Divino Enoteca (a divine little wine bar near Campo Dei Fiori)

A flock of nuns near the Colosseum.

You see this type of adornment throughout Rome. Charming.

"The culture of Rome just doesn't match the culture of Yoga, not as far as I can see. In fact, I've decided that Rome and Yoga don't have anything in common at all. Except for the way they both kind of remind you of the word toga."

- Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love)

Mars: Les cinqs premiers

Mars is a big month for me, not only because it signals the beginning of spring, flowers and wamer sunnier days ahead, but also because it is my birthday month. And all of those reasons give me PLENTY to be grateful about.

1. Finding a new love-- in the opposite direction.
Up to this point, I have been in a monogamous relationship with the Jardin de Luxemborg. But in an attempt to avoid wearing running gear in such a crowded springtime destination, I ran in the opposite direction. Straight into the arms of a new love, the Jardin de Plantes de Paris. And lo and behold, as it is so aptly named, there were cherry trees in blossom, tulips, poppies, an art deco wintergraden, trees being supported by large structures, and um, monkeys! Who would have thunk it? Right in the middle of this large jardin is a melangerie of animals. C'est magnifique! In keeping with the springtime theme there are new beginnings and discoveries happening within a couple of blocks of my home. (What else have I yet to discover?)

2. Stepping outside of my comfort zone.

I know I go on and on about my favorite Diptyque scented candle, Baies. But in honor of the fresh start of spring and a new year for yours truly, I figured it was time to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new. Enter, Figuier candles. And I didn't stop there, I picked up a couple of new eau de toilette scents to try out, for good measure.

3. Things just showing up.

I have tried just about everything on my list in order to improve my French. Attending my weekly lessons, cd's, French movies, attending French dinner parties, reading only French magazines, random tutoring from a handsome man, yet there was one thing that had eluded me until now-- a language exchange partner. One day, while picking up some home repair supplies at the BHV I encountered the most darling young, freckle-faced cashier, Sevrine. She spotted my poor French accent immediately and jumped at the chance to try out her English (side note: Really? Me saying "Pardon" was a dead give away!?). She asked me if I had ever read Eat, Pray, Love (who in the world did she think she was talking to? Is it that obvious?). I immediately replied, "Oui, beaucoup!" She said that she really wanted a language exchange partner like in the Italy chapters of the book. 

So now I have a language exchange partner. Check.

4. Game day decision leading to a perfect celebration.

With an infinite amount of ways that one could spend their birthday in Paris, I found myself paralyzed by the possibilities. This indecision left me with only one option-- make a game day decision. My game day plan? Have one glass of champagne at Le Baron Rouge with my beautiful friend before dinner at a new Mexican (yes, that's right, Mexican!) restaurant, Candelaria. If you want to hear God laugh, then tell him your plans. (see also: we never made it to dinner). What I didn't count on was that we would spend the evening with Bernard Delis. He is the oyster man from Cap-Ferret, who brings oysters from the sea to Le Baron Rouge every weekend during oyster season. Not only was it my birthday, but it also marked the final weekend of oyster season. We over-celebrated both by eating oysters and drinking champagne in the street, like ya do.

5. Overflowing with love and abundance.

Although I was many miles away from the majority of my family and friends, I felt the incredible love vibes from afar. But especially on my birthday. I am so grateful for all of the phone calls, skype messages, birthday wishes on Facebook, birthday singing videos, emails, cards, surprise packages, gifts, and drunk dials. My cup runneth over.

I have one word for Mars: Merci!

Traversée

Traversée
(voyage: noun): Crossing, passage, voyage, traverse

"I thought about one of my favorite Sufi poems, which says that God long ago drew a circle in the sand exactly around the spot where you are standing right now. I was never not coming here. This was never not going to happen."

"...people universally tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will maybe descend upon you like fine weather if you're fortunate enough. But that's not how happiness works. Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it, you must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it. If you don't you will eat away your innate contentment. It's easy enough to pray when you're in distress but continuing to pray even when your crisis has passed is like a sealing process, helping your soul hold tight to its good attainments."


"...to travel is worth any cost or sacrifice."

— Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love