Autumn in Paris

Today is just one of those days. I am really missing Paris and I am super ready for the cool fall weather that should be here any minute.

Last year at this time, my husband and I were preparing for our September wedding and our October honeymoon to Paris. It was such a busy time in our lives, but so exciting. We had so much to look forward to and so many new adventures ready to happen. We still have tons of adventures and special trips and our 1 year anniversary to celebrate. I am just feeling a little nostalgic I guess. Too bad we can't go to Paris to celebrate our 1 year of marriage! Don't get me wrong, I am definitely not complaining...the memories and the photos are so special to me. Plus we are preparing for a super fun trip to San Antonio. See, lots of crazy trips ahead :)

desert

photos from a trip to the Grand Canyon in September 2008

Airplanes

I would love to be heading to the airport and hopping on a plane to anywhere. It feels like it has been way too long since I have had a vacation.

falling water

I want to go here.

Actually, I NEED to go here.

http://www.fallingwater.org/

Dear France,

I might be coming to see you again!

I came across a photography class on one of the blogs that I frequently read and just about gasped at how wonderful it sounded. 3 days of learning with two super-creative photographers, teaching us how to photograph portraits, landscapes, and the beauty that is France. Beynac, France to be exact. Castles built into cliffs? Oh my, that is Beynac! The movies Chocolat and Ever After were filmed there. Oh my heart is racing.

Photography is my favorite hobby, my passion I suppose. I love being behind the camera and capturing little things that maybe no one else notices. This trip would be combining my deep live of France and my creative side of photography. Should I go? eeeek!! I can't stop thinking about it! Now I just have to talk with the others that are going. Where are you fellow French-loving photographers? Let's chat!

This photo is from our hotel balcony on our amazing honeymoon. That's me....big smile and in awe of where I am. Kinda feeling like Carrie Bradshaw in Season 6 where she goes to Paris with the Russian and opens the french doors and looks right at the Eiffel Tower.

Its moments like these that make life so amazing.

birthday roadtrip

My birthday was May 1. Lucky for me, it landed on a Saturday. It was a warm and cloudy day...which was perfect for a random road trip 2.5 hours southeast of Cleveland. My husband surprised me with a trip to The Wilds.

The Wilds is a nature preserve filled with animals such as zebra, giraffes, wild horses, rhinos, and plenty of other wild animals. We drove around in an open air bus through the rolling hills and prairie lands.

Ohio can sometimes be the most random place. Cleveland is very urban. Drive a little south and you find places like this!

Los Angeles.... I love you

I don't know what it is about Southern California, but I just absolutely LOVE it. My first trip to California was in February 1988. I was sooo excited to see Hollywood and movie stars. We took the Amtrak train from Cleveland to Chicago then Chicago to Los Angeles. By far, the best trip I think a family could take. I was a very easy going kid and entertained myself for the whole trip. An active daydreamer my whole life, I think I starred out the window the entire trip and watched the beautiful American landscape pass me by. We traveled all throughout the Southwest and it felt like I was in a different world. We had a larger room with bunk beds and my mom and dad and me would play Go Fish and other little card games.

Since that trip in 1988, I have wanted to move there. Los Angeles is my favorite city and I think it will always be my favorite city. I know a lot of people who hate it and can complain for days about traffic and all that other stuff, but I love everything about it.

On sunny days like today here in Cleveland, it makes me miss L.A even more. I guess the sun makes me think of sunny California!! I'm by no means unhappy here in Cleveland, and I will most likely live here forever (unless my husband and I can persuade each other to move!). My family, small but lovely, predominately live here. I would miss my mom too much if I left...and my grandma, my little cousin, my aunt, my uncle, and so on. I truly enjoy their company and see them every week. I have no idea how some people move away from their families and only see them on holidays. Must be hard. Now tell me I would of said that when I was 17 and I would of laughed in your face! Amazing how time and age makes you treasure and appreciate all that you have.

I have traveled back to Los Angeles just about every year after that. Fortunately, I have family that live there so it gives me more of a point to get out there. I still have those moments where I just want to pack up and move out there. It's the sun. When I see sun, I think of L.A.

I still love you Cleveland. You are my home, my family....

