une décennie

 

Ten years ago, I boarded a plane in Portland, Oregon, on Christmas Day. Landing the following day in a bizarre Parisian snow and ice storm.

My only plan was to spend one year in Paris.

If you want to hear God laugh, then tell her your plans. Sometimes, she takes them and sprinkles them with more magic than you ever could have imagined.

Before I boarded that airplane, I never could have guessed that a decade later, Paris and Burgundy would become my new normal.

 

It's been ten years since I moved to France, and five years since I have written on my blog.

 

When I started this blog in 2008, living in Paris was part of a bigger vision that I imagined for myself. Or as Joseph Campbell calls it, Paris was my Call to Adventure.

 

Before this five year hiatus, much of what I wrote about captured the first two parts of my Monomythic journey–Separation and Initiation. Yet, it is the Return portion of the cycle that seems to get the least amount of attention. My five-year silence is testament to that.

 

Campbell says in The Hero with a Thousand Faces that "The returning hero, to complete his adventure, must survive the impact of the world." The trick in returning is to retain the wisdom gained on the quest, to integrate that wisdom into a human life, and then maybe figure out how to share the wisdom with the rest of the world. Campbell says,

 

"The first problem of the returning hero is to accept as real, after an experience of the soul-satisfying vision of fulfillment, the passing joys and sorrows, banalities and noisy obscenities of life. Why re-enter such a world? Why attempt to make plausible, or even interesting, to men and women consumed with passion, the experience of transcendental bliss? 

 

As dreams that were momentous by night may seem simply silly in the light of day, so the poet and the prophet can discover themselves playing the idiot before a jury of sober eyes. The easy thing is to commit the whole community to the devil and retire again into the heavenly rock dwelling, close the door, and make it fast. But if some spiritual obstetrician has drawn the shimenawa across the retreat, then the work of representing eternity in time, and perceiving in time eternity, cannot be avoided."

 

Here's to the Return segment!

 

J.Crew vient à Paris

In theory, I shouldn't be as excited about this news as I am.

J.Crew est en plein coeur du quartier du Maris en Mars 2015. 

Once we get salsa verde and masa readily available, then I may actually have it all.

Les Essentiels: Octobre

“It’s the funniest thing that you don’t really understand before it happens, what it is. So you sort of go running right towards it like yeah, this is exactly what I was seeking and when you get there you realize that the things that you thought would be great about it are not. But there are much more interesting things that come from it that you really appreciate...” 
- George Clooney, DID BBC Radio 4, 2003

My top ten favorite things in October:

1. The smell of the fire in Noyers. And when I am in Paris, the smell of Feu de Bois.

2. A final warm weekend spent in my favorite Parisian park, Buttes des Chaumont.

3. The automne issue of The Gentlewoman. How am I going to wait six months for the next issue?

4. Long walks in the Bourgogne countryside. You just never know when you will round a corner and run into a pagan house or a chateau.

Abandoned pagan house, with a pristinely kept lawn.

Chateau de Jouancy

5. Homemade bread.

6. I have switched my girl power soundtrack from Neko Case to Lucinda Williams.      

7. Desert Island Discs (DID) podcasts. I still can’t believe that this exists. I always thought that if I had an interview show, it would be structured this exact same way... Name five albums that you would take with you on a deserted island. And then VIOLA! Here it is. It is true when they say everything has existed before, and apparently it's been going on since 1942! I’d provide a link to the free downloads on iTunes, if only I knew how. Instead, click here to see the entire archive. Or have a listen to Mr. Clooney's interview:

8. Catching up on my museum visits. From Saran Wrap overhead tunnels to incredible portraits by the master. 

Inside at Musee Palais de Tokyo

Musee Picasso Paris

9. Vendange (late wine harvest) at a friend’s vineyard, followed by a lovely lunch that overlooks Noyers.

10. Mushroom hunting in Foret Domaniale de Val de la Nef.

Dancing

I can't remember the last time I went out dancing. Maybe it was the all-nighter in Barcelona more than a year ago.  But I do remember rearranging all of the furniture in my Noyers living room to accommodate my friend Jay while he slithered like Kylie Minogue on the floor in front of the fire. Only to be followed by Madonna's Human Nature on my dining room table. It's the kind of dancing that can't be contained (see also, car dancing). Pouring off of your limbs in an empowering act, in an attempt to tell a profound story. Usually involving a cocktail, or five. 

Today I read a great interview with Robyn in the new issue of  The Gentlewoman. 

It took me down my own dancing memory lane, and resulted in a rabbit hole of YouTube activity. It was a toss up between her performance at JFK's Terminal 5, an outdoor strip mall or this...

