Mackinaw Island, Michagan

After we returned from the Lake Heron side of the state we set out on our next adventure: Mackinaw Island. Mackinaw Island is a beautiful place on the northern most tip of Michigan just before Canada. I am so glad I got to experience this place because it was such a beautiful day and such a beautiful place. We drove about 1.5 hours where we parked our car and boarded a boat that took us to this hidden beauty. The boat ride was bliss for me. It was so freeing. That may sound stupid but I have come to love being outdoors, who knew my AC needing, high maintenance, city girl would ever come to love being outdoors with messy hair and sweaty but I do. Admitted. Once on the island we ate lunch and rented bikes where we spent several hours riding around, stopping every once in a while to stick our feet in the water for a cool down.

If you have never been here and are are anywhere near here, PLEASE GO! It's worth every minute you are there. You will not regret this experience at all!!!

Thanks, Christina, for taking me here!!!

Michigan vacation continued

And just like that I had the opportunity to witness a different part of the state. Christina's boyfriend invited us to his families home on the east side of Michigan, on lake Heron, for a couple of days during the 4th of July holiday. It was beautiful! I had never seen a lake so beautiful and so large in my life. Another cure of jet lag.... beautiful views with relaxing serenity. Yes. Although, the one comment I do have to make is, talk about a culture shock! I don't think I am very shocked by different cultures anymore after traveling to many different places, but I am surprised at times when I do find myself in a bit of a shock and wondering why. Usually my shock comes upon my return to the US. hmmm. But talk about going from the fast paced city life of Paris to the slooooowwwwwww paced (no need for a watch because they don't care what time it is) paced life of a super rural town on a beautiful lake. These people could care less what time is is. THey eat when they eat, they enjoy the weather sitting around all day or working outside. It was almost too calm for me. But I definitely forced myself to enjoy the calmness as much as possible. It was an awesome experience and I am thankful for the opportunity. (But I was definitely glad to get back to civilization after a couple of days as well!)

Sail boating

Let me tell you, if you're looking for a destination spot in Michigan, let me recommend Charlevoix. It's beautiful. Its blue waters, nice people, slow moving picture-esque town. Presh!

Christina and I stumbled upon a sail boat company and decided what better way to (get over jet lag) relax the good way. So we jumped on board the boat with our packed lunch (Thanks to Christina's lovely mama) and enjoyed the rays of the sun. It was just what the jet lag doctored had ordered.

laziness

You know when you get so far behind that you just don't want to keep up anymore? Thats me. But I want to update for the sake of keeping an online diary of sorts now.

So, here we go....

rewind to the end of June, June 30 to be exact, when I left Paris in search of my newest adventure...

I left Paris June 30, where I headed to the airport with too much luggage in tow.
Nearly 24 hours later and I was in Charlevoix, Michigan with my long lost soul sista, Bridget (really known as Christina but I prefer Bridget) where I spent 7 blissful days being smitten with the Michigan mitten. And boy was it a stunning state.

Here are some pictures from our adventures:

Our reunion after one year of not seeing each other and me traveling for 20ish
hours at this point. Not a good look but definitely very happy.

And of course we have to do something very American, so when you see that
the light is turned on at a donut shop meaning there are fresh (and free) donuts,
you must stop!

The breakfast Christina cooked for me my first morning there. 

Beyond being excited to be in the US for the 4th of July, to see Christina who had I hadn't seen in a year, and to not be traveling anymore, I was beyond excited to be where the sun was as opposed to Paris where it had been cold and raining for the previous month if not longer. This vacation was just what the doctor ordered! Bliss.

....more to come (because it was 7 days long!)

its not over

Don't go thinking just because I have decided to make the move back to the US of A that my life has suddenly become bland and boring because that is the complete opposite. Ok, I'm bluffing a bit, but I still have quite a bit to write about. Like the fact that I have been traveling Europe for the past 3 weeks. And I just got off a plane today only to return to the same airport tomorrow to get on another plane (domestically this time) for another week. 

Give me a second to become de-jetlagged, sleep in my own bed for more than one night and take it all in for a second and I'll be back. 

Besides, I still haven't written about my 2 months in Houston nor my trip to Michigan. Gosh. 

Hope everyone is enjoying the cooler (somewhat) temps that Houston is offering right now. Maybe, just maybe, there might be a legit fall, and on time. 

Adios.

