Portlaaandia
So, as previously mentioned, Gui and I spent a few days in Portland last week with a couple of friends from Normandy who'd been traveling around the West Coast for the past few weeks. We'd never been to the city some say is Austin's twin sister from the north, so we decided to take advantage of the timing and squat on our friends' vacation just a little.
I have to say, the city is pretty brilliant. We were infinitely grateful for the lovely, sunny weather we had the first day and the seldom showers we had the second and third days. Apparently, it had been raining for 30 days straight before we arrived, and I've got to admit, I don't think I would have been as enamored with the city if it had been so rainy. Still, during the times that it was a little grey and misty, I couldn't help but still feel happy to be there. I think the lush, green surroundings suit the cold, wetness very well - so much so that I found myself still ooing and awing when the sun was shaded by the clouds and the windshield wipers came on. Unlike Paris, which is made to be seen in the brilliant sunlight or clear, dark night, Portland is just made for the dreariness.
We hadn't planned anything for our time there, so we spent our days going where our hearts pulled us, and for the most part, our hearts stayed in the center and east-side of town. I loved the vibe and charm of the residents, and the mélange of old and new, rustic and modern that reverberated throughout the streets. Portland has a much more "old-town" feel to it than Austin does, but I still found myself sighting similarities between the two cities. And, I definitely felt at home there.
We rarely visit places that require a stay in a hotel (we usually spend our vacation time visiting friends), but we stayed at the Jupiter Hotel this time around and quickly realized we'd made a great choice. The rooms are nice, but the best part about the hotel/motel is that it's right in the middle of all the action. I think its closest Austin counterpart would be San Jose Hotel on Congress, just a little more rough around the edges.
All-in-all, the trip was a major success - we ate, we drank and were certainly merry. We caught some amazing views from the Japanese garden which is tucked into the side of a mountain, and Gui and I took a trip to the coast where I fell in love with the lovely, quaint seaside town of Cannon Beach. We even visited a cheese factory in Tillamook and tasted some amazing cheddar before continuing down the Oregon Coast Highway and heading back to Portland. Of course, there was the obligatory trip to Powell's bookstore (we went twice) and lunch stops at the famous food carts downtown. My favorite places were the little local craft shops filled with beautiful handmade treasures and plenty of inspiration.
I admittedly visited Portland with high expectations, but I was no where near disappointed. I do wish that some of the shops stayed open past 6pm, but the fact that there is no State sales tax in Oregon totally makes up for that.
Cute shops everywhere.
Feeling a little robbed by this one.
Tillamook cheese factory. Yum.
Tranquility is the Japanese Gardens.
The drive out to Cannon Beach.
Cannon Beach
Last hot chocolate of the trip.
Good night, Portland.
I have to say, the city is pretty brilliant. We were infinitely grateful for the lovely, sunny weather we had the first day and the seldom showers we had the second and third days. Apparently, it had been raining for 30 days straight before we arrived, and I've got to admit, I don't think I would have been as enamored with the city if it had been so rainy. Still, during the times that it was a little grey and misty, I couldn't help but still feel happy to be there. I think the lush, green surroundings suit the cold, wetness very well - so much so that I found myself still ooing and awing when the sun was shaded by the clouds and the windshield wipers came on. Unlike Paris, which is made to be seen in the brilliant sunlight or clear, dark night, Portland is just made for the dreariness.
We hadn't planned anything for our time there, so we spent our days going where our hearts pulled us, and for the most part, our hearts stayed in the center and east-side of town. I loved the vibe and charm of the residents, and the mélange of old and new, rustic and modern that reverberated throughout the streets. Portland has a much more "old-town" feel to it than Austin does, but I still found myself sighting similarities between the two cities. And, I definitely felt at home there.
We rarely visit places that require a stay in a hotel (we usually spend our vacation time visiting friends), but we stayed at the Jupiter Hotel this time around and quickly realized we'd made a great choice. The rooms are nice, but the best part about the hotel/motel is that it's right in the middle of all the action. I think its closest Austin counterpart would be San Jose Hotel on Congress, just a little more rough around the edges.
