I've been reading for months now fellow expatriates' experiences with the infamous carte de sejour that in my particular situation is required to hold if my intention is to reside in France - which is the case! I've heard everything from horror stories to fairy tales from others' experiences dealing with French prefectures. I'm still not completely sure what to expect when Gui and I make our first appearance at the local prefecture in Boulogne (where we will, presumably, be residing). Actually, the whole apartment thing is proving to be very important for the carte de sejour - we have to show proof of our residency within the bounds of the prefecture, as well as an unceasing communauté de vie (community of life...or sharing a residence), presumably in our own place with both of our names on a mortgage or lease. So, I can't actually start the process until we've signed for a place, which puts a little more pressure on our apartment-hunting process.

What I've gathered about the carte de sejour (cds) so far, is this:
#1, I will need to make an ungodly amount of copies of everything I have with my name on it, with Gui's name on it, and that proves in any way my existence as his foreign-born wife (translated if need be)

#2, I shouldn't expect to have copies or originals of everything I need on my first visit (from what I've heard, I think it would be setting some sort of French record if I could get it all done in one go)

#3, I will have to submit to a medical exam that consists of taking off my top, squishing my boobs against an x-ray machine and answering questions about my smoking habits

#4, I will be asked politely if I'd like to have to sign a contract that indicates my willingness to receive French values and integrate within its society. This contract will require my presence at two day-long classes, one on French history, one on French culture, and will also test my French speaking abilities in order to prescribe the appropriate number of language course hours they will offer me for free. As cool as free sounds to me, I'm pretty sure my lowly skills will get me stuck in a 400-hour program (that's the maximum) that will mandate a 35-hour week of learning French for 12 weeks. Now, don't get me wrong, I'd love to do just that - all my life, in fact - but I need to make some money, yo. I'm ready to get back to work. Even though I read somewhere (actually somewheres since I saw it on two people's blogs) that the French government will compensate you for your time if you have to take classes on a full-time basis. Problem is, I haven't read this on any official website and I haven't worked since November of 2007 (a disbelief even I struggle to fathom)!! Why would they compensate a (now, technically) housewife-ish foreigner like me?

And finally, #5, I should expect for this entire process to take anywhere from 4 months to a year (which is a little comical since the first cds is pretty much always issued for only a year's time...or so I hear). And get this, you have to apply for a renewal cds two months prior to the expiration of your original cds. Oh, the Frenchness of it all. Who says the French system is a bureaucratic nightmare? Hogwash.

This all brings me to another topic that I'm still struggling to sort out about my move to France. I'm still stuck about what to do when I finally get there. I'm still waiting for a reply from a school I applied to long ago, which in my mind indicates a negative response to my application for admission to their master's program in Paris. I'm going to give them a call on Monday, fo' sho' though. I seriously think I should pursue a year-long master's degree at this point, but my bank account and bills are begging me to get back to work.

Can I really make someone else pay my bills? That's yet to be seriously asked or answered, so I'll wait until that time comes (if ever). But, I'm finding the whole dependency thing is not really for me. I think my my ego is too big, my mind too enthusiastic and my eyes too coveting to not be making and spending my own money. I'm still at a selfish point in my life, where I want to satisfy my wants and pursue my goals at whatever cost it takes (this is likely why I haven't yet joined my more mature friends who are impregnating themselves by the droves). So, there lies my predicament - stay jobless another year to get a master's while my husband pays my bills OR find a jobby-job asap and get back to acting like a real adult. It'll be interesting to see how this one turns out. No doubt I'll be letting you know.

Below is a very small taste of the wedding. These are a small compilation of photos taken from family and friends who've emailed us with the pictures. I promise more are to come...

On a side-note, I'm realizing my hair is looking a little wacky in these pics, but I spent hours trying to give it a nice wave. I was so sweaty and gross by the end of the ceremony and that got much worse by the time we got to the park (which we walked to). Also note that my dress felt like it was falling off of me the entire day. I don't know what happened. I must have lost a little weight before the wedding...I didn't really eat very much or very well all week, but I didn't think it was that bad until I kept flashing everyone my bustier top. It was annoying, but mom was kept on watch for any peak-a-boo undergarments. As for Guillaume, he looked great, although his friends were quick to make fun of his messy hair. I quite like it, and it was clean and soft, so it didn't much matter to me. :)


roll over the bottom left corner and click the link to see the original-sized pics.

There are two important things I need to blog about.

Firstly, Guillaume and I will be heading to Austin for some fun with friends and famille from June 1st-8th. But, first, we're going to be spending the weekend of May 30th in San Antonio (can you believe Gui's never been?!), enjoying some yummy food at Mi Tierra, the Riverwalk and who knows, maybe even a [pitcher of] margarita[s] or ten. We're super-stoked about a Texas visit, so if you're going to be in Austin for that week, make plans for breakfast, lunch, dinner, steak-night, brunch, happy-hour, or whatever other event that involves food and drink (Texas-style, of course) with Guillaume and me. I'm really excited about him finally returning to Texas (this time as my husband...OMG!) to catch up with friends, but I'm still a little nervous about his first encounter with all my aunts, uncles and cousins! He seems to be looking forward to it, and I know it's going to be a good time, but my family can be a bit...hmmm...loud...crazy...strange! I mean, look at me for goodness' sake!

