A family week-end at the B's

Last week-end, I came back to my parents for a couple of days. I haven't seen them since I started college a month ago and it was great to come home ! Guillaume came with me and we have been lucky enough to enjoy the lovely weather. 

Home Sweet Home

I particularly enjoyed being outside. I have noticed that I got really upset about living in a city. When I was in Dublin, the noises, the traffic and the crowd made me nuts. I needed to get out in the countryside at least once a month to see green and landscapes. Have some fresh air. I guess I am a country girl after all, even if I found it really uncool when I was younger. For me, the country was boring and there was nothing to do in my area. But I see things differently now and I really cherish my countryside, my region and nature. I particularly love it during the fall season, as the leaves fall and the colors change. I had to go to an appointment early in the morning last Friday; it was just amazing to see the fog mixing with the first rays of sun, the trees turning to gold ... I am proud of where I come from. I guess it's part of growing up, accepting where you come from and feeling attached to your roots !

After my doctor appointment in the morning, we decided to have a walk in the afternoon. We took Ben with us and drove to a small village near my parents'. My pup was SO happy to get into my car and go out for a walk. Since it was not really the week-end already, there was nobody there. It was really quiet and we could fully enjoy the landscape. Plus, it was lovely out there: sunny but not too warm, walking near the river under the trees. It was a really nice walk and we even took a small boat to cross the water.

On Saturday, we had a feast for my birthday. As usual, my family gathered to celebrate, except my brother who is in Canada and my godmother who was working that day. But this year was a bit special as one of my uncle, his girlfriend and their baby boy were visiting us. I met Tom, who will turn one this week-end. It was the first time I was seeing him as they live in the West Indies and it was Tom's first trip to France. He is a funny little boy, always smiling and willing to play. He is full of life and started to walk only a few days before coming to visit us ! We had a great time, having some appetizers in the garden on Saturday evening and a lovely dinner cooked by my Dad. On Sunday, we had our last barbecue of the year and we spent some time in the garden before heading back to our place.

As usual, this week-end went too fast ! I did not even had time to realize I was there that it was already over. It was nice to get some fresh air and be with my loved ones. I already cannot wait for the holidays in three weeks !

Life Lately #3

September has been flying, as usual. I think I am only realizing today that I went back to college and celebrated my birthday just a few days ago. It's crazy !

Anyway, I had a really busy month and it was pretty hard for me to get back on track. As usual, I am wrecked after my first week back to school and I find it really weary to sit for hours and listen to professors all day long. It requires a lot of concentration and when I come home, I am just too lazy to do anything else but watch TV and cuddle on the couch. So, basically, I only started to worry about my studies TODAY !

In September, we also had some major events in the family. My cousin Philippe got married at the beginning of the month, introducing us to Felicia, his lovely bride. It was the first time we were meeting her and it was a really nice experience as the bride and her family were from Singapore and did not speak any French. It was for me the opportunity to talk in English and also to learn more about this culture and share our differences. Really really interesting week-end !

I also celebrated my birthday two weeks ago. I can't believe I am 22 ! I still picture myself as a teenager and if you ask me how old I am, my head will probably go straight to sixteen. This makes me feel old ... Especially since I found my very first grey hair last week ... Buh ! I am just trying to make fun about it. Actually, the funny part is that I found Guillaume's first grey hair a couple of days before mine. We are definitely growing old together ! As usual, September was full of celebrations and I kept eating a lot. For the wedding (I mean the entire week-end), on my birthday (even though I got sick), the next week-end (celebrating with my friends) and last week-end (with the family). My body cannot take anymore food ! I am just as stuffed as a Thanksgiving turkey ...

Not that I want to apologize for giving so little news last month, but I got sick all the time. No kidding. The day after the wedding, I started to get those spots on my arms and on my hands. Then, I got itches in my mouth (as if it was burnt or something). I had to go to the doctor, because my tongue seemed bigger than usual and hurt me. He said I had a virus, so I took medicine for a week and a half. On my birthday, I has fully recovered but in the evening, I started to have a big migraine so I took another medicine, but it did not work and could not enjoy my dinner properly. Mixing medicines was a terrible idea and it did not end well ... But of course, as if it was not enough, my body decided not to fight back the aggressor and I now have a cold/flu. No, I am not complaining ! And yes, I am the kind of person who always got sick. Anyway, I have been really overwhelmed and tired over the last few weeks. Hopefully, October will be nicer to me and I will finally get used to the weather (or perhaps temperatures will be back to normal). We'll see !

Blog in Progress

weheartit.com

A few weeks ago, my blog celebrated its first anniversary. I know that I don't post much, but I really care about writing and having this little space on the web. I like to share a bit of my everyday life with other bloggers and readers from the rest of the world.

I started blogging a while ago, when I was about thirteen. I remember opening my first blog during the summer 2006, when I spent my first holidays at my uncle's in Ireland. At that time, I candidly wrote about the things I liked, such as celebrities, my favorite ice cream's flavors, my feelings and emotions. It was a simple web page in which I spent hours decorating each article, answering comments ... I was really involved in this blog for about three years and I wrote my posts with all my heart. But at some point, I had to face plagiarism and critics. I guess it is part of blogging, but when you are only a teen, it's not easy to see that people use (most of the time anonymously) the internet to pour their hatred at you, most of the time for no reason. It didn't stop me from blogging, but I think that it lead to a sort of self-censorship. I felt it harder and harder to reveal my feelings and to wrote about personal things, as I was afraid to be judged or to make a fool of myself ...

