paris

That’s a wrap

~ MaryG ~ 19 Comments
Daily writing prompt
What’s a moment in your life that felt like it was straight out of a movie?
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I remember walking around in the airport in Paris—Charles De Gaulle—in December 1985. I was waiting for my flight back to Boston after my semester abroad in Rome. I was listening to my Sony Walkman, which had the songs that had been the soundtrack for the entire semester—Take on Me by A-Ha, Money for Nothing by Dire Straits, 99 Luftballons by the German band Nena.

I was hungover. I was sad. It was the end. Back to America. I knew it was going to be culture shock. So many things had happened that semester—some good, some bad—but all of it was new and exciting. I had traveled through Europe with friends, had a fling with a fellow student who was studying in France, been semi-stalked by an Italian guy, smoked hash and saw Sting perform live, been chased down the street by a very angry nun who was mad I’d let my friend use my roommate’s bed in the convent, been subjected to my first public masturbator (aka “The Jerk”), ordered entire meals in Italian, been awakened on a train by a French security guard who didn’t like my friend’s Filipino passport, got all my clothes destroyed by an Italian laundromat, and seen the most magnificent art and wonders of western civilization from the Mona Lisa to the Colosseum to Pompeii to the Vatican.

Walking through that airport felt like the last scene in a movie—a very 80s movie.

Here I am in Rome in 1985 with my short 80s hair and my friend Scott who was in my program with me. Scott was my close friend Carla’s boyfriend, but she was studying in cold old England for some reason. Girl Code obviously eliminated any chance of a fling with Scott, but he was so cute, right? Look at those legs.

Perspective shift

~ MaryG ~ 9 Comments

OK, I’m starting to sense a certain outlook change now that I’m 60.

I’m sure there are lots of people out there that start wonderful new adventures at age 60, but I think, for most of us, that feeling that the path is wide open is over. That “open road” feeling you had in your 20s, 30s & 40s—that life could still potentially take you anywhere—has passed.

If you haven’t already done it, you’re probably never going to:

—move to Paris

—became a famous musician

—join the Peace Corps

—become a doctor

—become so rich you never have to worry about money

—move to the other coast

—buy an RV and travel the country (actually, I think some people DO do that in their 60s)

—leave your spouse and run off with an old flame

—have children

—learn to cook

—get a graduate degree

—make the Olympic team

I’m not saying these things can’t happen in your sixties, but they usually don’t. Those big forks in the road are in the rearview mirror and your focus shifts to the twenty good years or so that you hopefully have left. Sadly, too many people are consumed by health and money worries in their 60s, but if you’re lucky enough to not have to worry about basic needs, you may want to return to fulfilling creative pursuits like painting or writing, or focusing on being fully present with family and friends, or traveling to your bucket list destinations.

The dreams are different now. And there are fewer of them.

My high school senior graduating class in 1983—when anything was possible

Pop quiz

~ MaryG ~ 18 Comments

Do you have a favorite place you have visited? Where is it?

A year ago this week we were wrapping up a bucket list trip to Paris. I loved it and posted many times about it, with lots of photos.

Below are four iconic works of art we saw there.

Just for fun:

Can you name the artist or title of each work without the help of Google or ChatGPT?

If you took Art History 101 and 102, you really should get 100%. If you weren’t a scarf-wearing liberal arts major in the 80s (like me), I think you should still be able to get a 50 or 75.

Good luck.

Artwork 1
Artwork 2
Artwork 3
Artwork 4

Paris

~ MaryG ~ 10 Comments
Daily writing prompt
If you won two free plane tickets, where would you go?
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I’m excited—and nervous—for the Olympics Opening Ceremony today at 1:30pm (EST).

They were very busy getting ready when we were there in December.

They are planning the first ever outdoor ceremony. The 7,000+ athletes are going to parade in on boats floating down the Seine. I can’t even imagine the logistics involved in planning something like that in a city as old and iconic as Paris. From the weather to security, there are so many things that could go wrong. And I’ve just read that there has been a malicious arson attack on several railway lines there. I hope all the performers are still able to get to their spots.

But if they can pull it off, I think it’s going to be next-level!

Godspeed Paris. The world is with you. 🤞🏼🇫🇷 🌎

Paris selfie, December 2023
(I’d use those two free plane tickets to go back in slightly warmer weather.)

Experiences over stuff

~ MaryG ~ 11 Comments
Daily writing prompt
Write about your approach to budgeting.
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Budgeting is hard. In the old days, when we first bought a house and got a mortgage, there was no extra money at all. We already had one child. My husband got a second job delivering newspapers at the crack of dawn to make ends meet. When we moved again, we had two kids and the expenses were even higher, so I went back to work. In the old days, when we felt like we were low on money, the solution was always to work more.

Now that we’re empty nesters, I am able to budget for optional stuff like travel. Typically, I make a list of expenses on the notepad in my iPhone. I plan for the big stuff (airfare, hotel, car rental), book it (so I know what it’ll really cost), and then determine how much I feel comfortable spending on other stuff (dinners, excursions, etc). Now that I’m older, I’m prioritizing experiences over stuff.

For example, when we went to Paris, we had dinner IN the Eiffel Tower. It was very expensive, but it was amazing! It was such a special setting and the food was delicious. We sat next to some Germans and a young American couple from the Bronx who were clearly splurging too. We had a lot of fun chatting with them and it was surreal to be eating in the actual Eiffel Tower. I could’ve purchased a nice French designer bag for the same price, but this was so much better.

