Je t'aime France!

Our last day in France was very bittersweet.  I never in the world thought that I would hesitate to leave, but I did.  I am so very excited to see my family and friends back home, especially my very pregnant best friend!  It has been close to 9 months since she found out she was pregnant, and of course, it happened right as I had arrived in France.  I can't wait to see her and soon greet her son into the world. There is definitely something to be said about a best friend who does not allow distance to minimize a friendship.

While I am excited to see my family and friends, I still can't shake a feeling of having to part with something that can only be experienced for yourself.
However, here is a list of my top 10 things I will miss about France:

1)The French "privacy" of maintaining good boundaries (I.e; people not getting into your business.  Many people give the French a hard time in saying that they are too curt, but counseling is my day job and the last thing I want to do is have a session with my waitress or postman.)

2)The genuineness of French emotions

(For example; people not forcing smiles when they don't mean it, people only laughing when things are really funny, not just because it's what the other person wants).

3)The Quiet.  My God can the French enjoy the silence!  (Example; A typical flight from Nice/Paris/Biarritz were some of the most quiet flights I've ever taken.  Even in restaurants, the French use their "inside voices" instead of trying to bolster attention in a room with a loud voice/conversation.)

4)To be able to walk to everything, including the grocery, and not have to drive. (Example; I could go to the grocery under our apartment and then if I forgot something, run back down.  No big deal. No gas. No car.)

5)The shaming of the plastic bag. (For example; when you go to the grocery in France, you must pay for bags.  They encourage you to bring your own reusable bags or if you must buy, they have paper bags for purchase.)

6)The active and healthy lifestyle including the amazing healthcare.

(For example; French person are pretty slim.  Perhaps it is the diet.  Perhaps it is the fact that they walk everywhere for the most part.  Maybe it's a bit if both.  Whatever it is, it's working.  Also, French doctors have given Alex and myself great care with carry over plans fr the States. The doctors were even sympathetic to the US' problem with high cost Rx and allowed us to fill 4 months worth of meds in France to take back with us! Super cheap and we get reimbursed for most of it).

7)The amazing FOOD!

(For example; for the most part, France does not allow GMOs and therefore, their fruits and veggies are some of the tastiest stuff on Earth. When they want sweets, they go for Gold with pure cane and not high fructose corn syrup.) the pastries, the cheese.....I will miss you!!

8)The reduction of major crime/violence.

(For example; France's violent crime and sexual assault rate is far less than the US.  It's just something that has to be felt to understand, but I will miss not having to look over my shoulder when walking downtown.)

9)The wonderful sense of a work/life balance and the importance of having a real lunch break. (For Example; in the States, as a LPC or even at the high school, you were lucky to get a lunch break.  In France, most places close from 12-2pm in order to have a proper lunch and rest.  Students even come home from school to have lunch at home.)

10)I will miss all of the international friends that Alex and I made while he was attending his MBA program.  It could have been anywhere in the world, but France made it that much more special and enjoyable.  

And now to be fair.....the Top 10 things I am looking forward to doing when I get "home:"

1)Seeing my wonderful family/friends

2)Rolling around in my in-law's land and pond (Yes, I discovered that I am definitely NOT a city girl!).

3)Eat some good ol' fashioned BBQ!

4)Eat at my favorite Japanese restaurant in the world, UMI (and see the wonderful Miyazaki family).

5)Get my favorite brands back (Burt's Bees and Ole Henriksen....oh how I have missed you!)

6)Saturday Night Steak Night....sponsored by the Master Chef, Dennis Gaines (AKA Big O) and Mawmaw Winkles.

7)Having a world full of possiblilities when it comes to pursuing the next step in my career.

8)Stand Up Paddleboarding 

9)Joining some form of MMA or Muay Thai gym again

10)Being able to watch the season finale of Game of Thrones on the night it airs!

A Goodbye from Biarritz/Pays Basque

For our last month in France, we decided to get a better feel for Biarritz (the little surf town we had visited in October).  We flew from Nice to Lyon to Biarritz and even Ruckus was pretty chill about it. We had some awesome friends drive us to the airport and come wish us well (Ray, Patrick, Alexis and Tats).  We are so lucky to have met such great people.  

When we landed in Biarritz, we were reminded of the magical beauty of the place.  Our cab driver got confused over the address and Eventhough he dropped us off in the middle of town, we manage to find another who got us to our resting place.  The apartment we rented was great (and huge for what we had been used to in Nice!).  It had a rustic charm but modern appliances (and even a dryer and dishwasher!!! Omg).  

In our first days, I managed to find a relatively cheap used surfboard rather than rent a board due to the high cost.  The surf was 100 yards away and it was the most beautiful break I have ever seen/surfed.  

Alex's parents came to stay with us for 2 weeks and the sky opened up the entire time they were here.  There were only 2 days we were able to lay out on the beach, but that was ok because we were able to explore Spain and the amazing Basque region.  

We visited Arcachon and La Dune du Pyla again to take the parents (who loved it!), ate at a really neat pizza place, visited a bird park, drive around the Basque Pyrenees region where we ran into sheep, cows, goats, and horses, went into the grottos of the Basque region where some of the very first men were recorded to have lived, went through San Sebastián and Bilbao, Spain, and even walked through some medieval villages and citadels.  Needless to say we also ate our way through the Basque region with some wonderful food.

One of my most favorite days was when I taught Wink how to surf!  She did absolutely wonderful and I hope I will be able to get her back out in the surf when we return to the states.

Right after Wink and Dennis left, Alex's classmates (Teru, Tats, and Patrick) drive from Nice to Biarritz to surf and have some fun.  We had some amazing times in the ocean with Teru learning how to surf and the rest of the guys surfing for the GoPro camera I mounted on my board.  At night time, the fun never stopped as the guys dance their way through the streets and we played stupid games like "would you rather."  It was the perfect send off with such special people.  

(Below is a link to a short video of some fun we had in Biarritz)

http://youtu.be/R0YCFPwE7mU