If You Can Make It Here, You Can Make It Anywhere

So I've been in NY for over 7 months now..it got a bit rocky for a hot minute there in the middle of summer but things have started to come together and what a life. Tonight a couple reps from some vendors that we work with invited myself and my coworkers out for some after work drinks at a roof top bar. Everything just really set in as I was looking over at the financial district, Brooklyn bridge and midtown by just standing in one spot. Between the view, the exclusive bar and knowing where my life is now taking me just made me so grateful and proud of myself for making this leap 7 months ago.
I finally got settled into my apartment (the last box is now unpacked!) and happy to have my little boy Atilla back with me again. Nothing like coming back home after a long day to that cute little kitty. The only downside is the bar less then a block away that thinks its ok to blast its bass a couple times a week. Mark words they will regret it! The neighborhood is definitely interesting...i am probably one of a few white girls there but ive had no issues at all. Maybe ill pick up some Spanish, who knows.  Its definitely got that urban vibe to it and im waiting for them to break open the fire hydrants and run through the water, which apparently is a real thing, not just in movies. But its worth the extra space I get and the cheaper rent im paying. Last year I would have laughed in your face if you told me id be living in a place like this. But ive built some tough skin and it really doesn't phase me too much now.
Its interesting, while tonight was awesome for me, its probably not quite as glamorous as what most Manhattanites experience on a daily basis. But then walking to the subway i see people so much less fortunate- street vendors, working city jobs that no one wants to do, and just begging for money. It puts it all into perspective. But also makes you realize that they are also what makes NY the place it is. The city couldn't work without them. I respect every person who is working and doing what they need to do to live in this crazy town. Its definitely not easy. I feel like its become a total cliche but its totally true:if you can make it in NY you can make it anywhere. Its funny, I feel like this year has taught me so much more about life than all my years in Florida. Between my job and just living in Manhattan, its been hard but so far I've been successful and it makes me feel like I can tackle any obstacle that comes my way.
So ill leave you on that optimistic note, until next time!

