France Partie Deux

When we last spoke, I left you in Bories, where the townspeople used rocks for pillows, rocks for windows and rocks for fashion. Basically, the place where Fred Flintstone took his family on vacation.

Several castles, catapults and churches later we stopped in Auvers where Vincent Van Gogh painted that cafe with the yellow awning and where they still bullfight. They had some superb street art dedicated to Vincent and the bulls. I ordered what must have been my 15th cafe au lait at this point and I tried to pet a young cat… but to no avail this time.

Cafe Van Gogh. Photo by Ranger Holly.

We also went to Renouard which was an extremely cute and quaint village. It looked like a Hollywood movie set of France. I enjoyed it immensely.

Then it was on to Château de Grignan. You know, your run-of-the-mill housing. Now, the history of this château is sort of scandalous, like all châteaus, I might imagine. There was the last count of Grignan who had three wives and the first two died mysteriously one after the other. It sound shady, but their house was beautiful. (Please note, I am not known for my historical accuracy.)

I found a secret passageway in the ballroom that was used to pass food from the kitchen. Me being me, I grabbed the knob and almost broke this 400 year old door, but ah c'est la vie! I put it back after laughing hysterically and no one was the wiser. As far as I know.

This is where I almost caused an international incident. Photo by Ranger Holly.

The next day we took the train to PARIS! Before we left Avignon we went to the farmers market which was way better than any silly American farmers market. They had everything you could imagine in one place: giant wheels of cheese, bolts of fabric, kitchenware, fresh meat, local wine. All of it, everything you could ever need.

When we meet I again...I will tell you about Paris.

Chicago Love

I was so lucky to return to Chicago in April! Less than a year after my last visit, this one was even more magical than the last one.

First, this trip was much longer and so I had far more time to enjoy and explore. I was there for the ACES Editing Conference and I met a pair of extremely fun copy editors (not unlike myself).

There is just something that I love so much about Chicago. The energy is really fresh and exciting. The downtown area is full of great restaurants and my favorite spot is the Art Institute.

I stayed at the Palmer House again since that is where the conference was held. Even given the options in the area, I think I would have chosen to stay at Palmer again because it is quirky and historic and I am enamored with the art deco style on the inside.

The elevators at the Palmer House. So gorgeous. Photo by Ranger Holly.

The first night, I got to my room around 9 p.m. and I gobbled up dinner in the lobby. I knew from my last visit that the food was solid and it was convenient, that’s all I could ask for. Also, I like hanging out in the lobby of old-timey hotels because it is a very Holden Caulfield vibe.  

The conference started bright and early and was intense on the grammar, but I’m honestly not going to focus on the conference at all. It was good. The lecture about the history of Webster’s dictionary was completely amazing and the best session of the conference. That’s all you need to know. Visit the website if you want to go next year in Providence, RI.

That night was the classic first night mixer in a very red (and maybe Gothic-style) ballroom. In the effort to avoid the advances of a man twice my age, I scanned the room for a group to join and I quickly spotted a couple of ladies who looked as though they could provide shelter.

Luckily for me, they were an amazing duo from New York: Kara and Emma. We quickly fell in sync with similar senses of humor and an affinity for social satire. (For a split second I thought I made that term up, but I 100% did not.) I love when I immediately click with people and that is what happened with these lovely people and we were off to the races.

We went out to meet one of Emma’s coworkers for tacos, authentic pizza and a stop into a Wayne’s World pop-up bar at Bucktown Pub.

The next night my fun-loving friends and I went out a concert in an apartment. Which I admit in concept is a tad sketch, but it worked out great. It was just a concert put together by a couple of entrepreneurial young lads. They had a sink full of ice and $2 beers (what a deal!) and the bands had to be done by 11 p.m. because you know - neighbors.

The band I was there to see was The Happy Fits. They are a three-piece band from New Jersey and they are as adorable as they are talented. They just released their debut album "Concentrate." Put them on your radar immediately, they will be on tour this fall. They were amazing and I didn’t mind blowing out my eardrums for 25 minutes because they were that good. Live music makes me so incredibly happy and live music in Chicago is even better.