Now for my second bit of news. I'M NOW AN OFFICIAL FRENCH FAMILY MEMBER! Well, at least according to France. I got my visa today that certifies me as a "family of French," which is probably more appropriately translated as "family to a French person," but seriously it says famille de francais. Anyway, all I know is I'm official. I have two months to get my resident card from the local prefecture in Boulogne-Billancourt (where Gui and I have decided to get an apartment...oh dear, I think I need to add another bit of news here, but it's not really official yet, so I'll wait until we actually have a signed lease, but either way we're living in Boulogne so I'm still going to their prefecture), then I'll be set to work, study and altogether settle in France! We plan to make a visit to the prefecture within two weeks of my arrival in Paris so we can get the ball rolling asap. I need to work, yo. Well, I need to study French first, actually, but I still need my resident card before I can do that, so there you go.

I must add that the French consulate in Houston is really nice, as are the two women who work there. Of course, there was a bit of paperwork that they required that was indicated NO WHERE on their website as required for my particular visa, but it was no biggie. Thank the heavens I way over-prepared and brought copies of just about any paperwork with my or Gui's name on it, just in case.

It was a really pleasant ordeal, actually. I was an hour and a half early for my appointment, but they saw me within an hour and I was out of there with a shiny, new visa glued in my passport before my appointment was supposed to commence. Good stuff. It was a far cry from the near mayhem and crazy lines I saw at the American Embassy in Paris, but I guess the US is slightly bigger than France, so...

To be starting my life with the love of my life is a spectacular thing! We never intended to be married so soon, but it could not have been at a more perfect time or place. We exchanged our ouis (I exchanged a oui and a yes) among our French family and friends (as well as my amazing American mom) on an absolutely gorgeous sunny April day just south of Paris. It seemed like a dream. The surreality of the day totally outweighed the reality of walking on my 4-inch heels from the mairie to the park to the reception. It was the most lovely day I've ever witnessed in Paris - perfect weather, perfect champagne, perfect company. Even the translator that we were dreading to employ was the perfect answer to my imperfect French, and certainly made our ceremony that much more special. I also indulged in the best meal I've had in France that evening with Guillaume, his father and a few other relatives. I wish I could share the experience with you all in a blog post, but it's impossible. Suffice it to say that our French wedding was beyond any expectation I could have ever had, and it was the perfect start to the marriage commitment Guillaume and I look forward to fulfilling.

My mama is coming to Paris and I'm SO stoked! I can't believe in just 12 short hours I'll be waiting for her at the Charles de Gaulle baggage claim, ready to drag her around this crazy city with me. It will be surreal. It's her first trip across the pond - across any pond, really, and I feel blessed that I get to take her places she's only read about in books. I love my mom beyond words, and this will no doubt be an experience of a lifetime for me - for us both!

I left London with a few coins (which, in the UK could mean anything from 2 pennies to 20 pounds) in my pocket, but not because I wanted to. Typically, I try to spend all my pounds before leaving England so I don't wind up with a jar full of change that I'll eventually forget about. I think I had about 3 pounds (read: over 6 bucks) of loose change that I had every intention of offering to the first peddler/beggar/homeless dude or dudess that I crossed on my way to Heathrow. But, for some reason, I never crossed one. How, in a city of over 7 million peeps can it be that in the last 24 hours not one person stopped to ask me for change - not in front of a grocery store, not on the street, not even on any of the tube stops!?

So, here I am, back in Paris with a pocket full of useless change (that I'll probably forget to bring back with me when I visit next), when who should I cross on the train to Paris at my first stop? Yep, a peddler - a violinist, actually, and get this, his SON (or some adorable little kid pretending to be his son) walks through the train, begs everyone for some coins, and what can I give him when he puts that paper cup in my face? Nada. Rien. Niente. I guess I could have opened up my pocket, pulled out a fist-full of pounds and pence and filled his cup with coins he's probably never seen before, but how rude would that be? I mean, I'd totally be pissed if I went to buy some groceries, paid with a $20 bill and was given change back in Euros. What in the hell am I supposed to do with that? So, I guess what this boils down to is if, upon leaving England, I have extra change to give away, I should convert it from Pounds to Euros before leaving the UK because, let's be honest, all the poor people live in Paris. That sucks.

Guillaume and I headed for London via Charles de Gaulle airport on Friday evening with little expectation for the necessary trip outside of the Schengen area. We had to book our flights separately on Expedia because we were leaving on different dates (Gui on Sunday, me on Tuesday), so naturally, we didn't have the opportunity to choose seats together on the plane. We asked the lovely lady at the ticket counter if we could somehow sit with each other on the plane, and after a phone call, she was able to upgrade us to a "Tempo" seat on the plane. I've never flown on Air France, but it was my assumption that we'd just be sitting a little closer to the front of the plane, and maybe be offered a glass of wine or something; after all, the flight is a measley 45 minutes long from Paris to London. Anyway, so we get on the plane - it ends up being delayed by nearly an hour - and shortly after take off we are served practically an entire meal - ratatouille tarte (a bit strange, but good), salad, a triangle camembert, a baguette, chocolate fondant cake and a small chocolate. We both chuckled at our good luck and just blamed it on the gods of love wanting to make this hectic side-trip a little easier on us.

