Française

Bonjour mes amis! 

When I was 13 years old (wow... four years ago), I got the wonderful opportunity to visit France for a month with my mom.  My mom's good friend is a professor who was heading up her college's student study abroad program for that whole school year.  So, we had a free place to stay is Strasbourg, France, during which time we traveled through Switzerland, walked the streets of Paris, swam in the Mediterranean Sea, biked into Germany, and hiked the mountains of Cinqa Terra, Italy.

Anyways, I wanted to share some of my favorite pictures.  Be warned, however... I am the skinny, brown-haired, braces-needy, fluffy haired girl in these pictures.  These were taken a LONG time ago.  :)

This was between Switzerland and France.

The next three pictures are of Strasbourg, France, located in Alsace, the territory long disputed between France and Germany.  My mom's friend's apartment was in Strasbourg, so we spent most of our time in this beautiful city. :)

 (me sitting by the canal in Strasbourg... notice the couple behind the stone fence on the other side :)

 (my absolute favorite building in the whole city!)

(beautiful, Strasbourg-German styled buildings)

The next four pictures are from Paris!!!  I loved Paris!!! I'd absolutely do anything to live there someday.

(me and my mom in front of the Tour d'Eiffel)

 (Notre Dame -- I loved that place.)

 (the Eiffel Tower at night!  It lights up too!)

(me at Versailles, the old royal French palace.)

(Sacre Coeur -- Sacred Heart)

And, as a side trip, my mom, Lori (my mom's friend) and I visited Cinqa Terra, Italy on the Mediterranean.  We hiked about 10 miles in 2 days up and down mountains, visited 5 little cities on foot, swam in the sea, eat seafood, pesto, petas, and cheese.  It was heavenly.  By the end, I was exhausted, and I remember being so tired that I also passed out trying to catch a train back to our little hotel. :)

(probably my favorite of the 5 cities or cinqa terras -- Vernazza)

I also did a painting of Vernazza, Italy.  The lighting on this picture is really bad, but here's my version.

It was one of the best experiences of my whole life.  And someday... someday... I'm going to go back. 

À plus tard!

Bonjour

Bonjour. Hola. Guten Tag. Ahoj. Hallo. Salve. Ciao.

Hello.

Right now, I would love to tell you that I am presently sitting at a beautifully carved oak desk, drinking a warm cup of tea and polishing my writing quill.  A roaring large fire casts moving shadows on the ornate wallpaper of the room, and out the window, thick snowflakes fall lazily onto the frozen earth.  A blue jay lands swiftly on an icy tree branch near the window, and as I sit in my large armchair, I gaze at the falling snow, dreaming and philosophizing about the future.  

However, this unfortunately is not the case.  Instead, I’m sitting at the computer desk in my living room, shivering because of the freezing temperature in my house (presently I’m wearing at least four layers of clothing), and staring at the blank white page on my computer screen.

Yet even though I’m not exactly where I want to be at the moment, I was still somehow able to get somewhere else.  I created an image.  I imagined. I dreamed. And I did it with words.

The meeting of minds.  It’s a powerful thing.  When people read the same words, their minds meet at a place of the author’s creation, a place you can only go if you’ve read those words.  Did you see the desk, the fireplace, the blue jay?  The cup of tea, the snowflakes, and the window?

Written words are not meant to be read quickly.  They’re not to be skimmed over and forgotten.  Words can say things which we will never be able to speak.  They share things with people we will never meet.  And they remind us of things that should never be forgotten.

Therefore, I’m writing this blog for mostly myself.  So many times I’ve been struck with a conviction, thought, or idea that I’ve wanted to write down and share.  So this blog is for that purpose. 

I wanted to start this blog with a simple greeting of hello.  Have you ever been around someone who knows who you are but won’t say anything, even a quick hello?  They ignore you, or at least they don’t get around to saying a simple “Hi there.”  It shouldn’t be that hard.  It’s just an acknowledgement of your existence. 

So I thought I’d start my blog the French way.  In France, people almost always greet one another, even perfect strangers, with a kiss on the cheek and a “Bonjour.”  It’s a common form of etiquette that is taken for granted.  It’s politeness and opens up conversation.  I know I even sometimes feel awkward about going up and talking or introducing myself to people.  But I’ve decided that needs to change.  So this is a reminder to me to say HELLO.  Bonjour.  (*ahem* …without the kiss =])

Bright Eyes is a nickname of mine that a special friend gave to me.  I had the option of several different nicknames, but Bright Eyes seemed to be my best option.  A few others included Dark eyes, Deer eyes, Horse eyes (ok, enough eyes people…), Tinkerbell, Sassy, Driftwood, Big ears, Ma’am.

My real name is Cassandra.  It means “Helper of Mankind” or “Deceiver of Mankind,” as my family constantly reminds me.  To know the whole history and meaning of my name, please read the account of Cassandra the Prophetess in the battle of Troy in the Iliad.  (For anyone else who knows this story, no comments please. =])

But the name I most prefer, and what most people call me, is Cassie.  And of course, Bright Eyes.

So I’m glad you’re here.  I’m glad you’re reading.  I’m glad we’ve met.  Bonjour.  I’m Bright Eyes.  

It is necessary to write, if the days are not to slip emptily by.  How else, indeed, to clap the net over the butterfly of the moment?  For the moment passes, it is forgotten; the mood is gone; life itself is gone.  That is where the writer scores over his fellows:  he catches the changes of his mind on the hop. 

~ Vita Sackville-West