Paris, Revisited

Paris is gorgeous, as always, but the weather has been drippy gray and I've been slowed by a cold. As usual, I've been pushing myself to go-go-go, and I'm quite exhausted. Yesterday and today, I walked and walked, taking pictures of buildings and scenes that caught my fancy, stopping to eat when I got hungry, and seeing as much as possible. The people I've met have been very forgiving with my French, and the food has been divine.

The apartment I'm renting has a computer (awesome!) with a French keyboard (frustrating). It's mostly similar to an English one, but has a few differences that slow me tremendously and force me to "hunt and peck." If I were to type as I usually do, here's how this paragraph would turn out:

The qpqrt,ent Iù, renting hqs q co,puter 9qzeso,e1à zith q French keyboqrd 9frustrqting0: Itùs ,ostly si,ilqr to qn English one; but hqs q fez differences thqt sloz ,e tre,endously qnd force ,e to hunt qnd peck: If I zere to type qs I usuqlly do, hereùs hoz this pqrqgrqph zould turn out:

So, this post will be short! :-) I look forward to sharing pictures when I get back stateside.

Travel Time

It's been a relatively quiet 6 weeks so far in 2011 with only a couple brief trips. But the next couple weeks will be on the road. Tomorrow, I go up to Chicago for the day. This means a 6:30 a.m. flight out and coming back around 10 p.m. A very long day.

On Thursday, I leave for Paris. Yep, going back again! I just love that city, as well as my friends there. I'm looking forward to a few days off and just enjoying everything Paris has to offer.

I get back on a Tuesday evening, and take a 7:00 a.m. flight out the next day to Seattle for work. I'll only be there a couple days, and I wish I could stay the weekend to visit my family up there, but I've already committed to staying with my niece & nephew, Anna & Colin, while their parents have a weekend getaway.

And then it will be March! Does anyone else feel like time is flying by as if we're on a rollercoaster? I'm enjoying the ride, though!

Keeping Fit

When I joined the gym, I got some "gym bucks" that you can choose to spend on a variety of activities. I chose to use all of mine for some sessions with a personal trainer. And she's kicking my butt! (in a good way)

She's a triathlete, too, and has already given me suggestions on how to improve my time. (My goal each year is just to beat my previous time, and so far, each year I've done that.) I also told her I wanted to tone up in general. And I may have mentioned I don't like my upper arms...hence the incredible arm workouts she has added to the cardio and strength training.

Most days, some muscle group feels a bit sore. But overall, I feel so much stronger, have more energy and am sleeping like a rock. It's great!

My gym workouts are also supplemented by my sister's Bollywood aerobic class on Sunday nights, too. I'm feeling stronger (and more confident with the steps) there, too, and it's fun!

Celebrating Victories

I went on a hike/walk today. That may not seem like a big accomplishment, and normally, since I consider myself in training for my next triathlon, it's not to me. But I got felled by a nasty case of food poisoning this week, and it knocked the...well, everything out of me. I'm rebuilding slowly, and today was the first day I felt a little stronger. So the walk felt especially precious, and I enjoyed it immensely.

As I walked along the uneven path, I couldn't help but think about how similar it is to life in general. Some really rough patches, but some easy and smooth. Sometimes there were others on the path with me, and sometimes I was all alone. At one point, while I was alone, I came to the end of the path. I looked up and down but couldn't find where the path went. It seemed to have disappeared. I decided to cross over what looked like a dried up river bed, and it was challenging to walk over the rocks set in different angles. I got to the other side, and I found a new path open up to me. I smiled and thought how that has happened in my life so many times. Just when I think the path has disappeared completely, I find a new path.

Ten years ago, I was recovering from my second divorce. Part of that recovery included filing for backruptcy. Part of the debt was truly mine, and part of it was from each of my exes. All of it was overwhelming. But filing for bankruptcy wasn't easy. It affects your credit rating for seven years, but it stays on your record for ten. During that first seven years, there were many times when I was travelling for work and was expected to cover my expenses, filing an expense report afterwards for reimbursement. I had a credit card with a $300 limit, which doesn't go far when you're travelling often or to large cities. More than once I relied on my colleagues to help, but that meant explaining to them why I needed the help. It was a humbling experience, but it guaranteed that I wouldn't make the same mistakes again. I built up a positive credit rating slowly, and learned how to live within my means.

And this month marks the 10 year anniversary when it will be off my record for good. I am proud of what I have accomplished. And I'm really glad that's over! On to the next path...

When You'll Meet "the One"

I watched an indie movie tonight called "Timer." It's set in the future, when a technology has been developed that allows you to know when you will meet your soul mate. People get a timer implanted into their wrist, and when their soul mate also has a timer, it provides you with a countdown -- the days, hours and minutes until you'll meet -- and both people's timers beep when you meet "the one."

Would you want to know?

Some characters in the movie want to fall in love "the old fashioned way" and refuse timers. The heroine goes for most of her life with a blank timer, meaning her soul mate hasn't gotten one, and she drags numerous guys in to the store to get their timers, only to discover they aren't her "one."

It's an interesting premise for a movie. And it sets up some interesting situations. If you know you won't meet anyone for years, what do you do with your time until then? Do you get a lot accomplished, such as degrees or marathons? Do you "save yourself" for the one or enjoy the people you meet in your life and live in the moment?

I think I would want to know, even if I was disappointed with the answer.