Alas, Its Good Bye Paris

So right now we are waiting for our cab to take to the train and from there to the airport. It's very bitter sweet to leave. The last 2 days were about getting to any last minute things so here goes...
Tuesday...we went to a Chateau that we thought was supposed to be close to the city but in actuality is still in the city. It definitely wasn't what we thought it would be...it was almost medieval looking but wasn't as grand as it looked in the photos. Still,  it was beautiful on the outside. We didn't go in but decided to check out another chateau farther away from Paris. We got to the train station and found tickets were pricy just for the train...(though I would still have done it anyway). BUT it was a good thing we didn't go because the château was closed! As were all of the others. So what to do on a rainy, stormy day....we ended up hitting up a bunch of cool and under the radar museums which all happened to be free. In between we found a cafe for lunch that had some quiche that I had beem craving. In addition I wanted to get some escargot. Now, I've had it in the states before and its quite good. They always served it already out of the shell so it was no big deal, just eat and enjoy. Well first she brought out some special utensils and I got really nervous. These things were still going to be in the shell. She brought them out and yup, they were. They were filled with pesto and olive oil but where was the actual snail meat?? I attempted to hold the shell with one of the tools and pull out the meat with the tiny fork. Plyers would have been better. I asked the waitress and she was no help. I went at those babies for like 10 minutes with no luck. I managed to get 2 before my meal came and had Michelle work them while I ate. I'm sure I got many looks and laughs from the staff and diners. Michelle got one but the rest were still stuck in there! We resorted to cracking the shells which was not the way to do it, but it worked! No wonder they take them out of the shell before they are served in America...we're too stupid to figure it out.
After lunch we walked through the rain to some more museums and of course one of them was closed. Lovely. We headed back to the hostel as we were going to check out the pretty church right near us. The Sacre Cour really stands out from the rest of the city as its architecture is on the Moorish sidevas opposed to the gothic ones that reign over Paris. Its on a really tall hill so it was like hiking through the Alps all over again. We went inside and it was beautiful!  Much different than the others we've seen. Luckily I was able to snap a picture because they weren't allowed and a service was going on. We walked through then got dinner at some cheap fast food place nearby that is a fusion of KFC and McDonald's. Not the best but the gelato after was superb.
Yesterday... our last full day in Paris :( We checked out a couple cathedrals, St Sulpice and St Germaine. Both were stunning but completely different.  Its amazing how diverse all the cathedrals are that we've seen. No two are similar. After we walked through Luxembourg Gardens which was a beautiful manicured garden that was overlooked by the Luxembourg Palace. Why cant we have gardens like this in NYC?! Them it was on to one of our favs, the good ol Eiffel Tower. I still cant get over how amazing it is. We took a bunch of pictures so be on the lookout for our 2015 Christmas card! Lunch consisted of THE BEST nutella and banana crepe ever. These French do not get stingy on the filling. The line to go to the top of the tower wasn't bad at all so we went for it. Once again,  super trippy because of the insane height and there were far too many people, but very cool nonetheless. You could see EVERYTHING from up there especially since the weather was perfect. On the line to take the elevator down wr had the pleasure of witnessing one of the worst mothers ever. One of her children must have been 1 or so, just learning to walk. So naturally letting him sit on your shoulders while he screams is ok. And letting him wander around is perfectly ok. The brother was more responsible than her as he kept going after him. And the entire time she kept calling him Doodoo. Dont know if its a French nickname or something stupid she made up but it was hysterical. After, we hung out on the lawn after which is just the best. So relaxing to just lay there and stare at the beautiful tower. Michelle wanted to do a River Cruise at night so since the sun doesn't start to go down til after 9 we got dinner. Thinking I got a smaller dish of salmon ( yes Aunt Cathy, poisson!) It turned out to be the thinnest slice of fish that covered the entire plate.  Oh and it was raw. But it actually was really good! The lemon, olive oil and scallions on top made it quite tasty. Still extremely,  we got some dessert at a bakery. I got a chocolate eclair that was filled with chocolate cream instead of the usual regular cream in the states. Be jealous Dad, it was so good. The river cruise on the Seine after was great. The sun was going down so it was really pretty. On the way back we saw the top of the Eiffel Tower sparkle like you see in movies and 8 just could not wait to see it again. We chilled on the lawn and as we waited,  we were harassed by the dudes selling their illegal wares. Metal Eiffel Towers by day, and wine and champagne by night. They come in hords but the best is seeing them all hauling butt down the street when the cops come, jingling like a bunch of sleigh bells from their towers. We had to wait about 30 mins before the Eiffel Tower sparkle again. When it did though, it was magical. Better than any firework show or lit up castle in Disney. Definitely the perfect last night here.
So today our flight doesn't leave til 7:30 so we were able to go out and about. I said my last good bye to Notre Dame,  one of the most beautiful things I have ever set my eyes on. We got some delicious quiche for lunch and then headed back.  There is a strike today with the trains (lucky us) so we wanted plenty of time to get there just in case. It was a mad house at the train station. Nothing is labeled right or gives consistent directions to get to a platform and none of the trains are labeled. It can be so easy to get on the wrong train especially if you are in a rush. Once again tge airport was smooth sailing and now we wait.
This country is seriously a wonderful place and it's hard to leave. While London is still my absolute favorite, Paris was a close second. I guess with Europe in general its such a wonderfully different lifestyle and atmosphere here and I could only wish the US could pick up some of its habits.  These trips definitely make me think about what direction I want my life to go in and just crave a constant adventure.
So til next time...
Au revoir France, I'll miss but I  will see you again!

