Writing at airports makes the list of my favorite things to do. I have never traveled without writing, and airports, the ultimate mixing pot of people, languages, and cultures, is a hot-spot of inspiration. Travel makes my heart grow. It challenges me, it expands me, it makes me better. I am writing from Dulles
LESSONS FROM A FRENCH FIVE-YEAR-OLD
French children have always amazed me in their mature, sophisticated understanding of life. I attribute it to French culture’s openness and societal poise, but whatever the real roots of their maturity, they never cease to teach me a lesson. A few days ago, a French family stood in line in Starbucks behind me. Being the
TIME FOR THYME
“The art of life is to live in the present moment, and to make that moment as perfect as we can by the realization that we are instruments and expression of God himself.” – Emmet Fox Fox states beautifully what I feel deep inside: that by living in the present moment and recognizing that present
MARVELING – THE FRENCH WAY
The greatest gift that France has ever given me is an appreciation for joy, or as they call it, joie de vivre. I don’t think that enough people allow themselves to experience joy. Joy is not often discussed in daily conversation, and I don’t often use the adjective joyful to describe someone. In fact, it
IL DOLCE FAR NIENTE
Guilt is so “American”. If you have ever watched the movie Eat, Pray, Love, you will know what I mean in reference to the Italian phrase dolce far niente, or the “sweetness of doing nothing.” In the movie, an Italian explains to Liz (played by Julia Roberts) that the difference between Americans and Europeans is
SUPERHERO POWERS
If I could have one superhero power, it would be to transport myself instantaneously to where I want to go. This seems a bit contradictory for the girl who loves the act of travel, the soothing monotony of grey airport walls and the bustle of foreign passengers all aboard one plane, but it is what
BLACK FRIDAY, CITY LIGHTS & DREAMS
No city in the world moves me that way that Paris does, but every city does move me in a different, special way. Black Friday shopping in D.C. and Pentagon City this morning with one of my very best friends Gloria made me realize that I don’t take advantage of my proximity to D.C. often enough.
WINE BARS AND FRENCH GLASSES
Wine bars transport me back to France. They encompass everything I used to love about my days living and working in Bordeaux, the days where I “worked” for two hours and then spent the rest of the day with friends and wine at a café. Richmond has a fantastic new little wine bar that I
THE TEN MINUTE CUSHION
We live our daily lives without enough of a cushion. The alarm clock goes off, we rush out of the house, we franctically squeeze in all your errands, we work eight hours, we make it to dinner, we have five minutes of free time and then we collapse into bed to do it all again. We have allowed ourselves
COFFEE: MY FRANGLISH INSPIRATION
Perhaps I should explain why I ever started drinking coffee, because I am not a real coffee drinker. I mean, I do drink real coffee; I’m just not the type of girl that goes to Starbucks for frou-frou “coffees” that doen’t even have coffee in them. I am the bonafide espresso drinking, black coffee kind of