Robyn clearly understands this type of dancing as evidenced at H&M. Yes, H&M. 

soixante vs. trente

"If I drowned in sixty feet of water, and your drowned in thirty, then what's the difference?"

- Monica Lewinsky

I am pretty sure that this video will go viral. And by tomorrow you will have seen it, along with a boat load of opinions and comments. But as of this moment it is new to me, and I think it is an important speech about compassion.

Monica Lewinsky at the Forbes' Thirty Under Thirty Summit

Guest post by Karen: Growth Opportunities

(Paris apartment balcony)

One of my oldest and dearest friends came to visit me this summer. She was in Paris for a conference so we enjoyed a little bit of Paris together, with the added bonus of a side trip to Brussels, and then some quality girl time at my house in Burgundy. Karen is a delight, she is beautiful, generous, kind, smart and an overall inspiration. When I grow up, I want to be just like her. Today's guest post is about her takeaways from her time with me in France.

(11th arrondissement in Paris)

Guest post by Karen:
This summer I was the guest of a beautiful friend-- living nine hours ahead with her, staying in gorgeous locations, and found myself surrounded by abundance-- the food and spirits of the gods and the company of vibrant and inspiring people.As Joseph Campbell said, "The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are" To expand on that, the privilege of my holiday was being with a friend who allows me to me myself and loves me for it, in France no-less.

 (walking thorugh the street in Noyers-sur-Serein, Bourgogne)

To add to my personal jackpot, I find myself blessed post journey with the “gift of giggles”.  You know that experience after an adventure, when you recall something that makes a shit-eating grin spread across your face? It is the travel gift that keeps on giving.

(La Serein in Noyers)

Growth Opportunities

As I re-enter my day-to-day life I am armed with a treasure box of what I would call “holiday nuggets” for future growth and enlightenment.  You know the feeling when you piece together a list of things to explore at a later time?  You may have heard about a new book, recipe, philosophy, or even find yourself inspired by a new outlook. Maybe you decide to embrace a new, (or an old), side of yourself.  Whatever it is, the feeling is often palpable after trip.  It is a fire within. You vibrate at a more intense level. I would further opine that this may be even MORE true when you journey to France.  To me, France itself is a magical and inspiring place where possibility seems to dance on the wind.  Below is a list of some of the take-away “nuggets” in my post travel treasure box.  

(upstairs attic at the house in Noyers, referred to as 

"Growth Opportunity")

1.    A call to meditate (download this app).  Slow down and shut out the noise. 

  

(My room in Noyers, referred to as "Little Cambodia")

2.    Learn French. Take a class. Host an exchange student. See what I can learn in my own backyard.

3.     The Wild Unknown Tarot  What are my questions? To frame the question is the first step to finding the answer. Look within.  Be mindful. Be brave. 

4.    Asian cooking. Yes, I come back from France inspired to improve my culinary skills.  My Asian skills in particular.  I learned how to make Sushi and a Korean dish called Vegetarian Bibimbap.  (Note: add fermented soy paste and Kimchi. Delicious and nutritious). My next goal is to self-learn spring rolls.  Yum.

5.    Tracy Anderson Arms. Seriously, there are these deceptively simple and short clips on You Tube. The trick is to carve out the time. Do it with a friend, do it on vacation, and then try to “high five”. I dare you.  

6.    Tuning Forks for the human condition. Who couldn’t use a tune up from Noreen?

(prototype for Noreen's large scale rock installation in Noyers)

7.    Be nice to your candles and they will last longer. Push the wax down when they are warm, use a snuffer, keep the wicks short.

(Cypres, Figuer, Baeis, and Feu de Bois. The gifts that keep on giving.)

8.    Be open. If the universe throws you a perfect pitch, you might as well swing at the ball. Don’t be afraid. What is the worst that can happen? You fail?  That is just an opportunity to grow stronger. It’s not that complicated.

(the beginning of the rock installation on the hill near the chateau in Noyers)

9.    Listen to your inner voice. Sometimes you have to find the melody alone.  It is OK. Reminds me a Avett Brother’s song...

10.  I am pretty sure I have a few unmentionable “nuggets” to unwrap as well. This was France, after all. Viva La France!

In humble gratitude to Jules.  Thanks for helping me light up. Thanks for the gift of giggles that keeps on giving.   Thanks for the treasure box of “nuggets”. Thanks for the simple abundance of your friendship. 

Dream house

Alexandre de Betak's house in the hills of Majorca is my dream house.


In Residence: Alexandre de Betak on Nowness.com

He spent the first two years buying windows, beams, doors, tiles and rocks.Which is the opposite approach that I have taken with La Bonne Etape. I have tried to make the place a blank canvas so that I can breathe, conceptualize, and prioritize. I can't think of anything more satisfying that bringing a dream like this to reality. Swoon.