Making my Way

Everyday brings something new with it, no matter where you live, but probably because I have lived in Los Angeles for so long, I can take the days for granted, (which means that sometimes I just let one day run into the next). I still love Los Angeles, and even found myself speaking endearingly about the city with a friend last night, who is an ex-pat from Los Angeles (and doesn't find the city so irresistable).

My lifestyle in Paris is very different, but one I currently savor. My eyes don't see the light of day before 9 or so each day, and then I slowly arise for my morning oj, and head back into bed, to answer e-mails - the flurry that seems to amass from the night before. So by the time I actually get up and out, it's not until at least 11:30. This has become a ritual, and one I like very much.

And then the day begins, out on the street, into the world. Whether it's heading to a new design bookstore I read about, or shopping for inspiration for work, making my way through the metro and figuring out how to get from one point to another, it is all new and fresh, and vibrant, and alive.

Each day brings with it a new discovery - maybe that's what's so enticing about being here (besides the city's alluring beauty). To segue a moment, I was sitting on the Pont Neuf the other morning, overlooking the Seine, seeing the Eiffel tower boasting its' head above the rooftops in one direction, and the Ile de La Cite in the other, and I thought to myself, am I really so fortunate as to be able to just be here?

So, whether it's a new word I learn in the french language, (I can't thank you enough, Avis, for teaching me "doucement" - it has changed my life!) or meeting up with a new person, these are small but very satisfying moments, all meant to be appreciated.

The willingness to put myself out there every day, into the unknown and not only come out unscathed, but actually feel so much richer from the experiences, is the most satisfying of all.