Okay -- so it's not your average Throwback Thursday post. Instead of reminiscing about the mid-90s, I'm throwing it back to 2013 and sharing with you some of my favorite snapshots of Montpellier.
Friday, February 6, 2015
Throwback Thursday: Snapshots from Montpellier
Thursday, February 5.
Okay -- so it's not your average Throwback Thursday post. Instead of reminiscing about the mid-90s, I'm throwing it back to 2013 and sharing with you some of my favorite snapshots of Montpellier.
Okay -- so it's not your average Throwback Thursday post. Instead of reminiscing about the mid-90s, I'm throwing it back to 2013 and sharing with you some of my favorite snapshots of Montpellier.
Thursday, January 1, 2015
2014: A Year in Review
Thursday, January 1.
Happy New Year! Or, as they say in France, bonne annee! I'm going to take a quick look back on some of the wonderful moments of 2014 ... but first, a toast.
I just love this snippet from An Affair to Remember -- "Don't you think life should be gay and bright and bubbly, like champagne?" Isn't it just the most appropriate New Year's quote? And speaking of champagne, let's get started on the highlights of 2014.
While interning with WM Admissions, I was asked to write about my highlights of 2013. It took a lot of work to pick the best moments of my year, but the result was this post for WMBlogs. In February 2014, I wrote: "However, the best part of 2013 is that despite how exciting and rewarding it’s been, it’s given me even more to look forward to in the year to come. From the opportunity to return to France to do research this summer, to the chance to work in the Admission Office as an intern, to the amazingly exciting fact that I’m going to be an aunt in a few short weeks, I can already tell that, as great as 2013 may have been, 2014 is going to be even better!"
I don't want to brag, but boy was I right! 2014 has been one for the books: a truly incredible and memorable year.
Chief among this year's highlights? FRANCE, PART TWO. When I headed off to Montpellier in August 2013, I had absolutely no idea that I would be returning to France within the year! Receiving the McCormack-Reboussin Scholarship gave me the opportunity to spend six weeks doing independent research for my upcoming Honors thesis. (More on that can of worms later.) It was an incredible -- though occasionally solitary and surprisingly exhausting -- experience. I could have thought of no better way to pass the summer!
Of course, this year wasn't all about travel! In fact, compared to 2013 -- during which I spent time beboppin' around in the countries of St. Maarten, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and Germany -- 2014 was actually pretty tame. But my adventures stateside were just as memorable. Here are a couple of the 'domestic' highlights!
Highlight: The Bloxam Family Expands. The biggest event of 2014 this side of the Atlantic was, hands down, the highly anticipated arrival of the first member of the new Bloxam family generation. I was so blessed to be able to travel to Los Angeles in March to meet this little angel -- it was the best spring break a girl could ask for! Although she's been pretty far away from us since then, I could not have been happier that 2014 also brought my sister and brother-in-law's back to the East Coast. I got to spend time with them a few weeks ago and fell in love with my beautiful niece all over again.
Highlight: Getting More Involved in College Extra-Curriculars. I'm all too aware that 2014 marks my last full year at William & Mary. Although I'm mentally preparing myself to graduate from college and leave Williamsburg in the coming year, I've decided to make the most of the time I have left at the College. After coming back from a semester abroad
Highlight: Starting Senior Year at William & Mary! But at the end of the day, the most important part of being a college student is just that -- being a college student. From taking some of my final classes as an undergraduate to presenting my in-progress honors thesis research, to being elected to Phi Beta Kappa, it's been an amazing academic semester.
Feeling nostalgic? Here are some of the great moments we've shared together during the past year. (And of course, don't forget that if you're looking for a REALLY old throwback, you can check out the "Throwback Thursday" tag to see some hilariously old photos of family trips to Paris, Normandy, and more!)
Happy New Year! Or, as they say in France, bonne annee! I'm going to take a quick look back on some of the wonderful moments of 2014 ... but first, a toast.
