everything's coming up roses...

Every few days, I send a friend from home an email. They're hardly short and take a good deal of time to write, so I never expect an immediate response. You know how much I ramble :). Sometimes my friends do reply right away though. And when I'm having a tough time, it means more than they'll ever know:

"You inspire me, have I ever told you that? You always make an effort to see, do, and connect as much as possible, wherever you are, and it inspires me to do the same. Keep on keepin' on, I'm thinking of you!"

This morning, I awoke craving scones. M and I decided to head over to Pigalle for brunch at Rose Bakery. Walking into this British-owned café and marveling at the baked goods, savory tarts, yogurt parfaits, mixed salads, and more behind the take-away counter... I was thrilled to come to the right place, again.

This was only my second visit, but I'd read all about it, of course. To begin, M and I had coffee and scones accompanied by butter and jam. After, while he opted for soft boiled eggs with toast, I chose a salmon-artichoke tart (with four crusty corners!) and the salade du jour. The crowd was international as expected.

We were both perfectly satisfied after slowly savoring our respective morning meals. I decided to buy an individual carrot cake to-go anyway. (Trust me, you should, too). And then, walking home, I realized how much of "an expat" I'm becoming. I like it, even with the hard days. Because like Anna said, it forces me to "make an effort to see, do, and connect as much as possible." Living life is fulfilling, huh? Mostly fun, too.

la maison du chou

Chou is French for cabbage, or sweetheart, or perfect, little cream puff. This afternoon, the lovely Lauren and I met at La Maison du Chou to each enjoy three: chou nature, chou au café, chou au chocolat. 

The occasion: my spring semester is finally complet. Woohoo! With three final papers and an exam, this has been an awfully stressful week. (Case in point). The academic marathon is not over yet though, oh no...

• May 22-25: Cultural Entrepreneurship, Gender and Leadership
• May 24-27: The Hive, European Blog Conference (in Berlin!)
• May 28-31: International Public Relations & Contemporary Media
• June 3-22: Cultural Diversity and Globalization - Goods & Actors

I'm actually missing the last two days of the "Cultural Diversity and Globalization" summer course to fly home to New York, watch my little sister graduate high school (!), and then see a best friend get married (!). And so, I may just sleep the entire month of July. Kidding, of course. That's when my internship fully begins :). Thank you, "Lou" for such a sweet break in the midst of this crazy schedule!