"Don't worry, one day it will go from AWEFUL to AWESOME!" HAHAHA (Adventures with MooReece con't)

So for those of you lucky enough to not have your inboxes flooded with my daily rantings and ravings you may or may not know that my first few days in Paris have been slightly overwhelming. I've been here 3 days now and I can definitely say I'm glad I went to Antibes first! I thought I went a little cuckoo (ok I did go a little cuckoo) in my first week here in France in the itty bitty town of Antibes - time went by slower than a snail at the Indy 500. I feel like I going through that overload all over again only this time because I'm much more familiar with the inner workings of the French I am much more comfortable communicating and getting around. I have 4 weeks of French Language and Culture in the Riviera to thank for that and so instead of going through a week or so of madness, it's day 3 and I feel SO MUCH BETTER! My head is still a little swollen but ibuprofen is my friend and my blisters are finally calissed and after figuring out transit systems for a number of different european cities, the Paris metro is a piece of cake! I am still anxious to get home because everyday seems to take me further away from my reality and I remember less and less what life back home is like. That being said, I'm comfortable here now - I will have a routine again in a few days and time will fly by no doubt!

We spent the first few days in orientation and today took a bus tour of the city visiting all the major sites. Paris itself is not very big, like everything else in France, it all leads to the centre (i.e. Champs Elysee). Class starts on Monday and runs Monday-Thursday 1-4 and I will be studying French History through Architecture (for those of you who didn't know or couldn't remember). We were informed that most of our class time will be spent OUT of the classroom visiting the architecture we will be studying. I know - ROUGH isn't it? Well it is if it's as hot as it was yesterday. At least the classroom is air conditionned.

I have alot of things booked and planned but kept some nights open too because we will have homework (and maybe even papers to write) GASP! Once we get our syllabus I will be in better shape to know what I can do and when, what to go see that I won't get to see in class etc... I will also be going to runs most mornings in Jardin Luxembourg and Tulleries (around the Louvre). I found this run through the city that will take me from my apartment to the Champs Elysee (7 km or so) but I'm not sure how running in the city will be. I will walk it on Monday and see what it's like and go from there. And of course SHOPPING! There is so much to see and do that my brain is on overload right now wanting to get it all in. I'm already missing my PUMP/RPM/ATTACK dates and I will try to find a gym to let me on stage here - but I'm not going to hold my breath. Although I should find out when they release here and go check it out... hm....or go find Wolverine!

Saying Goodbye is Always Hard to Do (Adventures with MooReece con't)

My stay in the French Riviera has sadly come to an end. To say it was a cake walk would be a lie (it was more of a pain au chocolat walk). HAHA. Joking aside, there were some ups and downs and the first week was definitely harder than I ever imagined both physically and emotionally. I think that first week taught me more about myself and how to deal with whatever life throws at you than the 23 years leading up to it. That could explain my total emotional amnesia of back home. My first week in Antibes felt like YEARS and although time has sped up since, it still feels like THIS is REAL and HOME is a DREAM. My friends here, although I don't know them well, I feel like they've been in my life forever and this has always been our way of life. Several have seconded my sentiments on the subject. It's a REALLY weird vibe. Obviously I miss you all, every last one of you...but I'm not going to lie, it feels like you are all a figment of my imagination. I'm forgetting what you all look and sound like. Talk about living in the moment!

It hasn't hit me yet that I'm NOT going back to Antibes. I've said goodbye to everyone and yet it still doesn't seem real. This fantasy life that I am living is so incredible and so filled with experiences that it's hard to believe anything else is normal. Some days I want to fly home and go back to my real life (eventhough I don't really remember what that is like) and most of the rest of the time I stop and take a look around and appreciate the culture and the history and the beauty of where I am in that moment and I never want to leave.

I will miss Antibes and Sophia Antipolis so much. I will miss my bus driver who drove me from Sophia to Place de Gaulle after the gym every night. I will miss the endless stream of Gelaterias and Patisseries and Marchés but my waistline will not! I will miss the Sun and the perfect climate, the beach and the sea water in which I can freely float around (although I still sink a bit). I will miss the "Bedrock" our perfectly located little apartment in Vieille Antibes (26 rue du Haut Castelet) and I will miss the 3 minute walk to the Port school. I will miss saying "Bonjour" and "Merci, au revoir" everytime I walk into a store or by a shop/restaurant worker. But mostly I will miss the ease in which everything flows in the Riviera (except the traffic). Nothing is hectic, everyone goes with the flow and no matter how tired, cranky or homesick you get, nothing cheers you up like spending the afternoon eating wine and cheese with your friends on the rocks by the beach.

