Lions and Coffee and Dreams, Oh My!

“No, life cannot be understood flat on a page. It has to be lived; a person has to get out of his head, has to fall in love, has to memorize poems, has to jump off bridges into rivers, has to stand in an empty desert and whisper sonnets under his breath…We get one story, you and I, and one story alone.”

– Donald Miller, Through Painted Deserts

It is 4:30 AM on a Sunday morning. I’ve been up since 2:38 AM, if my tired memory serves me. This has been happening to me on about a weekly basis (and despite what I am about to blog about, I am hoping this early morning stuff stops). Why, you ask, would I be waking up so unmercifully early?

Well, because of this stuff.

No, just kidding. I do love coffee, but that is not why I have been waking up so early. (But doesn’t that look delish?)

It has more to do with this quote:

“No, life cannot be understood flat on a page. It has to be lived; a person has to get out of his head, has to fall in love, has to memorize poems, has to jump off bridges into rivers, has to stand in an empty desert and whisper sonnets under his breath..We get one story, you and I, and one story alone.”

– Donald Miller, Through Painted Deserts

I’ve never read this book, but I saw this quote and it stopped me. Recently, all I have been able to think about is living my life to the fullest extent.  I have been putting incredible pressure on myself to do everything I have ever wanted to do, and pursue my dreams. And, in some strange way, I think that this waking up before sunrise has a lot to do with that. I’ve started grasping for life with both hands and an open heart. And really, truly, deeply wanting it. In some ways, it is like that has awoken a roaring lion inside. The lion that used to be content sleeping 9 hours every night, now wakes up in the middle of the night so excited about the coming day and the opportunities it brings.

I’ve gone from this.

To this.

 

This is definitely new for me. I am perhaps the most laid back individual I have ever met, and this type of drive, determination, urgency and excitement are very unknown to me.

And very awesome.

And waking me up at that crack of dawn.

Bisous. X

Detox & Happy New Year

detox (ˈdiːˌtɒks)

— n
1. treatment designed to rid the body of poisonous substances

Have you ever done a detox? Usually its something along the lines of drink this, take this pill, eat this for three days, seven days and by the end you will have lost twenty pounds and have the life you always imagined. This, of course, is ridiculous. No such grandiose promise can ever be fulfilled in such a short period of time.

Yet, I love the idea of a detox. Its a chance to begin anew. To reset. Refocus. Determine what’s important to you and why. See crystal clear all the things you have come to depend on and come back to the Truth. This, as you might guess, is not just any Detox. The type I’m talking about is a…let’s call it Clinical, Relational and Performance Detox (thanks to a book I read by some super smart Psychologists).

Clinical: your inner world, all the spirit, mind & emotion.

Relational: anything that involves other people.

Performance: Call it a career or job, but the stuff you put out into the world.

Does that seem like a lot? Well, not to me. I get excited when I think about Detoxing all of this. Really looking at my inner world and deciding what needs to stay and what is actually a toxic element that needs to be removed.

Why does it need to be removed? A few reasons…

1. Its sick and its not getting better (maybe this is a career choice I made that I still don’t love)

2. It actually begins to be toxic to me (maybe eating too much junk food or hanging out with critical people)

3. It may be good, but its not best

The last one is my favorite. I have goals. Things I want to do, feel like I was created to do on this planet.

Like this…

 

And this…

And probably this too…

Just a few of my life goals.

But, if there are things I pursue or let take my time or energy that are not these things, then, by default, I am pursuing not my goals. Crystal clear? Good.

So, today. On my first day of Life Detox, I declare it a new year (because honestly when do we do detoxes in life normally if not new year?).

I’ll keep you updated about my Detox, what goes and what stays.

Happy New Year.

Bisous.

Chapters of Life

Since coming to Paris, I have seen, grown, changed, morphed and become a woman I am proud to be.  And I’ve done a lot of deep, philosophical thinking (in Paris, what else is there to do but be surrounded by beauty and talk about the deeper meaning of life?). So, from this point forward that will be the focus of this blog. Starting today.

I have been thinking a lot of about living chapters of my life. You can say it in different ways, life has its seasons, its branches, its paths, its chapters. Life changes. Relationships come. Relationships go. Experiences come. Experiences go. Today you feel sad, tomorrow you feel joy.  Life changes.   There is a scripture that I keep thinking of this morning:

Ecclesiastes 3

A Time for Everything

^“1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:

² a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.”

I think this is absolutely fitting for today.  Paris, and all the wonder it has brought to my life, has been one of the greatest Chapters of my Life. I have loved everything about this time, and I will carry it with me the rest of my life.