Lazy Days

SSo today and yesterday were quite lazy days. Two weeks constantly on the go can be quite draining. Yesterday we had yet more issues with the public transportation trying to get into town...apparently even in season the buses aren't that great in Chamonix. We decided to do a picnic near one of the lakes. We were super French and had cheese, bread, wine, and french cookies. But as Americans we had to throw the Pringles in too. I felt so authentic carrying the baguette around town...it really is a thing here, not just a stereotype. I guess I really looked French as some Middle Eastern guys stopped us for directions. Hahaha....
The lake we wanted to eat by was gated off so we settled to eat and watch the parasailers landing which was kind of cool. We ended up staying there for a while and I laid there in the shade in complete relaxation. We headed back into town and there was a band playing so we sat and watched for a bit. They drew me in with their classic rock covers and for being so young they were really good! After sooo much bread and cheese the past week and a half I was craving some veggies.  We got dinner at a cafe near where the band was playing and I had a really yummy salad. Never did I think I would ever crave one. If we werent doing so much walking and dealing with a ton of hills and steps, we would be humongous from all the bread and cheese the feed us here.
We finally had a successful bus ride back to the chalet and it was time to enjoy one last evening watching the sunset on the mountains. This place has been so beautiful and i have fallen in love with the Alps and this town. I definitely plan on coming back both to go skiing in the winter and do more summer activities...all once my back decides to top being a nuisance.
This morning we woke up early and took the shuttle back to Geneva airport where we then flew back to Paris. Almost feels weird being back here. Such a huge contrast between the country and city and being in both in the same day is just an odd feeling. You've gotta get back into the groove of the city life. We checked into our new hostel which has got a different vibe than the other, more social for sure, but still nice. We went back to our favorite Thai restaurant for dinner. I got the chicken in a pineapple this time only with a kick. Gotta have some spice in your life. It was almost like a curry sauce but it was just chicken and pineapple pieces in half of a pineapple with the core carved out. We went souvenir shopping after and are now hanging out in the common area of our hostel. Theres some family that cooked a huge dinner and are now playing folk songs (if you want to call I that) on the guitar and recorder, and a super cute guy working the reception desk. Naturally Im sitting close to him and not the weird family. I will give it to the fam though, they sound like they are having fun. Tomorrow we are checking out a chateau close to Paris, ready to see my future house! Haha...

Climb Every Mountain

So since we did the big things yesterday and some things either aren't open yet because the season hasn't started, or since we both have janked up backs, we weren't entirely sure what to do today. Our host Jennifer at our chalet suggested a relatively easy hike since we didn't have any equipment so we went into town to get some more info. I led the hike up and let me tell you I have never done a hike like that ever! But, thats what happens when you're hiking up a mountain. We took a different way from the map and none of the trail signs mentioned our destination. Luckily for us we didn't get too far off course. There were a ton of streams from the melting snow and since our water bottle was drained we filled up with some nice glacial water. So cool and refreshing...and clear! Hopefully wont catch any disease from that but so far so good and its better than dehydrating and passing out on a mountain.
Once we were on the right track it got more intense. Maybe it was steeper or maybe I was tired from the earlier hills that I killed going up, but man was it hard. It was so beautiful looking out below the valley and knowing we were going up on foot instead of a cable car was very gratifying. 1200 meters later we were at our destination, a beautiful chalet that was just covered in flowers. From the balcony to all the window boxes this place was filled with so many blooming flowers.
The lady who owns the chalet was so nice and she offers hikers refreshments before the continue on. We relaxed for a bit and then headed back down the mountain. Its sad, I thought I was in better shape since I live in New York and walk everywhere but I guess not!
We grabbed some sandwiches and ice cream back in town and then wandered over towards one of the lakes where I had seen rock climbers the other day. We sat and watched them for a while; it really makes me miss it. The best were these Italian guys and the one belaying the climber was singing something operatic to cheer his partner on during a tough part. Too funny. And of course there were hellian children running around and one of them was throwing rocks and trying to hit people. How nice. Once again we had another failed attempt home but alas that is how I roll. Always getting lost...sigh...

I'm On Top Of The World!