Saturday was our last day all together and Emma had to head to the airport around 2 p.m. It was a sad parting of the hearts! Kara and I soldiered on and went to a piano bar called the Tack Room that evening. It was a carriage house that had been turned into a hipster watering hole. A bit off the beaten path but it was a recommendation from the Southwest Airlines city guide and it was a quality rec. The music was great and so were the food and drinks and I loved getting to bond more with my sweet new friend.

Sunday morning I was on my own, so I went to Goddess and the Baker and strolled around Millennium Park. I also went to Lush to get a new skincare regimen and because there is just something about Lush that says vacation to me. I don’t know what it is. I always remember going to my first Lush with my friends in Washington, D.C. and since then Lush equals vacation pampering.

That was that for my second Chicago trip. I didn’t think I would come away loving Chicago even more, but I did and big time.

France Partie Un

I see London, I see France… just kidding. So cliché!

Anyway, in MARCH I went to France and among the other things that I have been doing, I have been struggling to put the experience into words. Rest assured, I am not short of words. No, I have too many words and I do not want to bore my vast audience to tears here.

For starters, I am extremely lucky and grateful that I have two friends who are living abroad for a year and invited me to visit them in France where they were house sitting an adorable bed and breakfast.

I found a ticket, packed my little bags and kissed Buttercup goodbye on March 24. I took the train from San Diego to LAX (Los Angeles International Airport), which was rather smooth, I only had to dodge one creepy weirdo. Which for a 5 a.m. train ride, I would say is pretty good!

After I landed in Paris, I took the train to Avignon in Provence. It was a tad confusing at first and after a 14-hour flight, I was a bit discombobulated but I found my train and easily arrived in Avignon where I met up with my lovely hosts Dan and Jane!

I'm not going to cover everything we did but I am going to cover a lot of it. We did A TON!

Some Highlights

1. Pont Du Gard - an ancient Roman aqueduct that is in pretty fine shape for its age.

Pont Du Gard an ancient Roman aqueduct in Vers-Pont-du-Gard in southern France. Photo by Ranger Holly.

2. Palais de Papes - translation: the Pope's house. When the Pope had to flee the fall of Rome, he came to this little place in Provence.

Inside the Palais de Papes. He liked high ceilings, clearly. Photo by Ranger Holly.

3. Carousels are everywhere - I love that we saw a carousel almost every day. France is a whimsical land.

Carousel near the Palais de Papes in Avignon. Photo by Ranger Holly.

4. Beautiful churches - we stopped into a lot of beautiful churches. I love seeing houses of worship in other countries. I imagine how many centuries of people have walked in the doors. At all of the churches we went to the threshold was worn down from the many people who passed through.

The entrance to this church was insanely beautiful and ornate. Love. Photo by Ranger Holly.

5. Village des Bories - this village was basically a rock town. Not a town that was very into rock music, but a town where everything was made of rocks and it made me so grateful that I was not born into that time and place.

The pillows were probably also made of rocks. This had to be a very uncomfortable way of life. Photo by Ranger Holly.

Stay tuned for at least two more parts of this series. I told you we did a lot of things in France...

Travel Prep

I have been trying to write a France recap but I did so much that I have been struggling to get it just right. So, I am starting with how a prep for international travel. Just taking it one step at a time here!

Research it

For France, I Googled the areas I would be in and the things to do and see there. Duh, it’s obvious but important. Additionally, I still like to check out travel books (old school) and Rick Steves is the man when it comes to showing us the ins and outs of things that are popular as well as off the beaten path. His website is also packed with good info.
 

Learn the language

I learned as much French as I could on Duolingo before I took off. French is a complex language. It is intimidating and I am kind of tone deaf (or so I have been told), which makes it a bit harder to mimic languages. However, practicing the language makes it easier to read and figure out where I am going. Reading is the majority of what I did while I was there anyway. Aside from ordering café au lait and saying hello and thank you, I did very little French speaking.

I did the same when I went to Copenhagen a couple years ago. Having some key words and phrases in your repertoire is huge. I had to take the train to a bus to get to my AirBnb and being able to read all of the signage made all of that way easier.