Oh and back in 1988 when I was so excited about going to Hollywood, I did. And I saw the Hollywood sign and I remember seeing "rock stars" and one had a blue mohawk. I was in heaven.

the most important part of our Mexico trip...

This is where we got engaged. That is my pearl ring that my husband bought from a small jewelery store on the board walk.

Even though I didn't hear enough real Mexican music or eat enough delicious enchiladas, I came home with a fiance and that's the best souvenir I could of ever expected!

Mexico

We went to Puerto Vallarta back in June 2007. I love Mexican culture. I love the food, the music, the language, the hospitality of the people, etc. In the summer, all I wear are Mexican-inspired sundresses and little white cotton tops embroidered with flowers. We play the Tejano station on our TV and blast Gypsy Kings and salsa in the car and when we eat outside in the summers. As for our trip to Puerto Vallarta, our biggest mistake was not looking for the locals enough. That I think is the most important part of traveling. Do as the locals do. We stayed at an all-inclusive resort. That came in handy when we wanted free drinks by the pool or a quick snack of chips and salsa. Bad idea when searching for real authentic Mexican food. The pool bars were even playing Top 40 pop songs. Blah! I wanted a mariachi band or some Top 40 Mexican tunes playing while I was sunbathing. We want to make a trip back to Mexico and this time we wont get too comfortable at the resort. We explored on this trip, but the next one we will search out all of the hidden gems.

road trips and cherry blossoms

I have never been to our nation's capitol which makes me feel like a bad American. There is so much history and so many things to do and see there. Last night, my husband and I decided that D.C. will be our first road trip of 2010. To make it even better, I suggested we go when the cherry blossom trees are in full bloom. I looked at pictures and I can barely contain myself. The trees are so breathtaking, I might faint when we get there. I go crazy over flowers and trees and especially flowering trees. This is going to be amazing and I'm counting down the days till we pack up the jeep and head southeast for Washington D.C!



Photos by National Cherry Blossom Festival

Paris

I am trying to figure out what direction I want my blog to go. Random thoughts are always sprouting up in my head, so I am sure there will be a lot of that on here. For right now though, I have decided to dedicate each week to something that I love. This week, its PARIS.


Paris has been my dream for as long as I can remember. After a long time trying to figure out where to go for our honeymoon, we finally decided on Paris. Honeymoons only happen once, and why not go to the place that I have been dreaming about for years? We figured we already went to Mexico, and we can go to any beach destination whenever we want. Paris just seemed more special....after all, it is the most romantic city in the world!

I want to log every detail, no matter how big or small. I want to share how I felt at different moments and how the city has affected me. This was probably the most important trip I have taken, and I never want to forget anything. A month has past since we were there, and I still feel like it was a dream. It was just so strange how being there felt so right. There was no culture shock or disbelief. We walked the streets like we have been there before. We went into cafes and shops already knowing what to order. It was surreal....

The best part of traveling somewhere new is the moment when you first arrive. The sights, the sounds, the people...it makes for memories that will never go away. We arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport after about a 7 hour flight. Tired, but excited, we made our way through the airport to grab our bags and start our journey/honeymoon. We decided to hop on the bus to take us into town and then the Metro to our hotel. I was consciously trying to take in everything, not to forget anything I saw. The bus drove through farmland and finally into the city. I watched as thousands of apartment buildings stood in the distance. I was anxiously awaiting my first sighting of the Eiffel Tower. I had my face pressed to the window watching the Parisians riding their bikes and walking their little dogs. I squealed at the sight of flower shops and fruit markets on almost every street corner. The flower boxes full of red geraniums on each window sill and admiring how people can actually park their Citroen's and Peugeot's in spots along the streets that were no bigger than 4 ft long.

We grabbed our luggage and dragged it off the bus. Although jet-lagged, I remember stopping for a second and looking up to the Opera house. Covered in gold, it was sparkling in the overcast glow that seems to fully define the daylight in Paris. So there we were, honeymooners on the streets of Paris. It didn't fully click that we were 4,000 miles away from home in the most beautiful city in the world.

( photos were taken when we first arrived in our hotel room; this was our view from our balcony)