Good byes

I have never really been that great with good byes. Everyone says that but its so true. I don't really believe in good byes. I wish good byes didn't even have to exist. I am not really sad, I don't cry, I don't think it makes sense in my body or mind that this is a good bye. Or even how to react to a good bye. I moved away from my family and friends and said good bye and I think I cried the first time but after that it wasn't "sad" to me. In my mind they are always "see you later" because eventually I assume I will see you again. And leaving France was no different. Between the house sitting that I was doing the week before I left, packing up and moving my stuff to different friends apartments to be stored and cleaning out my apartment I somehow squeezed in a good bye party. It was so strange. It felt like just another "picnic" at the Champs de Mars. But deep down I knew this picnic was not like the others.

I have had a great last two years. Don't let anything I've written on here convince you otherwise. I think the crappy situations and hard times are what make for good writing and this has been a constant source for letting me be frustrated without causing drama, but my experience in France has been to be remember. Not because it was the last two years of my life, but because it was the most amazing two years of my life. These last two years top any 5 minutes of the previous 22 years of my life. Yes, I did just say that. And I'm not kidding. And so, to have to actually come to reality that this picnic was the last time I might see some of the most amazing people who have helped make the last two years the most amazing times of my life was ridiculously hard. It was awkward. I didn't know what to say or how to act or what to do. I really really hated the good byes.

So here is my amazing good bye party... one last hoorah in the city of light. with the Madame tour Eiffel.

And then to make the night even more sad, ha, Jordan and I went up to my empty apartment for the last time to give it a proper good bye. This good bye was sadly one of the hardest ones, haha. It was where I had spent so many hours and where I had created a home after not having a job for nearly four months. It was where I cooked many meals and had parties and sleep overs.

And then I took one last look out my window at the Eiffel Tower. It was the last time I would see the Eiffel Tower as a resident of the most amazing city in the world.
(now cry a river why don't ya.... its sad stuff here)

As I sit and write this from my huge bedroom inside my parents ridiculously huge house (in my opinion, compared to what I have been accustomed to for the past two years) I miss that place like crazy. I have been home for nearly two months now and its not the same. Life won't be the same again. Mostly because I am a changed person. A lot because the world has changed around me as well. Paris will forever hold the dearest of places in my heart and no matter where the next chapter in my life takes me, Paris will not loose its place. I know it was time that I move on and change the pace a bit and while I am eager and excited for what is to come, I am happy to look back at all the memories I now carry with me.

Thank you to ALL who made my life in France what it was. You are and will always be very dear to me! Je vous aime!

post france

There has been a lot that happened from where I last left off until now. Even just until my first week in the USA which was awesome. But tonight I want to get something off my chest.

It's called culture shock. Or in my case, reverse culture shock.

I am not sure if that is even the correct terminology to use.

When you decide to up and leave everything you've known, for a year, for two years, for a lifetime, and change everything. Change the country or state, change friends, change status, change cultures, change everything. It isn't an easy story. However I have depicted my last two years and counting to you, I have no idea, because I have been living it. It has been equal parts good and bad. I have been challenged more than I thought imaginable but had some of the highest of highs. France was good to me, all in all. When I look back on the last two years, I choose to remember the fun times I had with the kids, the cool places I got to visit and live, making some incredible friends, experiencing some firsts I will never forget, as opposed to the bad days or rough situations I encountered along the way. The point of that is to say, it isn't easy moving countries. Regardless of whether I chose to do or was forced to, it isn't easy.

But no one has asked me how I am doing.

That feels so selfish to admit but sometimes I just wish someone would ask me, "so, how are you handling all of this?", "are you ok?"... because you know, some days I am not.

No pity party here. Not at all. I have made the decisions I know I needed to make in the moment I needed to make them. But that doesn't make it easy. I gave up all my friendships, a job, and a life I had created for myself in France and I have chosen to move back into my parents house where I have no car, no job and very few friends. Yes, its the city where I grew up in and I'm near all my family which I am thankful for but it doesn't make it easier. And sometimes I really feel I haven't been allowed the opportunity to adjust. Like I was forced immediately into this new life. No bad days accepted.

It's been hard I've realized when I've allowed myself to realize what all has happened. I get lonely. I get overwhelmed. I get frustrated. And I don't have any answers to any of your questions.

I know I'll be able to create a life for myself here, where ever 'here' ends up being. But until then, this is what I'm dealing with. All the changes.

Like I said, no pity party whatsoever. But just know, as hard as it is to move away. Its equally as hard to move back.