I just love this snippet from An Affair to Remember -- "Don't you think life should be gay and bright and bubbly, like champagne?" Isn't it just the most appropriate New Year's quote? And speaking of champagne, let's get started on the highlights of 2014.
While interning with WM Admissions, I was asked to write about my highlights of 2013. It took a lot of work to pick the best moments of my year, but the result was this post for WMBlogs. In February 2014, I wrote: "However, the best part of 2013 is that despite how exciting and rewarding it’s been, it’s given me even more to look forward to in the year to come. From the opportunity to return to France to do research this summer, to the chance to work in the Admission Office as an intern, to the amazingly exciting fact that I’m going to be an aunt in a few short weeks, I can already tell that, as great as 2013 may have been, 2014 is going to be even better!"
I don't want to brag, but boy was I right! 2014 has been one for the books: a truly incredible and memorable year.
Chief among this year's highlights? FRANCE, PART TWO. When I headed off to Montpellier in August 2013, I had absolutely no idea that I would be returning to France within the year! Receiving the McCormack-Reboussin Scholarship gave me the opportunity to spend six weeks doing independent research for my upcoming Honors thesis. (More on that can of worms later.) It was an incredible -- though occasionally solitary and surprisingly exhausting -- experience. I could have thought of no better way to pass the summer!
Of course, this year wasn't all about travel! In fact, compared to 2013 -- during which I spent time beboppin' around in the countries of St. Maarten, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and Germany -- 2014 was actually pretty tame. But my adventures stateside were just as memorable. Here are a couple of the 'domestic' highlights!
Highlight: The Bloxam Family Expands. The biggest event of 2014 this side of the Atlantic was, hands down, the highly anticipated arrival of the first member of the new Bloxam family generation. I was so blessed to be able to travel to Los Angeles in March to meet this little angel -- it was the best spring break a girl could ask for! Although she's been pretty far away from us since then, I could not have been happier that 2014 also brought my sister and brother-in-law's back to the East Coast. I got to spend time with them a few weeks ago and fell in love with my beautiful niece all over again.
Highlight: New Sisters in Kappa Delta. As you can see in the photos below, "family" can be more than just biological relatives. Joining Kappa Delta during the fall of my sophomore year was one of the best decisions I've made at William & Mary. My sorority sisters aren't just my friends: they're also some of the most inspiring and supportive role models I could ask for! During 2014, I enjoyed coming back to our weekly meetings and even took on a few more roles in the chapter. Four seniors graduated from our family in the spring, but we gained four new friendly faces in October!!
Highlight: Getting More Involved in College Extra-Curriculars. I'm all too aware that 2014 marks my last full year at William & Mary. Although I'm mentally preparing myself to graduate from college and leave Williamsburg in the coming year, I've decided to make the most of the time I have left at the College. After coming back from a semester abroad
Feeling nostalgic? Here are some of the great moments we've shared together during the past year. (And of course, don't forget that if you're looking for a REALLY old throwback, you can check out the "Throwback Thursday" tag to see some hilariously old photos of family trips to Paris, Normandy, and more!)
- An update from January 2014 about settling back into life at William & Mary
- "Decoding AirBNB's Paris Locations" --- my hints for understanding those confusing apartment rental advertisements and finding the perfect AirBNB location in Paris!
- An update from May 2014 about the end of my junior year
- "So Why are You Going to France Again?" --- a quick explanation of the where/why/how of my Summer 2014 trip to France!
- My museum tour of Struthof, one of the most striking sites I had the opportunity to visit
- "Elisabeth in Monet's Garden" --- photos and anecdotes from a magical afternoon in Giverny, France, where I hadn't been since the 1990s!
But New Year's isn't about looking back ... it's about looking FORWARD. And 2015 is sure to be just as so much more unexpected and crazy and wonderful as 2014.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Throwback Thursday: Paris, 1997
Thursday, July 24.
Now that I'm back stateside, I've been having a blast going through old photo albums and comparing our 90s-era pictures of the places I've just come back from visiting. I started scanning them all into the computer and am enjoying sharing all the pictures with friends and, now, blog readers. Remember, you can find all these "Throwback Thursday" posts on the blog!
