Good Morning

Some days I'm thankful my internal clock wakes me up in the early morning because otherwise I wouldn't be able to catch some of the most ethereal moments of the day. 

There's just something about hazy, early morning light in Paris that makes me feel like I'm in the middle of a beautiful dream during these morning walks when most of paris is still sleeping or enjoying a leisurely morning at home.

There are days when living in France {or abroad in general} is not a picnic for many, many {many} reasons.

 But then there are mornings like this that remind you to slow down, relax and be thankful for the opportunity to live out of your comfort zone and within another culture. It's almost human nature to get caught up in details, small things, and the hardships that life, no matter what, will bring. Sometimes it's necessary for your mental sanity to take that big step back.

So while walking along the Seine one morning a few weeks ago, I did just that. I was rushing along, head down, deep in thought when I happened to look up and see the beauty alongside me. Something I don't get to see every day because by this time of the morning I'm either in my office or among the crowds piled into a smelly RER train.

Just pure, bright, dreamy happiness. In one of my favorite places in the world. Just steps outside my front door. My Parisian address will not be mine forever, but small moments like this remind me of how lucky I am to even experience a few seconds of perfect contentedness that sunshine and a little foggy haze can bring.

Between Lenses: Saturday

As I was downloading pictures to my computer from the last few weeks in the hopes of deleting all those duplicate/crooked/oops-I-took-a-picture-of-my-foot photos in order to make room on my memory card, I happened to see this picture flash by the hundreds of other on their way from my Canon to my Mac. 

And then I happened to be scrolling through my unread blog list just minutes later, and it happened to be a day on two of the blogs I read, Of Trees and Hues and Tara Victoria. So, thought I, let's share a photo of my Saturday morning brunch.

Not brunch because I went to a hip and trendy restaurant with champagne or a bottomless Bellini menu.

Brunch because it was Saturday and I slept until 10:00, lazed in bed until noon, and then decided to pull on my best pair of leggings to run to the end of my street to grab a baguette from the boulangerie and an avocado at the farmer's market. A bouquet of 6 euro roeses were necessary as well.

Brunch with just me and my kindle and Norah Jones playing in the background. 

As much as I'm someone who's usually going at 150 miles per hour, these weekends of rest and relaxation are just as important as the ones filled with fun and a never ending event list.

That is my kind of relaxed Saturday.