Paris: Day 1 + 2

Well, I am here! After a week in London and Geneva the hubs and I made our way to Paris. We arrived at my apartment and have been settling in ever since. The apartment itself is great! I found it on Airbnb (click here to get $25 off your first trip) a few months ago and every part of the transaction was smooth. Muriel, the owner, is so kind and has been awesome at communication. It is located in the 6th arrondissement – right next to the Seine! I really couldn’t ask for more!

The hubs, who is a native french speaker, has been helping me a TON! I am so beyond grateful he is here! I am actually so scared that he leaves in a day. He has been able to communicate to every waiter, sales clerk, teacher, taxi driver, and so on. He has made the entire transition really easy and I am terrified to have to figure it out on my own, although I know that is the point of this trip. That is actually something I didn’t expect to experience – this feeling of complete n ervousness. Up until this point I have been excited to be alone and explore a new city but now it is here and I am a bit panicky. I did have a moment earlier today where I looked at him and just teared up. I know it is a mixture of things: one that he is leaving and I am away from him for so long but also a realization that I am in a city that I don’t know and with a language I don’t speak. I could actually cry as I type this. What is my problem?

He keeps telling me that he has to leave for me to learn. He is actually “enabling me instead of helping me”. And I agree. I don’t want to agree, but I do. I am not being forced to speak the language or figure out the lay of the land. However, that doesn’t mean I am ready for him to go. I think everyone must have this moment when they are about to start a new journey which is out of their comfort zone. A moment of “oh my gosh, what the f&** did I sign up for?” I know I need to be patient with myself as I will be fine once I start my school and get a routine going but for now I am a bundle of nerves.

So there it is. I am not as brave or as adventurous as I projected in my previous posts. I am nervous to be alone, scared to not know people, and worried I will be the worst one in my class. Although in my gut I know this is right and I know it will all be okay, for now I can’t quite remember if I was of sound mind when I signed on for this.

As I document this journey I hope I can go back and re-read this post and laugh. That I will actually be able to say to myself, “wow, look how far you came. You now know the city, the language, and you really grew as a soul.” That will be the best feeling in the world! So here it is! The start of my very exciting and scary Paris journey! Stay tuned…

Notting Hill, London

The Churchill Arms is a must for anyone coming to London (one of the best pad thai's in the city)

I have been thoroughly enjoying myself here in London. Yesterday I spent 5 hours walking around with just my camera! It has been so enjoyable getting to stop and take photos, get lost, pop in cafe’s, and wander. The first day I arrived I decided to pop over to Notting Hill for a quick walk. Notting Hill is one of my favorite areas in London. It is quaint, colorful, and really picturesque. Although maybe not as convenient as other places in London it is always worth the trip!

I actually went back to N.H. yesterday as well and have some great photos (like this one) that I will share soon! But for now, here are the ones I took on my first day.

Lip Love with Skintastic

Lip Color // MAC Russian Red

for more information visit the Skintastic website

photos shot by B. Hafner

There are two little known facts about myself which those closest to me know: I am extremely honest and if I want something I find a way to get it. I have never been afraid to try something and/or experiment. I still remember wanting a certain type of hair treatment and finding it on groupon. When I arrived at the salon the owner greeted me and proceeded to chat about weed and the art of cornrows for the duration of the treatment. While this wasn’t an experience I would recommend to you all, there is one I would. A few weeks ago I decided I wanted a fuller upper lip. Actually this was something I had thought about for a while. I have great lips but always wondered what a little bit of a fuller upper lip would look like. There is always something we want to “fix” and seeing first hand people over-do it had me scared, so I left the idea alone. However, the more I thought about it and the more I debated it, I finally decided to just do it. After I came to the decision and chatted about it with others I have been shocked by the number of people who said, “I have always wanted to do that but…” Literally every single woman I spoke with had some excuse or reason why she couldn’t fill her lips but had always wanted to. While this usually isn’t something I would discuss on the blog I thought since hearing so many women’s fears I thought I would take one for the team, be honest, and share my experience. Discussing such topics has become so taboo for women. Like we are lesser of a person for wanting to try something new. While I am not a fan of overdoing any type of plastic surgery I do understand wanting to try something new (especially temporary). And when it comes to this type of thing moderation is key!!!

You have heard me chat about my microdermabrasion from Skintastic for the past few weeks. I have absolutely fallen for the Skintastic team! They are so fun and helpful with all of my questions and have done a fabulous job with my skin. At my last microdermabrasion I started talking to Karen about lips. Her and I had a great time and after the session I decided I would try them out. The day the appointment arrived I was a little nervous but my fears were settled once I started talking to everyone there and we decided on a very natural look. We were all on the same page and I felt relieved. The process itself is easy and only takes about 20 minutes. There is minimal pain (thanks to numbing cream) and a touch of swelling after (depending on how much filler you get). I would recommend doing it on a day you don’t have any afternoon meetings! After a few days the puff goes down and everything settles in really nicely. Mine are very subtle but enough to make me happy! They say it should last about 6-9 months and gets easier each time.

While they are something I am really happy with now, I am happy they are temporary. I think having a permanent “fix” would really make me nervous. I look at this entire experience as something I wanted to try, I did, I loved it but am not married to it, and I can always return to “normal” shall I decide to. That is the joy of temporary fillers and the team at Skintastics. It is always win/win!

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