Here are some snapshots from a family trip to Paris, circa 1997. (If you want to figure out the exact date, you can do a little math ... the numbers on the Eiffel Tower in the photo below are a countdown to the Millenium.)
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894 days before January 1, 2000..?
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Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Oh, the Opéra!
Mercredi, le 16 juillet.
On our last full day in Paris (cue tears), Lynn and I met up and decided to check a few things off our city bucket lists. First up was a trip to the iconic Palais Garnier! I've been dying to visit this building since the last time I was in Paris and finally got around to it.
A beautiful and historic building in its own right, the opera house is definitely best-known for its role in the famous novel (and later musical), The Phantom of the Opera. (But we'll come back to that.) The Palais Garnier was constructed in the late 19th century by order of Emperor Napoleon III. It has been known by many names since its construction, but its current title pays homage to its architect, Charles Garnier, whose design was chosen in a contest. It's been called the most famous opera house in the world, although -- if we're being precise -- the Paris Opera has actually moved in recent years to a more modern (though sadly less opulent) building, the Opéra Bastille.
On our last full day in Paris (cue tears), Lynn and I met up and decided to check a few things off our city bucket lists. First up was a trip to the iconic Palais Garnier! I've been dying to visit this building since the last time I was in Paris and finally got around to it.
A beautiful and historic building in its own right, the opera house is definitely best-known for its role in the famous novel (and later musical), The Phantom of the Opera. (But we'll come back to that.) The Palais Garnier was constructed in the late 19th century by order of Emperor Napoleon III. It has been known by many names since its construction, but its current title pays homage to its architect, Charles Garnier, whose design was chosen in a contest. It's been called the most famous opera house in the world, although -- if we're being precise -- the Paris Opera has actually moved in recent years to a more modern (though sadly less opulent) building, the Opéra Bastille.
It took the work of seventy-three sculptors to construct the main façade of the Opéra Garnier. The building is topped by two massive (25-foot tall) gilded sculptures, representing l'harmonie and la poésie, or harmony and poetry. Towards the bottom of the building, sculptures flanking the left and right entranceways represent poetry, instrumental music, dance, and lyric drama. La Danse was particularly controversial because of its sensual nature ... Parisians smashed ink bottles on the sculpture in protest! (Proving that even in the 1800s, nobody protested with as much originality as the French.) The original statue by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux is now displayed in the Musée d'Orsay; all visitors today see is a facsimile.
If you're interested, this great image labels all the stone figures that grace the building's main façade, including the busts of famous composers that appear above the mezzanine. (Thanks, Wikipedia!) You can also click here to learn more about the building's famous sculpture groups.
The outside of the Palais, though stunning, is nothing compared to its opulent interior, which has been restored in recent years to its original appearance. Are you ready for this?!
Above, you can see our view of the avant foyer, famous for its magnificent staircase. However, the true showstopper is the building's Grand Foyer, where opera guests used to mingle before performances. It is a stunning 154 meters in length and lined with mirrors that would have reflected the latest Parisian fashions.
Read more about the Grand Foyer and the building's other rooms here, on the official website.
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
The First and Best "Quatorze Juillet"
Mardi, 15 juillet.
Bonjour and Happy Bastille Day!
Bastille Day -- or le quatorze juillet as it is commonly referred to in France -- has been celebrated annually in France since the 1880s. It commemorates the storming of the Bastille fortress by the French people in 1789, an event that kicked off the French Revolution. Although le jour national is celebrated all over France (and in countries with French ties worldwide), the biggest and best celebrations happen, of course, in Paris.
After a day of parades and special events, the day concludes with a fireworks display at the Tour Eiffel. This year, the celebrations kicked off around 9:30 with a live concert.
Bonjour and Happy Bastille Day!
After a day of parades and special events, the day concludes with a fireworks display at the Tour Eiffel. This year, the celebrations kicked off around 9:30 with a live concert.
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