Pulled an all-nighter before dragging myself and my luggage (I will DEFINITELY need another suitcase to come home) to the train station for my 6:52 train to Verona which will be our temporary resting place until we move in in Paris.

VIVA ITALIA!

Apparently I'm the one with the funny accent? (Adventures with MooReece con't)

First day of school officially starts tomorrow but today we got our orientation and were given another guided tour of Antibes, Cap d'Antibes and Juan-les-Pins (by bus thank GOD - my feet are soooo blistered it's making it miserable to walk around). We then had our placement test to see which France level French we are at. They consider my accent "très jolie" - I didn't even know I had an accent! Little do they know - THEY are the ones with the adorable speech, it really is quite charming. (Also I learned that "tomber en amour" is a phrase that the French find absolutely adorable - apparently they don't say that here - I have yet to find the equivalent - will keep you posted on that one)

We toured the Cap d'Antibes which is like the Beverly Hills of the area and the road goes all the way around the peninsula. I figure 10-12 km - guess who's going for a run?! MooReece might stay back for that one though. He did very much enjoy the journey up to the lighthouse and Garoupe a chapel up on the mountain which provides us with an amazing view of the entire region. Not to mention we all know how much I love ancient architecture - the chapel was fascinating.

MooReece and I spent the remainder of the afternoon gathering supplies for the apartment and doing some grocery shopping (yes it's still my favourite thing to do even in France!) And you really can buy ANYTHING in a "marché" here. There is a daily "marché" that we have yet to explore but is apparently "the place" to shop in Antibes. The only thing that I can't seem to get here is a COFFEE! Our coffee pot is cracked (which I found out today as I was happily making my first pot and it leaked EVERYWHERE!) and it's not like I can just pop into a Starbucks for a Venti non-fat no-foam dark cherry mocha or even a MickeyDs for a large black! Cups here are literally CUPS like 250 ml... and just as expensive as an XL back home. I think I might just kick my coffee addiction yet seen as it's been 48 hours sans caffeine. Doubt it.

School starts tomorrow and we need to get up extra early to find out which building our classes will be in (fingers crossed mine is in one of the building in the old town...SO CLOSE!) So better wrap it up for the night.

Signing off! A la prochaine :)

Where's my ruler?

Ok, so I've officially broken the first cardinal rule of blogging. I got busy and completely forgot to blog in the first place. And this is only my second post - what does that about my reliability as a true blogger? OY!

So this brings me to the topic of accountability (which is ironic because my Manager just came over to my desk while I was in the process of typing this to discuss her plan for the 2010-2011 team planning retreat which will be centered on - you guessed it: team accountability). To say that accountability has been something I've struggled with over the years would be an understatement. Accountability seems to be everywhere I turn, and if not, it follows me like a 5 o'clock shadow. Throughout our lives we have parents, teachers, friends, family, jobs, clients/customers, bosses, teammates etc etc etc.. to whom we have to report back to. Being an Aries, I have issues reporting to people, both personally and professionally. I like to do my own thing, on my own terms and I really don't give a &*#% what anyone else thinks. That's just how I roll. Unfortunately for me, the rest of the world tells me to shove-it and report back whether I want to or not. Do I believe accountability is important - OF COURSE - nothing would ever get done otherwise. I am extremely LAZY and if it wasn't for self-accountability I would NEVER accomplish anything. The thought of letting someone you care about (even if it's yourself - wow that sounds egotistical now doesn't it?) down is usually enough to fuel the fire to get you through even the most painstakingly boring/unpleasant tasks.

There's a wooden ruler that sits in my desk drawer as a constant reminder that if I don't get my act together I will get metaphorically smacked on the hands/upside the head (like the good ol' days - yes I went to a school run by nuns and although I come from the generation where hitting students was forbidden - wooden rulers still have that connotation in my mind). Accountability cannot be escaped but if I have to choose who I have to be most accountable to - I say MOI! Everyone else can kiss my ass-et!