it's not goodbye, it's see you later

Time to catch up...comme d'habitude bien sur.

Well, this has all happened fairly quickly I suppose. Let's take it back to when I was still in Oklahoma...

I finished up my work at American. It was a bit sad because I had made some really great friends there. I was sad to say goodbye. Not only that, but it was a good experience. They were all so sweet though. They surprised me with a going away dinner at Ti Amos (a local italian restaurant) a week before my last day at work. On Thursday, they surprised me with cake. Did I mention the great people I work with? They're wonderful. I know we will keep in touch though. We're in the age of technology. Keeping in touch from another part of the world is getting easier and easier. Je suis optimiste.

Packing was definitely a process. I tried my best to get everything into one large checked bag, and my Osprey travel backpack. Didn't exactly happen that way. I used every trick I could think of, space bags...you name it. In the end, it wasn't so much a space issue as it was a weight issue. I had to keep my checked bag under 50lbs. In most cases, that would have been sufficient enough...however when you are packing for a move to France (the north of France where the temps drop like the rain), il faut être préparer. Also, because I was flying with Icelandair, I was able to check two bags free. After a bit of research and realizing that it would cost me close to 100 dollars to pay the overweight baggage fee, I decided to go ahead and check two bags. I'm not a sissy or a chump...and I like to get my money's worth. My backpack made me feel like a pack mule and the weight of it was absurd, but I got it all packed up. J'ai fini! I ended up with a large rolling bag, a small rolling bag, and my backpack.

I was lucky enough to see my brother Chase for a few days before I left. He is such a sweet brother and drove up to see me...and like 15 other friends...but mostly me. It was hard building up to the leaving. I consider myself to be very close with my family. We are a tight knit group (even Beau...the pet parakeet). It's hard to say goodbyes. My mom has been so supportive of this but the last few months have been tough building up to the goodbye that was coming. Tough emotionally that is. Like I keep saying, this is just a moment in my life. Regardless of what's to come in my future, il faut profiter of the things I have now. I am very lucky to have the love and support behind me. Home is definitely where my heart is...but I'd like to think my heart is big enough for two homes at the moment. In my past experiences, I know things aren't always sunshine and rainbows. I'm sure there will be days I don't want to be there and miss what's familiar to me...but...my mom didn't raise me to be a quitter. 

I'm ready for the ups and the downs, the laughs and the tears, the wine and the cheese, the chocolate and the macarons. Allons-y!