Ooh La La

I visited France for the first time in June and it was incredible! I know that doesn't sound very original because most people who visit France exclaim something along the lines of, "France is incredible, it's an amazing, wonderful place and I can't wait to go back!"  There were many, many things I loved in France, here are just a few highlights: I ate baguette every day and they really do make them differently-  they make them the right way-they are so, so good that now I find it difficult to enjoy baguette anywhere, but in France. There's also the cheese and the wine, which are less expensive and better. The architecture is breathtaking and the feel of history is ever present, you just don't get the same sensation in the United States. The ocean in Nice is heavenly and I couldn't get enough of the beach, but there are many other things to see, so as challenging as it is, you do have to pack up and separate yourself from the turquoise water.

 I could write forever on the subject of my love of France, but I want to get right to the point and say that what I love most is the lifestyle. One example of this, is that in France you get seven weeks off per year, as if that's not enough many companies will also give you money to travel, in the form of traveling certificates. I'm not even joking, it's amazing. I can't help but love a country that values quality of life. Another example, is how people eat in France; French people really enjoy their food, yes they still have fast food restaurants, but certainly far fewer than in the United States.

The energy in Paris is unlike any place I've ever visited. Sure, in New York you feel the crazy cool energy and it's a beautiful, architecturally significant, chaotic, glorious city. Then, there's San Francisco where my heart will always be and that's big, but it also boasts beautiful landscapes, truly original people flock there so you certainly feel the creativity and individuality. Paris, however not only has the feel of bustling energy and creativity, but it feels magical and as lame as that may sound, it's absolutely true. In Paris they try to make everything enjoyable, even the Metro stops have themes. Along the Seine, there are trailer-type things which you can rent by the hour and we saw people hanging out inside, playing games, eating, drinking; it was so cool and I wanted to run back to the US to share my discovery in hopes that some city would decide to do the same, because why not? Outside of the Modern Art Museum there's music, people sitting around and simply enjoying life. All over the city there are sprawling cafes where people linger for hours. In Nice there is an outdoor market every day and I found myself day dreaming of fresh tomatoes and basil to put on more baguette. Surrounding the market there are cafes where one spend an entire day and not grow tired, or bored.  Another thing I noticed about the French is that the vast majority of them do not have phones in their hands constantly- even those sitting alone seemed content to people-watch and yes, many of them also had a cigarette in hand. In France I didn't have the feeling of being rushed, or the guilty sensation of being lazy because everyone around you is also relaxing and enjoying their free time.

Of course, I was in vacation and maybe I'd feel differently if I lived in Paris, or Nice, but I'd like to think I'd feel the same. I definitely cannot wait to visit France again!

A Break

I've been unemployed for almost six months and I've managed to accomplish some pretty cool things:  visited Philadelphia, visited the Historic Triangle- composed of Jamestown, Colonial Williamsburg and Yorktown, traveled to Paris, Nice and Barcelona, completed a French course, got hooked on three addicting television shows (OK, this is probably not cool, per se), visited most of the Smithsonian museums, read several great novels and currently reading my third Fitzgerald novel, gone to matinees and watched a lot of indie films. Also, I should add that I  visit the gym Monday-Friday and recently I started enjoying the free public pools in DC where I swim a few days per week.

Those accomplishments aside there's still a lot I want to do. I always thought I'd fill up my empty days easily, I also thought I'd find a job in a matter of a few months, but since it looks like I may be jobless for a bit longer I really want to make the most of my free time. So, I have decided that I will force myself to write at least weekly and then,  once I begin to love writing again I'll contribute more. Years ago I used to sit down and write for hours, but now it's as if my brain is clogged and all I can think about is how I need to start working soon and worry about why I haven't found anything yet. I worry about what I "should" be doing, or "could" be doing, I worry that I'm not doing enough and that I'm missing out on opportunities.  I can't control when I get hired, thus it's pointless to spend so much time worrying about it.  Of course, I'll still send applications, but I want to dedicate more of my energy to writing, exploring and enjoying my free days.  I should look at this time as a sabbatical, I mean I have been working since I was fifteen so it's about time I have a little break.

San Francisco: A Love Story

I’m five when I fall in love with San Francisco. Several times each year my grandparents and I visit my great grandma where she lives in a beautiful, large Victorian home on Geary and Blake Street. My excitement always grows as we approach the Golden Gate Bridge; it’s easy to be wooed by the view of the sparkling bay, the red blocks brought together to form a gorgeously epic bridge and the tips of sky scrapers peaking out from behind the fog. Once in the city I find the rhythm exhilarating: the sounds of the seagulls, foghorns and the cable cars making their way up and down the steep hills. I grow ravenous from the smells of Fisherman’s wharf (a truly original mix of sourdough bread, fresh seafood, ocean air and waffle cones), the bustling streets of Chinatown thrill me so much I even forget about how chilly it is. The city appeals to all of my senses and I know I want to live here some day.

I’m twenty-one when I move to San Francisco- it feels like the natural thing to do- it was where my great grandparents met and where my grandma was born. I think that my sentiment for Fisherman’s wharf is ingrained in me because my great grandfather and his brother worked there. Unlike many longtime residents I never grow tired of visiting the wharf and I often walk down from Nob Hill to enjoy fresh shrimp and the beauty of the bay. Visiting the wharf always makes me feel as if I’m on vacation; it’s exciting to be around so many people who are seeing San Francisco for the first time, I find it amusing to see tourists wearing shorts and complaining about the cold, I also enjoy trying to walk by the bush man without screaming- sometimes I’m successful. Back at home from my rooftop I can see the Transamerica Pyramid, Coit Tower and the Bay Bridge to the right and to the left the Golden Gate- it’s like living in a post card. Later in the evening, the sounds of the foghorns provide the background noise in my studio.

Of course, after almost ten years of living in San Francisco some of the things lose their charm: when you work close to Chinatown it’s no longer exciting to get caught in the foot traffic and when you just want to get home after a long day at work walking up one of the steepest hills in the city isn’t so magical. Then, there is the weather. Although there are many beautiful days full of blue skies, the late afternoon almost always brings in the cold, frigid air. Living in San Francisco you are forced to slowly, grudgingly learn to live without a summer. It seems everyone and their mothers take to quoting Mark Twain: “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco,” I even find myself quoting him because it’s so fitting. Despite the imperfections the city never stops enchanting me and I can’t imagine living anywhere else.

Well, life had a different plan for me and now I live in Washington, DC. It’s strange to be some place so far away from the city by the bay, but it’s exciting too. I am looking forward to seeing new places, meeting new people and maybe learning a little or, a lot about myself. I always said I would leave my heart in San Francisco should I ever depart, but I ended up leaving the city for love and so it was actually my heart that pulled me away. Who knows, DC may become my second love; it’s definitely warmer here in the summer!