March 2016: Tiny Victories
March has come and gone in the blink of an eye. But I’m still (impatiently) waiting for warmer weather. The rain is getting me down and my terrible umbrella is only making it worse. Today, the top part disconnected from the already-broken handle. I’d never seen it happen before and hope to never experience it again… ugh.
Now onto the positives!
Our First European Jaunt
During the first weekend of March, we jetted off to Rome. We walked around the ancient city until our feet practically fell off. To make up for it, we devoured as many delicious things as we could - pasta, suppli, gelato, pizza and more. Unforgettable sites included the Colosseum, the Sistine Chapel and views from the Borghese Villa. Because there is so much more to say about Rome, I’ll save the details of our stay for a future post!
Homemade Carnitas
When we were craving Mexican a few weeks ago, we bought an épaule de porc from the butcher at Marché Bastille, lugged it home and got to work. It took almost all of Sunday to cook, but it was so worth it. If you add a little cilantro and onion, it really hits the spot.
French: 8 Hours Per Week
I start each day (except Wednesdays) with two hours of French. I’m learning a lot but my brain hasn’t transformed the input into conversations just yet. It tends to go a bit blank when people talk to me, even when I understand what they're saying. For now, I’m slow, but I think repetition and continuous exposure will help. I have also decided that Steve and I need to practice at home even more; we’ll both benefit.
My Test - those scribbles got me into level a2.
Playing Host
Our friend came to stay with us for a weekend at the tail end of a big trip; he went on a trek in Nepal, spent four days in London,and, finally, joined us in Paris. We were quite excited to have a friend to show around Paris. Lucky for us, he was eager to relax and not to cram too much sightseeing into the weekend. We were able to show him how we live along with a few more exciting things. Some highlights include visiting Marché Bastille, touring a few bars on Friday night and picnicking on Champs des Mars.
I hope everyone had a lovely March! As for me, I’m looking forward to a brand new umbrella and warmer, sunshine-y days that April will bring. Hopefully, this time, the sunshine is for real...
Do you have any victories to brag about this month?
xo,
Whitney