The other reason that I like to learn as much as possible is because it is my way of honoring the people I meet and the culture that I will be immersed in. It’s a way of showing that I care. That’s just me. If you don’t want to learn the language - no harm, no foul - it’s true that most people speak English wherever you go, especially in the tourist areas.
 

YouTube it

I like YouTube because you get to see what you’re in for. There are so many great YouTube channels, Damon and Jo are my favorite. They are super well traveled and they have a million great tips and tricks.

Before left for France, I watched every video that Damon and Jo have on Paris. I think this is the thing that helped the most. I knew more of what to expect and how to politely approach people, which is a thing, especially in France.

My takeaway from that was how important it is to remember your manners when traveling but also remember that in America we are pretty uncivilized. If I were to give a travel tip, it would be to research the manners and customs of the country you are going to, because our manners are not their manners, ya dig?
 

Little but important things

1. Tell the bank where I’m going
2. Send itinerary to Mom
3. Check my phone plan
4. Get some pocket money in the currency of my destination
5. Create spreadsheet packing list
6. Pack and then remove 25% of what I packed because I always over pack at first

This is also how I generally prepare for a domestic trip as well. Minus the language learning and money converting.

Stay tuned! My post about France is on deck!

A Comeback!

Alright, so it's been a while. A long while. Five and half months, to be precise.

I have to say it went by so fast. It was warp speed. I had a lot on my plate for the past five months between work and traveling and attempting to figure out my place in the world (cue existential crisis - jk sort of). Granted, I served all of these things to myself, but it was still there and I needed to see it through.

How about a brief recap? Do you care? I didn't think so, but I'm going to do it anyway.

January
HAMILTON! - I had the joy of seeing Hamilton the musical. You may have heard of it. I have a lucky friend who was able to snatch up some tickets in the lottery last fall. The production was wonderful and it was pretty awesome to be part of the phenomenon. I have been calling it the Cats of our generation and I have a friend who hates that. So, that's why I am saying it again.

February
Certified! - I finished up my yoga teacher training at The House of Yogi! I was eating, sleeping and breathing yoga from September 2017 through February. It was a serious grind on top of my other three jobs. It was a big accomplishment for my personal and physical growth.

New Car Smell! - After what was a bit of a royal pain in the ass, I got a new Subaru Impreza. I'm extremely happy with my new ride and I learned a lot from the experience.

March
Campin'! - Finally got the chance to go out into the wilderness for a camping trip after an extremely long hiatus. I didn't even remember how to set up my tent. Thankfully, my super nice friends helped me set up and I only looked like a putz for about 20 minutes of fumbling with tent poles.

FRANCE! - I sent myself to France for spring break 2018. I have a couple of delightful friends who are spending a year abroad and invited me to come stay with them at their French bed and breakfast in Provence. We also spent a couple of days in Paris. It was a long journey to get there and back but it was so worth it. I was a master of the Paris metro by the end of the week. I plan to do a full post on this adventure.

April
Would you believe me if I said nothing happened in April? Obviously not. April was filled with a lot of little moments. I chopped my hair short, I went to a natural beauty panel discussion, I saw a French band play at an Irish bar and I worked busted my proverbial buns to help my students get through the semester. I also went back to one of my favorite cities.

CHICAGO! - I went to Chicago to attend the ACES Editing Conference for work. It was epic. I had the best time and made two new friends. I saw a lot, I ate a lot and it was glorious. More to come on my Chicago adventures. It involves Wayne's World, so obviously stay tuned.

May
Quite honestly, I am never ready for May when the old gal arrives. It's the end of the semester and the beckoning of summer in San Diego. I spent the first weekend of May grading papers and reading sweet notes from my students that reminded me that not all hope is lost in the future.

Wild Child! - This band from Austin completely rocked the Casbah on Cinco de Mayo. Live music is one of my favorite things and the Casbah is one of San Diego's best venues. I love seeing relatively unknown bands in small dark venues because you wind up part of the show instead of 1,000 rows back.

FIN! That's it. Those are the premium cuts from my past five months. No need to discuss the ugly bits. It is my goal to be less busy and be writing more but I suppose I haven't instilled a lot of trust to this point, eh?