All-in-all, the trip was a major success - we ate, we drank and were certainly merry. We caught some amazing views from the Japanese garden which is tucked into the side of a mountain, and Gui and I took a trip to the coast where I fell in love with the lovely, quaint seaside town of Cannon Beach. We even visited a cheese factory in Tillamook and tasted some amazing cheddar before continuing down the Oregon Coast Highway and heading back to Portland. Of course, there was the obligatory trip to Powell's bookstore (we went twice) and lunch stops at the famous food carts downtown. My favorite places were the little local craft shops filled with beautiful handmade treasures and plenty of inspiration.
I admittedly visited Portland with high expectations, but I was no where near disappointed. I do wish that some of the shops stayed open past 6pm, but the fact that there is no State sales tax in Oregon totally makes up for that.
Cute shops everywhere.
Feeling a little robbed by this one.
Heading to the food carts!
Food cart food (I'd already eaten the kimchi).
Food cart burrito.
Food cart food (I'd already eaten the kimchi).
Food cart burrito.
Tillamook cheese factory. Yum.
View of Mount Hood and Portland proper from the Japanese Gardens.
Tranquility is the Japanese Gardens.
The drive out to Cannon Beach.
Cannon Beach
Last hot chocolate of the trip.
Good night, Portland.My maintenant
Man, have we've been busy these past few weeks! Our shipment finally made it from Paris to our apartment in Austin - all 350 kilos of it! We spent an entire, exhausting day sorting through it all, deciding what needed to be unpacked and what needed to stay boxed up until we get more permanent digs. In the end, only a measly 2 boxes were completely emptied out and the rest was left boxed up until we have our own space and enough room to unload it all.
We've also been spending quite a bit of our time polishing up our resumes and scouring the web for job openings and career opportunities. Job-searching is a full-time job in and of itself and as the days go by, it doesn't get any less intimidating. It's still very early on in our search, yet, so we're still confident about the market and the leads we've encountered so far.
But, the most interesting way we've been spending our time is exploring our new, old city. We've been having a blast getting to know the community around us, discovering new places and revisiting old favorites. This past Saturday, we spent the day with friends celebrating Eeyore's Birthday which has been an Austin tradition for as long as I can remember. I hadn't been to any sort of American-style festival in such a long time that I didn't even know what to expect. This was the perfect way to spend one of our first Saturdays back in Austin, though - with fun-loving people on a sunny day eating local food, drinking local beer, just having a good time in the hot Texas sun. I remember now how much I love celebrating for the sake of celebration; how much I love being outside in the sun; how much I love turkey legs!
Saturday was also the first time Gui and I got out to ride our bikes out together. His bike came in on the shipment from Paris, so we'd been waiting for its arrival to hit the hilly neighborhood ensemble. Riding in Austin is nothing like riding in Paris - the cars are so much bigger and so much faster here, that it really pays off to search out the most bike-friendly routes before hitting the street on two wheels. We didn't ride very far, but it was a good taste of what we should expect from city biking around here.
And, tomorrow morning we're heading to another bike-friendly city - Portland! We're taking advantage of the few free days we have while we have them and are meeting some French friends in Portland before they make their way to Austin on Thursday. It'll be a short trip, but I'm seriously stoked about finally meeting a city I've heard so much about! I've no doubt there will be much to report back on.
Our stuff!
Drum circle.
Unicycle football.
Potato sack races!
Costume contest (featuring Thing One and Thing Two).
We've also been spending quite a bit of our time polishing up our resumes and scouring the web for job openings and career opportunities. Job-searching is a full-time job in and of itself and as the days go by, it doesn't get any less intimidating. It's still very early on in our search, yet, so we're still confident about the market and the leads we've encountered so far.
But, the most interesting way we've been spending our time is exploring our new, old city. We've been having a blast getting to know the community around us, discovering new places and revisiting old favorites. This past Saturday, we spent the day with friends celebrating Eeyore's Birthday which has been an Austin tradition for as long as I can remember. I hadn't been to any sort of American-style festival in such a long time that I didn't even know what to expect. This was the perfect way to spend one of our first Saturdays back in Austin, though - with fun-loving people on a sunny day eating local food, drinking local beer, just having a good time in the hot Texas sun. I remember now how much I love celebrating for the sake of celebration; how much I love being outside in the sun; how much I love turkey legs!
Saturday was also the first time Gui and I got out to ride our bikes out together. His bike came in on the shipment from Paris, so we'd been waiting for its arrival to hit the hilly neighborhood ensemble. Riding in Austin is nothing like riding in Paris - the cars are so much bigger and so much faster here, that it really pays off to search out the most bike-friendly routes before hitting the street on two wheels. We didn't ride very far, but it was a good taste of what we should expect from city biking around here.