Moreover, as I grew up, I wanted a different kind of blog. I have seen the blogosphere evolving so fast, so many people creating blogs and posting that I have to admit, I became envious. I wanted  a nice design, more and more readers ... I wanted to do like all the other bloggers and started to feel stuck. I have lost all my inspiration trying to "copy" others ... And I am not proud of it, even if I never plagiarized anyone, I know that this is not how it works. Writing about the same things, having the same pictures or the same design as other girls don't make any point. Plus, I have realized that writing and self expression do not work if you are just seeking success. I don't want to write to have more comments and viewers/followers. I want to write because I have something to say and to share. Now, I am looking for a blog that would be more like me. Something personal, more mature ... But finding a real identity when you are still in between teenage-hood and adulthood is not easy. I wish I was able to express my emotions without complaining all the time ! I think that at the moment, I am still in a process ...

Lately, I've been reading a lot of posts about how to manage your blog successfully. Some people will say I need to find a "niche" or to define a specific topic. But come on ! I am only twenty one, I am not better than the rest of us. I have nothing to teach but a lot to learn. I am not a fashionista, I am terrible at doing stuff myself, I love traveling but don't have enough money to do so ... I don't want to expose my life and impress people. I just like to talk about the things I enjoy as a simple college student entering the real world. I am no expert in anything. And I don't want to pretend I am one. When I created this blog, my intentions were to connect with other bloggers from all over the world, and that is why I decided to write in English instead of French. I felt inspired by these young women blogging about their faith, their struggle, their joy ... I wanted to be part of this community and blog again, because writing has always been important for my well being.

Even if this blog doesn't look professional at all, I think it actually reflects a lot about who I am: a young woman trying to find her place in this world.

September Goals

Hey y'all !

September has always been a big month for me. First, because I was born in September and secondly, because it is the back to school season. Therefore, this month always means that I can have a fresh start in the school system but also in my personal life. Like New Year's resolutions, September is the opportunity to make some changes in my lifestyle and start over.

But before listing my new goals for September, let's get back to August's !

August Goals:

• Write my thesis and my report ✓
• Sign up to the public library ✓
• Go to the farmer market ✓
• Have breakfast in bed  x
• Order pizzas from Domino's (missed them too much !) ✓
• Go to the beach ✓
• Donate blood ✓
• Loose weight  x

Frankly, I am surprised I did so many things last month ! I usually plan to many things to do and never achieve them. Of course, I still struggle with my weight ... But I keep working on it ! I really focused on two major goals: being reunited with my family and Guillaume, and my studies. And guess what ? I finally catch up on my assignments ! I gave my thesis and report back last Friday and had an oral exam this morning. I don't have to rush anymore and can start my (hopefully) last year of college peacefully ! So now, what about the coming month ?

September Goals:

• Write a post per week
• Organize a birthday party with my friends
• Be more supportive with Guillaume
• Find an internship
• Answer my emails more often
• Be more serious about loosing weight
• Start saving money

I am aware that I am not posting as much as I should, but now that I respected the deadlines for my homework, I will have more time to devote myself to the blog. Also, I will be celebrating my 22nd birthday in a couple of days, and it will be the opportunity to meet up with my closest friends ! Moreover, I feel that I need to be there for Guillaume. He finished his last year of masters and will have his thesis defense in a few weeks, so it will be a big deal and a lot of stress. Guillaume is also looking for a job at the moment, which is much more complicated than we thought it would be. I think that he is going to need me and I have to be compassionate.

What about you ? Do you like September ? It is not Fall in France already. To be honest, the weather is a lot nicer than it was in August ! We are having a late summer and we are still enjoying a bit of sun before the new season !

August Goals

Heya !

I have a confession to make ... I am feeling awful for leaving this blog for so long ! I was thinking about posting all the time, but I really felt that the last couple of months were a sort of break from my ordinary life. I had to put my life in "stand by" and wait until things get back to normal. It truly was an incredible experience, but now I am feeling ready to move on. The back to school season is coming soon, and I can't believe it will be my last year in university. I feel like there are a lot of things I have to change in my life right now. It is time ! And what is better than having some goals for this new month ? :)

August Goals:

• Write my thesis and my report
• Sign up to the public library
• Go to the farmer market
• Have breakfast in bed
• Order pizzas from Domino's (missed them too much !)
• Go to the beach
• Donate blood
• Loose weight

Basically, this month will be challenging for me. I will come home in two days now (still can't believe it) after being abroad for five months. I have never been away from home and from my family for so long. Of course, Guillaume came to visit (that was four months ago) and my family came in May. But still. I haven't seen France, my brother, my dog and my friends since March. So August will be about spending time with my loved ones and relaxing. Also, I am planning to start a diet (yeap, I said it). Diet is such a big word ! I really want to have a healthier way of life: eat better and exercise more. I feel that it is time for a big change, and I am ready for it !

What are your goals for August ?