Proceed at own risk; high levels of grumble ahead...

So, for those of you who haven't heard, I was supposed to be enrolled in Basic Military Training as of right now. I would have spent Christmas there. And I would have brought in the New Year there... All the way up until just before Valentine's Day. However, since entering the Air Force has proven to be one big headache and disaster after another, I will not be leaving until April.

I have mixed feelings about the fact. On the one hand, this gives me more time to prepare my body and perhaps my mind. And I get to spend more time with my charming boyfriend, which is fantastic because I want all the time I can get with him before I have to leave for several months on end. Also, I'm spending the holidays in the company of loved ones, which is definitely preferable. However, I was really riding on the fact that I'd be leaving in mid-December. That wrench thrown into the mix kind of threw me for a loop. Upon hearing the news (five days before I was supposed to leave), there may have been slight hyperventilation and watery eyes on my part... but once I talked to a few people and calmed my nerves, recovery was fairly quick. This means, however, I am on the job hunt once again. Cabin fever, boredom and pacing about are strongly-prevalent in my daily activities. I've also started chopping at my hair again... it's getting shorter and shorter... Blah blah blah...

I did really enjoy having long hair, by the way. It had gotten the longest it had been since I cut it my junior year of high school. Long hair kept things interesting. I originally cut it a couple of weeks ago in anticipation of making light of my personal maintenance in boot camp, but I'd forgotten how easy and cute short hair can be!

Anyway, writing this blog post is the most productive I've felt in weeks (when not chopping my locks off). I made Josh a painting, and started another one but only got discouraged when I realized it was much more complicated than the stuff I usually attempt. You'd think that with all this free time I'd be finding all sorts of creative ways to keep myself busy... but it's been the contrary. I've found no inspiration, no motivation, and no reason to even want to leave the house on most days. I want to be productive. I really do. Which is why I feel guilty every single time I sit down to watch a movie or play a card game. Josh has been into this computer game for the past week-ish... I've played it a few times, but have been avoiding it for the most part because I'd rather it were a time filler rather than a time passer. Soooo... I haven't been journaling, blogging, painting, photographing, designing, or anything creative. And anything non-creative makes me feel reprehensible. Also, I haven't done many push-ups or sit-ups... All this free time, and I the idea is still deplorable to me. I know that having a job, even part-time, will change a few things. Anything that puts productivity into my days would breathe some life back into me. I'm desperate for a breath like that at this point...

/Sigh.

I've been lucky

For far too long. Seems I'm finally getting the things I deserve. :/

Yo Snacka Snacka!

Top 3 Purchases in Paris

I've been meaning to write this post for a while, but since I've returned from Paris life seemed to start rolling faster and faster, and while I could barely keep up, before I knew it I had been back in the states for a full month. At any rate, I would love to get back into the habit of writing again. Even my personal journal has greatly missed my presence in the past few weeks.

In Paris, we were bombarded with bad luck every way we turned. But there were a few things that stood out; purchases which guaranteed goodness and dared to make our lives easier during our stay. If you ever visit the City of Light/Love, I wholeheartedly recommend sparing some change for these three particular items.

Purchase no. One:
A week-long pass for the Metro (or a few day passes if you won't be staying a full week...). The system is complicated. You're tired or hungry and confused and can't fully communicate with the people around you. On top of that, you have to figure out your route on the train system (or brave the nightmare that is driving in Paris... good luck with that!), to see your sights or return home for the day, plus figure out which ticket to buy, and how much of the fare you really should be paying. And if you manage to do that successfully, you have to figure it out again in a few hours when your ticket expires.

Having a week-pass I'm sure saved me from many, many tears. You show up at a station, wave your card by the entrance doors, and voilà! You're already half-way through the potential headache. If you know what train you need to be on, all you need do is board, then you have plenty of travel time to navigate the rest of your trip. Look at you, being all savvy and avoiding some unwanted attention!

Purchase no. Two:
A bike tour (preferably at night, which includes a river cruise and wine!). Actually, I wish I would have taken this trip more towards the beginning of my stay, because it locates excellent sites to go and explore further on your own time. We went with Fat Tire Bike Tours, which is filled with super-friendly folks, filled with helpful knowledge and all English-Speaking (our tour guide was a surfer-dude from Southern California who was in love with the Parisian culture).

Purchase no. Three:
ANY pastry. Not kidding. This people is famous for their baking for a reason! You owe it to your tastebuds (and your peace-of-mind) to sit outside a café, order up a pastry and coffee, and take in the sights. People-watching is, after all, their favorite passtime. There are a lot of interesting things happening in the streets. Sit back and enjoy it.

Hope I helped! I hadn't had really any advice before I had gone to the city. Just a few rumors on their attitude. If you can make it to Paris, go! Whether you have a bad experience or an excellent one, it will last you a lifetime, guaranteed!

I make'd a movie!

Favoritism

Today is a Thursday. I'm particularly fond of Thursdays. Good things usually occur on Thursdays.

I've been listing a lot of favorites, lately. But in all actuality, I'm not very fond of picking favorites. In a given-category (music, seasons, flavors, whatever...) I usually find several things to like about a variety of things and for a variety of reasons. I don't consider it to be a factor of my indecision, but rather a testimony to me being an open and appreciative being.

However, when asked the question "what is your favorite ____?" I feel like I'm pressured to have a solid answer for whomever wants to know what my preference is. On the other hand, when I ask someone of their favorite whatever, it's usually more-so because I'm curious as to how one will answer the question. I admire those of you that don't have straight answers, especially because I'm apparently not brave enough to face a favoritism query empty-handed. Kudos to those of you that are.

The best-laid plans... right?

My sincere apologies. I had every intention of providing a weekly recapitulation of my actions and adventures accompanied by every thought and feeling. And 'every intention' eventually turned to 'it's okay to slip occasionally, as long as I continue to produce photos.' Which lead, ultimately, to having no intention whatsoever to reproduce my journey for anyone, because it was mine, or maybe because the scale finally tipped from a healthy amount of ambition to an exhausting amount of 'busy.'

At any rate, I'm back. If I happen to finish the drafts I've started, great. If not, maybe I'll just publish them in their honest-yet-unfinished state.

Nearing the end of my "vacation" I'm realizing that new inspiration has been gained through treading the map, which is to say nothing of the gained perspective. Suddenly I want to design more, draw more, paint more and most of all, write more. I dearly miss the creative world.