Taking full advantage of this porch at our chalet and gazing at the mountain peak that I went to the top of today. Yup you heard that, I stood 12,600 feet above where I am sitting now. To backtrack, we decided to do a pass that combined both the cable car up to the top of Aiguille du Midi, and to the Mer de Glace, a glacier that you could walk through. We started with Aiguille du Midi. It was 2 separate cable car trips to the very top. Between the crazy height, the extreme jerks of the car, and the very crowded car, I was experiencing everything that terrifies me all at once. There just needed to be clowns there and then it would have been perfect. Hahaha....anyway, im all about conquering my fears so here was a way to do it! We finally got to the top and the view was absolutely amazing to say the least. By far one of the coolest things I have ever done. We took a bunch of photos and then did this glass bottom box thing over one of the voids that was crazy. From the peak you could see the valley and the endless Alps all around. Switzerland, France, and Italy were all in our gaze. 12,600 feet up, thats pretty freaking high! We headed back down to head to the glacier because it closed pretty early. There was a train that took you up to the mountain.  From there we had to take another cable car down towards the glacier and then 400 stair steps down. At one point in time the glacier was all the way up where the train is and signs show where the glacier level was at certain points in time. Global warning isn't a problem?? My butt!! It's insane to see how quickly the glacier has receded and shrunk down, and of course its been faster in the more recent years. You could see the glacier melting and there was a definite stream of water rushing down the rocks. Definitely makes you think about it and shows you some real perspective to see global warming at work. We went inside and they lit it with a bunch of different colors which was really pretty. They even had ice sculptures of furniture in there which was interesting. It was relatively small so after a quick trip through the ice cave it was 400 steps back up. We took the train back down and headed back into town to wander before dinner. We wanted fondu and found a place that had a 3 course fondu meal for a good deal. We started with the best french onion soup I have ever had followed by cheese fondu with bread to dip and cheese potatoes with bacon. What we were thinking that we would be able eat all of that bread and cheese is beyond me. But of course we were able to eat the most yummy chocolate mousse. Be jealous ma, you would have looooved it. We took the bus back home but of course it was the wrong bus. A mile later I am now chilling on the back porch enjoying my view!

Loving the Lourve

Yesterday was Louvre day! After our usual breakfast of lots of bread and yummy hot chocolate we made our way to the monstrosity ( I use that term in a good way) which is the Musee De Lourve. The museum is huge. Even one wing of it is overwhelming,  it extends many blocks. Once you realize the museum in in the shape of a U and 2 other sides are just as long, well you can imagine my shock and awe. I knew it was big, but not THAT big! We entered into the courtyard where those 3 glass pyramids protrude from the ground. Whether its because they have become famous and associated with the Louvre or because the designer actually created a successful juxtaposition of architecture, it was a beautiful site. Michelle wanted to wait on the ridiculous line there but I had read about another way to get tickets so I finally was able to drag her to find it. It was located in this fancy underground shopping center and the line was much better. We finally got our tickets and headed in. What a mad house! To make it worse it was just a lot of people but a tonof tour groups...and yes, a lot of them were Asian tour groups, my favorite! My mom thought we couldn't do the Louvre in a day so the bet was on!
We started in the ancient Greek and Egyptian art. Now mind you I took many art history classes in school so I knew what I was looking at and taking pictures of. When we came to the Venus de Milo, the famous Greek statue of the woman with no arms I was excited,  so cool to finally see it in person! Of course there was a huge crowd around it pushing and shoving because its the real version of a picture they've seen in a Greek restaurant...sigh... Of course another Greek favorite of mine was...wait for it...under renovated!! Of course it was, story of my life. We pushed on nonetheless and just walked through our art history books, finally seeing the real thing.
Right before we broke for lunch, we walked through the apartments of Napoleon. So freaking cool! I hate to say it but I might have been more impressed with those than the ones from Versailles. While these rooms were just as elaborate, they seemed much less crazy than Versailles. Definitely one of the highlights for me. We had lunch at some cafeteria where the best thing about it was Michelle mistaking an anchovy for a slice if bacon. Now was time for the paintings. Never have i been so impressed with a painting collection. Most museums have only a few large works and the rest are on a more normal scale. Not here! Giant rooms filled with giant paintings,  one right after another. A giant hallway filled with famous masterpieces was another highlight for me. Just to stroll down there, surrounded by incredible talent was inspiring. Right off this hall resided the home of the one and only,  Mona Lisa. And what a crowd was in front! After some pushing and shoving I finally made my way to the front. After a bunch of pictures I actually stood there to really look at it, something no one else did or seemed to care to do. Its a great painting,  it really is, and I love Da Vinci, his style is different from his fellow artists, but I don't get how that is the most famous painting in the world. There are so many other incredible works out there that are filled with more symbolism and mystery and just so much more dynamic than of Miss Lisa. I wonder if Da Vinci is watching the scene that takes place every day in front of his work and just laughing his head off. Enough artistic criticism from me. It was humorous though, there was almost a rumble in the Asian jungle in front of the Mona Lisa.  Some botox injected old blonde asian lady was getting pushed and it seemed like a fight might break out.
We wandered around some more, checking out more and more art when we decided we couldn't do anymore. We may not have seen the ENTIRE Lourve but we did everything we wanted to see plus some. We easily could have finished it if we stayed longer. See Ma!! What did we tell you?! Granted, we definitely hustled through there, but we saw a lot and got to admire what we wanted to see.
There was this Japanese noodle place I had read about and so we headed to Japantown for dinner. We couldn't find it unfortunately and found out later my book said the wrong street. We ate at another Japanese place, which was good, but still wanting to try the noodle house that originally brought us there. Michelle had been talking about macaroons non stop the entire trip so we finally went to a bakery to pick some up. After being super tourists and getting our berets( there is a reason for getting them, I promise!) we headed back to our hostel. We instantly broke open the macaroons and devoured them. I had never had them before and they were sooooo good!!
Right now we are in Geneva,  waiting for our bus to Chamonix. The site of the snow capped Alps were gorgeous and I cant wait to see them up close!

