10 Years Later.....A Long Way Away!

Just recently I passed the 10 year mark of the day I graduated from High School -- Renaissance H.S. class of 2002.  I never thought, in a million years that I would be standing living in another country and standing in front of the Eifel Tower.  It is one of those dreams that you dream, but don't know how it is going to come true --- but it did.

But it is not a dream that a dream that has come easily.  I cannot tell you how many times I have bumped my head before I actually got here.  I have tried many times to "make" this happen, to have the opportunity to tour the world, but none of them panned out.  But it is true when they say that God will give you the desires of  your heart, because for me that is exactly what happened.

It's hasn't been an easy transition and it is a sobering experience to actually see your network shrink before your eyes, but at the same time, those who are the most in my corner, and in full support have been there for and with me so far every step of the way.  And for them, I send pictures, and call and write this blog, so that no matter where I am in the world, they know that I carry them with me.

So, how did I make it to Paris?  Well my good friend Dorian has taken some time to travel this half of the world, and spontaneously we made a plan to meet up in Paris.  This came at just the right time, because I needed some 'American' in my life.  Someone who knew me, and I could relate to and who could relate to me.  When I tell you we had a good time - WE HAD A GREAT TIME!  I cannot tell you how much I laughed over that weekend.  And the sights -- BREATH TAKING!

We started at the Louvee Museum - the home of the Mona Lisa.  But this enormous facility houses more than the world renowned painting.  It is the home of many works of arts, of which many are older than the Unites States alone.  When you first walk through the threshold called the Louve Museum, there is a wide open space with a glass pyramid in the center.  On a nice sunny day, it looks amazing.  There are actually blocks a little distance away from the pyramid that are set up to take pictures.  If you stand on top of the block you can actually place your hand in a position where it looks like it is sitting right on top of the pyramid.  So cool!

The entrance into the museum is through the pyramid and down the stairs.  Looking up the stairs and out the top of the pyramid is a view to remember. We spent 4 hours in the museum and still didn't get to see everything but did get a taste of what this place had to offer.  There were many equally, and in my opinion, more exquisite than the Mona Lisa and the time spent was only enough time to scratch the surface and tease the imagination.  

We headed off next to the Eiffel Tower.  You CANNOT go to Paris and NOT see the Eiffel Tower.  All of the pictures in the books and magazines do not do it justice.  True, it is only a tower set in the middle of a city, but for me it is testament that what you truly desire -- God will give it to you.  It was a pretty nice day, a little cloudy, but no rain.  On the grass in front of the tower you had people picnicking, playing games, and celebrating milestones with friends and loved ones.  You saw runners, lovers, cats, dogs.  Even for people who live here everyday of their lives, it is a place to go to relax, and have a good time without all of the noise that life can have.  

After the time at the tower we headed off to dinner.  We talked about partying, but me, sometime just a nice quiet night at home is nice.  But Dorian played the "don't be a punk" card so we headed out to meet a friend - Sandrine - that he met during his travels.  We had a great time.  Because not only did we stay in the 'real' Paris, we partied in the 'real' Paris.  Sandrine was cool.  And she brought her friend along as well.  Sandrine could speak english, her friend, not at all.  But let me tell you - FUN is a universal language that everyone knows.  And fun is what we had.  We left the bar and turned in just before sunrise for a few hours of rest before we headed out again.

Sunday, we had another full day in Paris.  Sightseeing is nice, but it can be demanding, and when visiting anywhere it is important to take some time out and just let your surroundings sink in.  The first thing on the agenda - COFFEE!  We decided to head back to the Louvee area and grab some breakfast.  Some of the other sights on our agenda were in that vicinity and we knew a Starbucks was there too.  We hopped on the train and headed in that direction, made a quick Starbucks run, and found a nice place to have brunch.  It was nice, just sitting outside having brunch and great conversation with a great friend.  We got to watch the people - which is always a treat, and let it sink in even more what we are really doing at this time in our lives.  And having known each other for over a decade, remembering where we have come from.  

Brunch doesn't last forever.  We paid and headed for the next stop - Notre Dame.  Walking to Notre Dame had sights of its own to see.  So the walk was nice.  I am a lover of old building and architecture.  Unfortunately, in our you country we don't see some much of that.  The time, and effort put into the creation of these buildings is amazing.



 As we were walking back to the train station to head to the next site, we past the public viewing of the U.S. Open.  It was an amazing site to see all those people sitting outside watching the game.  I have never sat in a public viewing outside to see the Pistons play (even when they were winning).






Just like you can't go to Paris and not see the Eiffel Tower, you also can't go without hitting the premier shopping strip.  There you have all kinds of stores, including the FIVE story Louis Vuitton store with the line wrapped around the corner.

We ended our time in Paris with one last dinner, at a Mexican restaurant recommended to us by one of the locals.  TIP for traveling:  When looking for good places to eat, shop or stay, ask the locals.  They never steer you the wrong way, and it's almost more cost effective on the budget.


It is still amazing to me that 10 years after my High School graduation I am living in Germany.  I am definitely looking forward to the adventures headed my way. Big Dreams....lead to a Big Life, and BIG POSSIBILITIES!!!!

Until next time!!!

P.S. - My favorite 2 pics from Paris: PhotoArt with Dorian, and Jumping in front of the Eiffel Tower (this one contains a story with a lot of laughs)