Now, when I watch the Paris Olympics this summer, I’ll be thinking of that night whenever they show the Eiffel Tower.

We got lucky. Our table was right next to the windows. And yes, of course we sprung for the €25 souvenir photo.

Related post:

Bucket List Progress: PARIS

Hot air balloon flight

Museum controversy

~ MaryG ~ 3 Comments

List five things you do for fun.

I’m trying to think of how to not post a completely boring answer to this prompt, but I’ve got nothing. So here’s my boring, honest answer:

Go to movies

Sing in a choir

Blog

Read

Go to museums

I do have a museum story for you. When we were visiting the Greek Antiquities section in the Louvre in December, I saw a group of French school children (around age 8) gathered around a sculpture, listening intently to their teacher. From where I was standing, I could only see the back of the sculpture — a reclining woman.

What was so interesting about this sculpture? I mean, she has a lovely bum, but why the looks of amazement?

Then I walked around to the front.

“Hermaphrodite Endormi” (Sleeping hermaphrodite)

Oh, OK, now I get it.

I couldn’t help but think of the contrast with the US where a Florida principal got fired for allowing 12-year olds to be shown a photo of Michelangelo’s “David.” Parents said the quintessential Renaissance masterpiece was pornographic.

Be Inspiring. Be Likable. (And more Paris pics)

~ MaryG ~ 5 Comments

Bloganuary writing prompt
What makes a good leader?
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In my experience, one key to leadership is being able to inspire people. You’ve got to: a) have a vision; and b) be able to communicate your vision in a way that makes others want to get behind it. This does not necessarily mean that your vision is a “good” or moral one. Massive numbers of people have gotten behind leaders with sickening visions. Hitler is the most obvious example, but Trump is another one. He’s literally running on revenge and lies.

I learned a lot about two of the most famous leaders of France on my trip to Paris in December—Louis XIV and Napoleon I. 

Louis XIV, a.k.a. the “Sun King” because the nation revolved around him, reigned for a loooong time (1643-1715). He loved his mother and the arts and had a great personality. Allegedly, he made everyone feel comfortable when speaking with him. He managed to move the entire French government out of Paris to his favorite sleepy suburb—Versailles. People liked the guy!

One of many portraits of the Sun King in the Palace of Versailles. Don’t you just want to hang with him? I wonder if he loaned out his cool shoes.
The “Gallery of Battles” in Versailles—a modest little wing of Louis’ house.

Napoleon, as you may have heard, was good at war. Eventually, he got cocky and went too far, but still, the French took him back. It was said that having Napoleon on the battlefield to rally the troops was equivalent to having 10,000 additional men. Clearly, he had something good going on personality-wise. Even now, he looms large in French life. A French couple asked me to take their photo, with his tomb, when I was in Paris.

Napoleon’s tomb in its grand setting: Les Invalides cathedral
The dome above Napoleon’s tomb

Whatever it was, the 2023 film “Napoleon” starring Joaquin Phoenix completely missed it. Boy, was it bad! I hope the Oscar nominators agree. (Check out Dan’s predictions here.) As my husband said when we left Les Invalides, “The guy that Joaquin Phoenix played in the film did not deserve that tomb.” He was wasn’t the least bit inspiring – or likable. For a laugh, check out what the French had to say about the film here.

A portrait of Napoleon as Emperor that hangs in Versailles

LOL

~ MaryG ~ 1 Comment
Daily writing prompt
When are you most happy?
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Wow, tough prompt. There are different kinds of happiness. There’s contentment, relief, satisfaction, pure joy, thrill, etc. I was relieved when I woke up in my warm bed this morning and realized again (re-realized?) that someone I truly dislike is out of my life forever. Ahhhhh.

I’m content sitting here looking at my beautiful December delivery from BloomsyBox.com. I’ll be satisfied when we finish our Christmas puzzle, but – horror or horrors – it appears that a piece may have disappeared into the vaccum cleaner. Lifting up my voice with others in song is pure joy, especially when I feel like our choir is really nailing it and the congregation responds. Travel can be thrilling. My very first glimpse of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris from the taxi on the way to the hotel was a thrill. There it was – the real thing.

My first glimpse of the Arc de Triomphe from a Paris taxi was a thrill. Now that I look at photo, I’m remembering our driver was named Clovis and was French-Haitian. He had some interesting objects hanging from his rear view mirror.

But there’s nothing quite like laughter – tears in your eyes laughter – to really make you feel happy. Here’s where I admit that I enjoy smoking weed, always have. I have so many great memories of smoking a joint and giggling with my dear departed friend Carla. Looking into her big beautiful eyes and just cracking up about something. I’m not saying I need weed to laugh helplessly, but it does tend to have that effect on me. Most recently, I smoked (well, vaped) and watched a really funny Netflix stand-up comedy special by Pete Holmes (whom I’d never heard of before) and laughed out loud. White, straight, male stand-up comedians can go either way for me – I either hate them or I love them. Holmes has a modern, silly, interesting male perspective and goes a bit deep on things like God and atheism. Plus, he’s got some absolutley hysterical GenX bits, including one about the old “See and Say” toy we all had. Check it out. High or not. Hopefully, you’ll LOL like I did.