Crazy Adventures in the Life of a Redhead

If your read my last blog post about my trials concerning the hills of Burgundy, you will get a kick out of this new post. I started out on another adventure on my third consecutive day off – this would be my last “adventure” in Burgundy. My plan was to go from Beaune to Autun (about 40 miles) then bike to the Morvan, which is this grand forest in the center of the region. Although I made it to Autun, I only touched the Morvan – enough to say that I have visited it and so could take a picture next to the sign…I know, that is kind of cheating, but okay enough for me. Well, as I started out from Beaune, I was experiencing the same hardships with my bike, and all I could think was how am I going to make it to Autun like this…the hills were not even that harrowing like those in the Maconnais. At several points, I had to dismount and start to walk because the difference in speed was so negligible that I would rather save my bottom. Stopping completely at one point, I realized that if I cont...

I was given some time off after spending every waking moment with a little two year old whom I love dearly but still; it is a little difficult to take care of a child 24/7. I have much greater appreciation for all those mothers out there, particularly those who stay at home with their children. I know that I will never be able to do that. Certainly not! I am not equipped to occupy myself with children 24/7…so when the time comes, I will definitely be searching out a good day care or a fabulous nanny, but hey, that time is not for a long while yet (thank God) and I have other things to tell. I traveled to the Maconnais, a very lovely area in Burgundy where a lot of wine is produced (surprise, surprise…this whole region is drunk with wine). Unfortunately for me, the hills were not exactly pleasant company. However, as the old adage goes, what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger. So, I am here to attest to the fact that I am stronger t oday for my experience in the Maconnais. Okay, p...

Okay, so maybe there are no monsters or princesses or princes (unfortunately!), but all the same, I am going to recount some of my experiences as an au pair, because let me tell you, it has been all but normal. Then again, is there really a normal? No, I do not think so, therefore, I will rephrase that statement; my experience as an au pair has been anything but predictable. Then again, can one really predict the future? No, I think not, so let me rephrase that statement; my experience caring for a small child in a foreign country has been all but calm and tranquil. Then again, is life really calm and tranquil? In my opinion, life is always like an ocean, rolling, ebbing and flowing – not calm and tranquil…is there any way to describe my experience or in that same way, is there any way to describe something accurately for which there are no accurate expressions? Oh, I lament the limitations of my language! Moving on after that small tirade…I am writing more generally about being an au ...