We stayed the first night with Gui's sister, but only for the night (we arrived around 11pm, so it was barely even a night). On Saturday, we headed out to west London where we had booked a hotel for the night. The hotel itself seemed a bit dated, but it was decent. Except, that when we arrived, we were given a room with 2 twin beds instead of one double bed. It wouldn't have been a big deal to put the beds together, but Gui just called down to see if we could possibly change rooms. They agreed without hesitation and we somehow ended up in the hotel suite at the top floor with a double bed AND a twin bed, a sitting area, closet and even a bidet in the bathroom! It wasn't the fanciest of places, but we still felt pretty lucky to have scored the unsolicited upgrade!

Today, we met up for brunch with an old friend of mine that I know from Texas, Rob. The restaurant we brunched at was really great, and only 2 tube stops away from our hotel! It was really great catching up with Rob, reminiscing about old times, and talking about future plans for each other's visits to Paris and London. I can't believe how long it's been (nearly 8 years) since we've known each other, and although we've both changed quite a bit, we still have so much to chat about. Rob showed us around his 'hood and took us in for a coffee at his flat, which was really adorable! The sun came out just in time for us to have a cup on the balcony and continue our catching up. Hopefully, he'll come visit when we have our place in Paris all sorted out.

Before we had brunch, Gui and I had to purchase another tube ticket for the day. For some reason, we decided to get into 2 different lines and purchase them separately. Well, after Gui got his ticket and while he was waiting for me, a very sweet Danish (I think) man offered his travelcard to him because he wasn't going to need it any longer!! Luckily, I hadn't bought my ticket yet! What's so perfect about the ticket (besides it saving us £10.70) is that it's good until the 22nd, which is when I leave! It really couldn't have been more perfect.

Guillaume left today and I'm going to be in London for a couple more nights, so I'm just hoping this lucky streak continues. I told Guillaume that I really hope we're not having all this good luck because something awful is ahead...but I know that's just my ugly, pessimistic side trying to convince me of my inability to attract goodness. I guess I should know by now that I really am a lucky person - I have the friends, family and fiance to prove that!

That's our question these days. Today, we went to look at a couple of apartments in the Paris suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt, which is where Gui is working and just southwest of the peripherique. The apartments were both very charming, definitely large enough for us (well, by Parisian standards - I can't believe I once lived in a 1200 sq foot apartment in Austin for half the price it would be in Paris!), and the location of both were very ideal and near lots of transport (including a nearby metro stop). Guillaume didn't see the first apartment, but it had great windows, large rooms, lots of closet space and a mere 3 min walk to the nearest metro. The kitchen and bathroom, however, were a little sub-par and the community space (mainly just the stairwell) was in a complete state of disrepair. And, at a price nearly 100 Euros more expensive than we're comfortable paying, it wasn't looking to be a strong contender.

Guillaume joined us at the second place, which took him only 15 minutes to find from work (a big plus). Aside from the overwhelming scent of turpentine permeating throughout the building (they were repainting the apartment), the place was fairly similar to the last, but quite a bit nicer. It was the same style, nearly the same size, though the rooms seemed very slightly smaller, the kitchen was about a meter longer, and the bathroom was in a much better condition, as well. But, besides one hall/coat closet, there was no closet space whatsoever, the kitchen was still pretty tiny and separate from the living room, and although there was much light coming in, the windows seemed a bit small for the place. Apart from all this, I could actually see myself living there with Gui.

The cool, but weird thing about both of the apartments is that the living room is a closed-off area with its own door and windows, so it provides much privacy if we should have visitors staying with us. The downfall to this, is that it provides for a very closed-off kitchen as well, and that's something I'm a little hesitant about. I love having a place to cook where I can also be involved in what's going on in the living room, especially when we have guests. I've realized after searching around the internet, that I'm going to have to decide if I prefer providing privacy for our visitors or inclusion for the cook. Another thing to consider is that many of these apartments are going to provide either large kitchens and smaller rooms or larger rooms and minuscule kitchens. I'm kind of leaning toward the larger kitchen idea, though. I mean, without a Taco Bell, Wendy's, Chick-fil-a, Whataburger, Maudie's, or Sonic around each corner, I'm pretty much forced to eat McDonald's everyday or cook; and let's be honest, you can only have so many Royales with cheese before dying from overconsumption of flavorless meat.

So, tomorrow's another day. After we pick up 3 cases (yes, that's 18 bottles) of champagne from Auchan, we're going to try to check out a couple more apartments. As I search through location listings, I find myself grinning with disbelief when I type in that my preferred apartment size is between 35 and 45 m² (that's about 375-450 square feet, people!!)!! Such is my life for now, but I'm not complaining. I saw about 5 kids walking home from school today with a tasty baguette tucked under their arms; I could do nothing but smile and thank my lucky stars I get to live here. :)