“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.”
Ernest Hemingway

    Bisous

Stereotype #1

Why French Women Are So Skinny:

(No, not all. But most. A higher percentage than Americans to be sure)

1. Walking. Walking. Walking.

When you ask how long it takes to get somewhere, the answer is given in terms of walking. It is expected you walk. Everywhere. To the grocery. To the bakery. To the restaurant. To the post office. Driving? Who does that? Wasteful American! Yes, there are metros BUT you have to walk to get there (the nearest metro from my house is a 20 minute walk). I LOVE this part of life here.

2.  Walking in High Heels.

Short heels are out of the question. We are talking stilettos. Everywhere. I went to the French version of Wal-Mart late one night, and young and old the women all were wearing their stilettos. (If you go to Wal-Mart late at night in my hometown, that is not what you will see…) Which also means the walk home, carrying all of your groceries in these heels. Who needs a gym when you get this workout everyday?

3.  The Food!

While SO good and not healthy by any standard, the portions are so small it hardly matters.  The French know how to take their time and enjoy even very small amounts.  I got a cup of coffee the other day, and literally took one sip and that was it. It was gone.

And because the portions are so small, there are about 8 meals a day. Which, any nutritionist would tell you that is what the metabolism is meant to exist on anyway.

4. Models. The sidewalk is a runway, maybe the women try to compete with each other?

5. Wastefulness is not common here. They buy only what they need and no more. Use what they need and no more.  For example, I bought an entire loaf of bread – and two days later it was moldy. There are no preservatives or additives in the food. If you buy it you are expected to use it within a day or so, buying or using in excess is not the norm.

6.  Daily life is more active.

Beyond what I already mentioned, there a simple things like very few people have dishwashers. Out of choice. So, after a meal, you hand wash all the dishes and put them away.  The French are anything but lazy.

7. The value placed on appearance.

One of my favorite things to do is observe elderly women here. With their Prada bags and Jimmy Choo shoes. Bright red lipstick and matching hair. So much make up!  And don’t forget their tiny dogs taken everywhere.  When I think of elderly women in America, who end up wearing sweatshirts with bows or scenes sewed on the front-it is just a very different culture.

Love.

A few days ago was my first experience on the train system in France. It was confusing at first, then exciting once I figured out the system and the ease of travel. I couldn’t help but to start thinking of how easy it is going to be to take day trips to the South of France (Provence, mon Cheri!), and countries in Europe I cannot wait to see.

My mind was unraveling with all of the possibilities when something else on the trains caught my attention.

There was a man laying on a bench at one of the train stations. He was obviously homeless, very dirty, alone, and looked sick. He was holding his head and rocking back and forth. As soon as I saw him my mind started running a thousand miles per hour.

How can I help him?
What does this man need? First, he needs a doctor. Then a shower. Then a haircut. He needs education, and probably counseling. He needs job opportunities, and life skills. He needs someone to stop and take time with him. Yes, of course, I don’t know why he is in this situation. Maybe he chose it. Maybe others have tried to help him and he didn’t help himself.

Maybe.

Or maybe something else…

I thought all of this as I was walking past him. As I left him lying there and didn’t do anything, that is when I thought all of these things…
There is a story in the Bible about the Good Samaritan (Luke 10). The Samaritan sees someone in need, stops and helps him.

Very simple.

The significance in the story comes prior to the Good Samaritan, when two other men passed the same person in need and did nothing. Jesus asks the man listening to the story, which man was the person’s neighbor?
“The one who had mercy on him” he replied.
“Go and do likewise.” was Jesus’ response.

The rest of the day I watched people on the trains.
No one makes eye contact with each other, no one talks on the trains, no one acknowledges each other.

We ignore.
We pretend we didn’t see.
It’s the same here, or in the US or anywhere.

So what is the answer? Stopping, seeing need, taking time, helping.

In a word, Love.

First Impressions

Culture Shock. Let’s start there.

When I was picked up from the airport the first question I was asked was, “Was the Queue very long?” And that was the start of the differences.

Everything is different.

The first week has been full of culture shock to the extreme. From the toilets to the light switches to the cars to the language to the food to the train system to the customs to the norms to the clocks to the sense of humor to the fashion to the laws to the drinking fountains to the greetings.

There are more cheeses than days of the year.

I am living in a tiny village just outside Paris, in a very old French home. Complete with three stories, beautiful balconies, winding staircases, a full library, lush gardens and intricate architecture. I would say about ten people in this village speak English. Needless to say I will be fluent in French by the time I am home.

Everyday I feel like a little girl again learning how to ask for this, what you call that, do you say bonjour on the street? Why does no one smile back? Why is 70 percent of the market devoted to bread, cheese & wine? Why did that French man just kiss both my cheeks?

I love everything. And I am so blessed to be here.

The Adventures Begin…

First. Blog. Ever. Excited to share my adventures with the world.  More to come soon.