And, tomorrow morning we're heading to another bike-friendly city - Portland! We're taking advantage of the few free days we have while we have them and are meeting some French friends in Portland before they make their way to Austin on Thursday. It'll be a short trip, but I'm seriously stoked about finally meeting a city I've heard so much about! I've no doubt there will be much to report back on.
Our stuff!
Drum circle.
Unicycle football.
Potato sack races!
Costume contest (featuring Thing One and Thing Two).Petit à petit
Little by little, Gui and I emptied out our small, French apartment, selling, packing and shipping everything we'd accumulated over these past 3 years in preparation for the big move. It's a little crazy sorting all of our belongings into "take" and "leave behind" piles, but a lot of the stuff that had been taking up precious (and expensive) space in our closet or under the bed should have been sorted through long ago. We managed to whittle our lives down into four suitcases and 350 kg of stuff in 20 boxes that's (hopefully) going to arrive in Austin soon. It's hard to believe that we had so much stuff to take back, especially since we're not bringing any furniture, but I guess that's what happens when you add four seasons of clothes for two people plus the minimum kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and sentimental items.
During our last week in France, we made the tour de Paris saying goodbye to friends and family who made our life in France so special. Shakespeare's Juliet couldn't have said it better - parting is indeed such sweet sorrow.
And, now, we're here! Although we anticipated many airport complications, the ride over was totally smooth (we've certainly become experts at packing exactly 23 kilos into each suitcase). Now, we're settling into our temporary digs, sorting out a car, bikes, bills and taxes, (re-)learning about our new neighborhood, seeing friends & family, and trying to breathe. Our big shipment hasn't arrived yet, but last we heard, it will be arriving on the flight from Paris to Houston today and if we're lucky, we'll have it delivered sometime this week. It'll be good to see some familiar items from our previous home which, sadly, already seems like a lifetime away.
We've been stocking up on the home essentials at Target, and we did our first grocery shop at Central Market yesterday. So. Many. Choices! It's still a little odd to be on our own again, not living out of suitcases, but we're staying excited about what's ahead and looking forward to more exploring once the dust settles in a week or two.
Besides a few, expected bumps in the road, all is going according to plan so far, and we're hoping it continues while we start our job searches in earnest. There is so much to consider, but being back in "weird" Austin is giving us both the energy and inspiration that was lacking before. Can't wait to share the adventures ahead!
Gardening with friends.
Zucchini blossoms waiting to be picked and fried up!
Our new (and temporary) apartment.
The view from the balcony.
My new ride, Olive.(Love her!)
During our last week in France, we made the tour de Paris saying goodbye to friends and family who made our life in France so special. Shakespeare's Juliet couldn't have said it better - parting is indeed such sweet sorrow.
And, now, we're here! Although we anticipated many airport complications, the ride over was totally smooth (we've certainly become experts at packing exactly 23 kilos into each suitcase). Now, we're settling into our temporary digs, sorting out a car, bikes, bills and taxes, (re-)learning about our new neighborhood, seeing friends & family, and trying to breathe. Our big shipment hasn't arrived yet, but last we heard, it will be arriving on the flight from Paris to Houston today and if we're lucky, we'll have it delivered sometime this week. It'll be good to see some familiar items from our previous home which, sadly, already seems like a lifetime away.
We've been stocking up on the home essentials at Target, and we did our first grocery shop at Central Market yesterday. So. Many. Choices! It's still a little odd to be on our own again, not living out of suitcases, but we're staying excited about what's ahead and looking forward to more exploring once the dust settles in a week or two.
Besides a few, expected bumps in the road, all is going according to plan so far, and we're hoping it continues while we start our job searches in earnest. There is so much to consider, but being back in "weird" Austin is giving us both the energy and inspiration that was lacking before. Can't wait to share the adventures ahead!
Gardening with friends.
Zucchini blossoms waiting to be picked and fried up!
Our new (and temporary) apartment.
The view from the balcony.
The first meal.
My new ride, Olive.(Love her!)Soaking it all in
Since making the decision to move back to Austin, it seems our time in Paris has been passing by at warp speed. There's much to do in the next few weeks in terms of packing and selling and shipping and moving, but there are also so many people we must spend time with and so many things we must do just one last time as bonafide residents. I doubt we'll check off all the once-more-before-leavings on our to-do list, but we'll be making every effort to soak as much up of this city and our friends and family as we possibly can for the next 22 days that we're in town.
