30 DC: Day 13 (A love affair) AND my 200th post!

Sorry for the delay!!!  Today's 30 day challenge post ties in with a post I was already going to write.  I also purposely decided to wait to post it since this post ALSO marks my 200th post on the blog.  Woo!  It's interesting to think about all the changes that have happened over 200 blog posts!  Anyway, today's topic is "A place you would like to move or visit."  Today I'll tell you a bit more about my love affair... with Provence.

If you read my blog regularly (or have talked to me ever), you'll know that I spent this year (and my previous study abroad experience) in Avignon, France, in the western part of what is known as Provence, or, more specifically the 'région Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur' (PACA) because it includes Provence in the west, the French Riviera (Côte d'Azur) in the east, and the beginning of the Alpes in the north.

If you're one of the people I'm friends with on Facebook or even Twitter, you'll also note that I move home from France soon. As in, I fly out Tuesday night at 10pm EST from Marseille (6am CET).  So, not only is this post a nice chance to mark the journey I've had this year and since I started the blog, but it's kind of an interesting precipice to be on as I'm closing this chapter.  I know the next 200 posts will be full of surprises too.

Anyway, on to the challenge.  I'm leaving Provence this week, but after spending so much time here it will always have a piece of my heart.  If I could bring Jon with me (and buy a car once I got here), I really could see myself being happy living here.  This region's got it all: mountains, fields, beaches, rivers, cities... You name it.  Oh and yummy food.  I'm going to talk more about this year in a few upcoming posts (and how I wrapped it up/crammed my life into three suitcases and a purse), but for now I just wanted to leave you with some of the photos I've taken this year that start to give a sense of how beautiful and varied this region is.  I am really thankful I was lucky enough to be able to spend nine months here and, in response to the challenge, I could definitely see myself moving here one day.  Retirement in the South of France, eh? eh?

Je t'aime, Provence.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Working on formulating my resolutions for 2011--I'll get those to you all soon. I'd better be good because I'm only taking these new Size 8 jeans back to France with me, so no weight gain is allowed!!!

On that note, I have to go finish these suitcases because I have a flight at 1pm to start the journey back to France!

À bientôt! :)

I'm still here.

Ack. It's been a busy week and a half ish. That said, I'm currently posting stateside after a delayed voyage from Paris in this airplane:


It's been an interesting past few days. Went to Athens (where I went to college) to see some old friends and professors and to see/get stuff back/give stuff to Jon, which was heartbreaking and yet really great to see him again. He was my person and I really miss(ed) him and talking to him. Not going to lie, talking to him on the phone for the first time since the break-up was like being punched in the gut or pummeled with a stack of bricks. Not the best feeling. Part of me wishes I didn't have to go back to France so we could maybe, possibly, somehow work things out, but I know even then the chances would be slim. Ulgh. Furthermore, I was really looking forward to spending the holidays with him and his family, so I'm really working hard to quell up some Christmas cheer.

On a positive note, my dad has a treadmill at his apartment complex, so I'm going to go run for the first time in what feels like eons. I'm a wimp, I know... :-/

Then... off to acquire last minute Christmas things. Mad dash.