The Hills Are Alive With The Sound of Music

So today we temporarily left Paris to see what the rest of France has to offer. We wanted to see the Alps so we decided to go to a little mountain town called Chamonix. Train tickets were ridiculous and had horrible times so we found it was faster and a bit cheaper to fly into Geneva and then take a shuttle bus to Chamonix. Once again we had a time crunch to get to the airport but we did make it in time...once again. The flight was nice and quick and we thought we were going to get lucky and have the shuttle bus leave earlier than planned. But apparently it was the driver's first day so he was 30 minutes late. Luckily we didn't have a schedule to keep now that we were in Geneva. There was this guy with us who we initially thought was super obnoxious but he just turned out to be a friendly dude. He said he's been coming here for 7 summers to be a climbing guide so he gave us great tips. He told us that Chamonix is one of the climbing (or probably more so mountaineering) capitals of the world. This killed me because it just reiterated how much climbing I'm missing out on because of my janked up back. I did have a brief climbing escapade in Florida but had to stop because of said back. So obviously I'm quite frustrated I have to keep my feet firmly on the ground. It was the most incredible sight driving through the mountains to Chamonix. The Appalachians are about as grand as it got for me so my mind was blown. Snow capped peaks and ridges soared above us. Absolutely stunning. We got to our hostel which is also a chalet and it is the most homey and cozy place. The owners live here too so its almost like a cheap bed and breakfast than a hostel. We stepped outside into the backyard and the Alps just loomed above us. I instantly felt so much more relaxed and it was great to breath some fresh air. We attempted to ride bikes around but kept getting stopped due to crazy hills. I haven't ridden a bike in years so that was gonna be an issue. Public transportation isn't the best here since its the off season so we managed to get a ride to the train from the girl who works at the chalet. We took the train into town and it was so lovely! Very quaint bit tons of shops and restaurants. We chose a traditional French restaurant and just as I was about ti go super classy with some escargot and french onion soup, a salmon dish stuck out at me and it was amaaazing. Salmon with a butter sauce with basmati rice and sauteed veggies. Incredible!! We headed back to the chalet and are now sitting on the back porch with the beautiful Alps beyond, accompanied with some wine and chocolates. Its so quoet, all you can hear is the birds and the stream. What a  perfect evening. Tomorrow we will do some exploring in the mountains!