Today, being a perfectly mild first day of Spring, we decided to spend some time in one of our favorite quartiers in Paris - the Marais. We rarely go there on any other day but Sunday because, honestly, it's where all the action is happening that could possibly happen on a Sunday in Paris. And, of course, everyone's favorite fallafel shop in the Marais is closed on Saturday, making Sunday the most obvious choice for a visit. Being the incredibly boring creatures of habit that we are, Gui and I have rarely strayed off from our L'As du Fallafel-followed-by-Pozetto routine, and aside from a slight detour in between the two, today was no exception.
After having our usual at L'As, we had a look in at the Salon du Vintage that was being held just down the street. The space was pretty small, so I was worried about getting in, but we happened to come at a very good time when the line was moving quickly and managed to get in practically right away. I was hoping to find a lovely dress or blouse to take home as a souvenir, but in the end, most everything I liked was too big. Still, there was loveliness all around, and I was especially impressed with the beautiful vintage furniture for sale. (If only I could take it with me!) Near the furniture was an odd collection of dressed up animal head mounts just asking to be photographed. I'm not sure if head mounts derive vintage status the same way clothing and furniture do, but I sure was happy to have stumbled upon the curious collection.
The rest of the day was pretty much routine: gelato and coffee at Pozzetto, a walk down rue Rivoli and a bus ride home along the quai, stopping at Place de la Concorde, Trocodéro and the Tour Eiffel. Regular Sunday stuff that won't be so regular soon.
Today, being a perfectly mild first day of Spring, we decided to spend some time in one of our favorite quartiers in Paris - the Marais. We rarely go there on any other day but Sunday because, honestly, it's where all the action is happening that could possibly happen on a Sunday in Paris. And, of course, everyone's favorite fallafel shop in the Marais is closed on Saturday, making Sunday the most obvious choice for a visit. Being the incredibly boring creatures of habit that we are, Gui and I have rarely strayed off from our L'As du Fallafel-followed-by-Pozetto routine, and aside from a slight detour in between the two, today was no exception.
After having our usual at L'As, we had a look in at the Salon du Vintage that was being held just down the street. The space was pretty small, so I was worried about getting in, but we happened to come at a very good time when the line was moving quickly and managed to get in practically right away. I was hoping to find a lovely dress or blouse to take home as a souvenir, but in the end, most everything I liked was too big. Still, there was loveliness all around, and I was especially impressed with the beautiful vintage furniture for sale. (If only I could take it with me!) Near the furniture was an odd collection of dressed up animal head mounts just asking to be photographed. I'm not sure if head mounts derive vintage status the same way clothing and furniture do, but I sure was happy to have stumbled upon the curious collection.
The rest of the day was pretty much routine: gelato and coffee at Pozzetto, a walk down rue Rivoli and a bus ride home along the quai, stopping at Place de la Concorde, Trocodéro and the Tour Eiffel. Regular Sunday stuff that won't be so regular soon.
Making a move
Alright, alright, I know I’ve said it before, but this time it’s for real. As sad, exciting and terrifying as it is, we are definitely doing it – we are leaving Paris and moving to Austin. And soon.
We’ve finally decided to take a chance on Texas and move back to the city where we first met. We have friends and family and a little history there that we’re really looking forward to making a part of our lives again.
This isn't the first time we've planned to move back, but this time, we're really doing it. The first time, just as I had resigned to the fact that I’d never find a decent job in Paris, my current job just kind of fell into my lap, and we took it as a sign that it wasn’t the right time to move. It was originally supposed to be only a year contract, but my boss created another position for me to stay on another six months, thinking that by then he’d be able to finagle a way to add me as a permanent part of his team. Well, my 6-month contract is ending the last week in March, and although I'm fairly certain I would have been offered an opportunity to stay longer or permanently, I don't know that I would have been 100% happy to accept the offer knowing I wouldn't be earning to my full potential nor pursuing all that I could to advance my career at this point.
As for Guillaume, I think ever since the idea to move to Austin sprouted, he’s had his heart set on going back, and ultimately, I left it up to him to make the final decision. Working as a consultant, he just finished his mission with the company he'd been working for over the past 3 years, so it was decision-time for him, too. What it really came down to is this: Take what we're offered at our current jobs, move to a new apartment, stay in Paris and maybe think about moving back to the States in a few years, or seize the moment, move now while we have nothing to lose, knowing that even if things don’t work out or if feel like we made the wrong decision, Paris would still be here. So, friends, we chose Austin.
