La Norriture

With a million blog ideas running through my head and thoughts of the beauty of vieux Lyon, I am motivated to write about FOOD! And not french food per se, but the wonderful omelet I made for lunch!! While I planned to savour my omelet while writing this blog I successfully polished it off in seconds!!

Today is the first day this week that I can do whatever I want without planned engagements or obligations. I received a call from my dad a few minutes ago asking what I was doing with my day and if I was bored, to which I replied with an emphatic, "NON." Bored? Call me an introvert but I live for solitude and reflection and quiet contemplation.

So far today (it is 1:00 pm in Lyon), I have ventured outside of my cute apartment, sans mon pere, and explored a side street off of the roundabout (rond-point) where my apartment sits. It was rainy and windy; but surprisingly warm compared to the last few days. There are six roads that connect to the roundabout, and my apartment sits on the corner of la rue Edouard Aynard. Since then I have re-arranged and re-organized the kitchen, at which mes meilleurs amis will laugh, and prepared an omelet for lunch.

 

Okay so back to the food!!!! Those who know me say that I can bake, but domesticated I am not. I can host a lavish wine and cheese party, where the most difficult task is whether to cube, slice or grate the cheese; but preparing a meal is a different story. Every omelet I have made in the past has ended up looking more like a cross between an omelet and scrambled eggs; you know when you flip it too early and half of it falls apart. And it never tastes quite like I hoped it would ... ketchup to the rescue!

Call me french, but maybe it's the new city, or the gas stove, or the mounds of butter melting in the pan that made THIS omelet a success! Not only did it set perfectly, but I flipped it in half without it falling apart (unfortunately not in the air), and it browned beautifully! And!!!! it tasted wonderfully delicious, but how could it not with french butter (that retains its softness even in the fridge), goat cheese, ham and fresh ground black pepper! And now ... my stomach is full and round, reminiscent of the bellies in a renaissance painting.

The journey - devant le voyage

It is official! I am in France!?!? It is day 3 of this new exploration of self and patience and culture and understanding. While it is a new undertaking, I find myself reflecting on the journey before the journey, the weeks and days leading to this event....

If you would have asked me 3 months ago what I thought it would be like it would not have registered or even felt real, but as the time neared I cycled between feeling the weight of the dream with the neutrality of the goal. Despite the miles and distance I am me and I am navigating this new terrain in perfect 'Sophie' fashion with conservative reservation and analytical evaluation, but with an open heart, mind and spirit that lacks the anxiety and stress that once plagued the very thought of this plan (more on this later ...).

While it has only been 3 days, it feels like 3 weeks and I am physically and mentally exhausted and adjusting to a new period of dependence and reliance to a new culture, language and lifestyle. Despite this, the concept of time does not seem as significant as it once did over 2 years ago when I began to imagine embarking on this path. Gone (hopefully) are the days of worried wonder and hurried process!

Fast forward to 6 months ago, during a time of abandoned expectation. Who would have thought that the release of expectation and ownership could have opened the door to not mine but God’s plan…. That the absence of definition and strict organization and an acceptance of uncertainty and faith in time and process could have lead to a sense of calmed reverence. It is amazing how by letting go you gain more than can be imagined or hoped for!

And now … I am beginning a new adventure … a new journey … another chapter … an experience I hope will be filled with limitless opportunity, wonder, wisdom, hope, faith and fearlessness!!!