Uncroyable

Today I am feeling happy, joyful, excited, inspired, and slightly awe struck. Feeling so good, it's oozing out of me. It's been awhile since I really felt this way, down to my core.

I did so much better today. Of course, the amazing sunshine and spring day answered last night’s prayer. A little less tired, I got myself out earlier. I now have personal taxi service with Batobus for 5 days. 20 euros, a great way to travel and it stops everywhere. There was absolutely no way I was going inside on such a perfect spring day. I stopped at Champs Elysees, which are the pictures for today. The flowers are blooming everywhere; there is so much to take in. Every building is ornate and fascinating, so many outside sculptures.

Becca reminded me last night of the finer art of ‘chilling’. I enjoyed today’s Coca on the edge of the Seine. Met Bev, her friend and her very knowledgeable artsy son and enjoyed lots of great conversation, Californians. Since I love the Impressionists, which is why I am more excited to go to Musee D’Orsey than the Louvre, they have encouraged me to go to Giverny, Monet’s home.. so cool..

My next stop was St Germain. Wow..I cannot even explain the fabulous energy. Amazing hustle and bustle and even though I had a long way to walk back, I kept stopping just to take in the energy. Since all I had was my baguette avec jambon et fromage, I stopped at one of the street vendors and got a crepe...nutella with banana, yummers! I also stopped to chill over a biere..no olives or nuts tonight.

I took the metro home from St Germain. That will take some getting use to but I love it. I had to go out a couple of wrong staircases to Sortie but I got home. A subway system is an amazing and complicated system. I love it.

So my issue that Becca helped me get over yesterday, other than ‘chillin.. hang on, isn’t it great that I can have such a super fabulous daughter who is so smart and worldly and loving and giving to her momma ..all the time. I did something right, that is for sure.

Anyway, my ‘issue’ was that I was anxious about getting home after dark…so I was worried about going away from here because then I would have to come back after dark.

Oh yeah, momma is getting her groove on.. walked back to Moufettard, quiet quant bustle.. and had a light supper. I may have mentioned but I have never eaten out alone at night, well there must be an exception, but I don’t. Before I left Nan said to bring a book and read while I eat. I brought my book the first night and glanced at it now and then but mostly just stared out the window.

So interesting, becca sent me with Sex in the City DVD’s and last nights episode was about ‘faking it’. Of course the obvious woman faking it, I mean it is SITC.. but you know Carrie, there is always more to it..so there is all kinds of faking it, but part of it was being single and being comfortable with being single. Could she be out without an event, her friends or a man…blah blah, in the end, she proved to herself that she had pride in where she was in life, and she did not need the armor (as she says) of books or work or something to busy herself as if it were not enough to just be. So I had the full intention of doing that tonight so I left my book at home, walked into the night without fear of getting home.

My bravery was rewarded by meeting Brain and Doug from Portland, OR who happen to sit down right next to me. I hope it was their curiosity in knowing me but I babbled my way through my dinner and theirs. They were both such nice men. OK miss becca, very small world, Brian went to SOU and his first job was a claims adjuster, he is now a lawyer for insurance companies. Very nice, very handsome, married with two little ones at home. Doug, maybe 15 years his senior and long time friend, was married to a French woman and was here visiting his ex inlaws, lovely… sort of like me visiting Arthur this summer so we can see his brother Karl. I really enjoyed both of their company. Doug was smart, worldly, interesting but seemingly wounded, physically and possibly of the heart. They made my dinner perfect and encouraged me that I was completely safe to walk home. I walked, no, I strolled, with confidence and a spring in my step and a bluebird on my shoulder.

I had an absolutely fabulous day. Everyone is very friendly and I meet people easily. My mom is wrong, you cannot see everything in Paris in a month. This is the most incredible city, it is much more than NY, LA or Chicago, it has a few years on us. And since, you can go everywhere so quickly from here, London or Amsterdam, and then all the great day trips to Versailles or Normandy, I think one could keep busy for months.

It’s just all too exciting. I am posting my pics on facebook.

I am leaving my email here today as I managed to get a couple cards but did not give mine out.

debinor at comcast.net and Debbie Hill Hendrickson on facebook

I am wired again tonight and did not have caffeine since this afternoon. Doug says this is part of jet lag and it will change soon. I am a lucky girl and very happy.

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