Honestly, we're very happy in Paris. I’m far from the homesick wreck I was only a year ago, and we have great friends here, a nice apartment, our favorite hang-outs, a very nice life. But, at the end of the day, we both miss the pleasures of living in a lively, young city like Austin. We want to wind things down a bit, be outside more often, under sunny, blue skies, riding bikes to the park (even during the winter), grabbing a slice of pizza in our flip-flops, coming home after work to sit on a terrace and chat with friends.
Neither one of us has snagged a job, yet, but we have a few ideas and are working to set things in motion quickly. We haven't found an apartment, but we've been looking, and let me tell you, it is not easy to find a place in the area we want to live in, even with a decent budget. I guess Austin's always been a popular destination, it's just become even more so since we've been gone.
I'm a little scared, a lot worried, but mostly excited. I don't expect the transition to be harrowing, but cramming our lives into a shipping container and several check-in bags and replanting our roots 5000 miles away won't be a breeze. I've never lived in America as a married woman, and I feel like a totally different person than I was when I last lived in Austin.
Living in Paris has given me the opportunity to test my limits, embrace my personality and learn an entirely new way of living. It’s also opened my eyes to the wonderful world of social networking which has led me down so many paths to many different and beautiful people and places. There is loads to do to get ready for our move that’s a mere month away, but I'm making the time to treasure my moments here and savor my last few days of being une vraie Parisienne.
We’ve finally decided to take a chance on Texas and move back to the city where we first met. We have friends and family and a little history there that we’re really looking forward to making a part of our lives again.
This isn't the first time we've planned to move back, but this time, we're really doing it. The first time, just as I had resigned to the fact that I’d never find a decent job in Paris, my current job just kind of fell into my lap, and we took it as a sign that it wasn’t the right time to move. It was originally supposed to be only a year contract, but my boss created another position for me to stay on another six months, thinking that by then he’d be able to finagle a way to add me as a permanent part of his team. Well, my 6-month contract is ending the last week in March, and although I'm fairly certain I would have been offered an opportunity to stay longer or permanently, I don't know that I would have been 100% happy to accept the offer knowing I wouldn't be earning to my full potential nor pursuing all that I could to advance my career at this point.
As for Guillaume, I think ever since the idea to move to Austin sprouted, he’s had his heart set on going back, and ultimately, I left it up to him to make the final decision. Working as a consultant, he just finished his mission with the company he'd been working for over the past 3 years, so it was decision-time for him, too. What it really came down to is this: Take what we're offered at our current jobs, move to a new apartment, stay in Paris and maybe think about moving back to the States in a few years, or seize the moment, move now while we have nothing to lose, knowing that even if things don’t work out or if feel like we made the wrong decision, Paris would still be here. So, friends, we chose Austin.
Honestly, we're very happy in Paris. I’m far from the homesick wreck I was only a year ago, and we have great friends here, a nice apartment, our favorite hang-outs, a very nice life. But, at the end of the day, we both miss the pleasures of living in a lively, young city like Austin. We want to wind things down a bit, be outside more often, under sunny, blue skies, riding bikes to the park (even during the winter), grabbing a slice of pizza in our flip-flops, coming home after work to sit on a terrace and chat with friends.
Neither one of us has snagged a job, yet, but we have a few ideas and are working to set things in motion quickly. We haven't found an apartment, but we've been looking, and let me tell you, it is not easy to find a place in the area we want to live in, even with a decent budget. I guess Austin's always been a popular destination, it's just become even more so since we've been gone.
I'm a little scared, a lot worried, but mostly excited. I don't expect the transition to be harrowing, but cramming our lives into a shipping container and several check-in bags and replanting our roots 5000 miles away won't be a breeze. I've never lived in America as a married woman, and I feel like a totally different person than I was when I last lived in Austin.
Living in Paris has given me the opportunity to test my limits, embrace my personality and learn an entirely new way of living. It’s also opened my eyes to the wonderful world of social networking which has led me down so many paths to many different and beautiful people and places. There is loads to do to get ready for our move that’s a mere month away, but I'm making the time to treasure my moments here and savor my last few days of being une vraie Parisienne.
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