Au revoir, Paris!

Lame...I don't know why my blog is acting weird. anyway... I'm sad to leave Paris. Weather has been fabulous, time here has been leisurely, food great...sigh. Exciting times are ahead, though! Next stop: Italy!! DAY 6 in Paris: We totally did the museums out of order, but I wanted to do the ones that mattered to me most. I'm most attracted to modern art, so we made the trek to Centre Pompidou. At the top of this funky building, I believe, is the absolute best view of Paris. It was overwhelmingly gorgeous. To our far left was the Eiffel Tower from a distance. In the center was Notre Dame...to the far far far right on the top of the hill was Sacré Cœur. It was really cool to see how much we were able to cover in 6 days...and even more exciting to know we have MORE to cover when we come back! We did so much while we've been here and we haven't even scratched the surface! Pompidou was amazing...from Picasso to Pollock to Warhol and more...man, they were crazy. The Louvre was our last museum for this trip. I was really nervous about this one and had always avoided it in the past because I've heard it was nothing but chaos...and it is. I'm happy we went, but it was my least favorite because there were too many people distracting me from being able to truly appreciate everything. Like the Mona Lisa...that was the craziest push and shove and elbowing!!! And I swear someone tried to pickpocket me in the crowd to see her, but I elbowed him in the stomach. :-P. We did see amazing work...From da Vinci to Michelangelo to Delacroix...ohmiwow...My artsy friends are going to hate our pictures because we were goofing with the artwork the entire time. (Richie and I aren't cultured like that. We faux pick the nose of statues. :-P) I have new appreciation for Frenchfare food. When I thought French food I used to think fois gras, liver pâté, escargot, dainty portions. It's still fois gras, liver pâté and escargot, but NOW I am reminded that it's rich filled crepes (savory and sweet), croissants, baguettes, fromage, tartare, creme brûlée, eclairs, pommes frites, and crazy LARGE-ass portions!! We've been so gluttonous, but we've been walking miles and miles everyday, so I don't feel so bad. There's this bridge people walk on to lock a special lock and toss the key into the Seine River. They write their names on it and it symbolizes that the love of those who locked the lock will last forever. We bought a lock, wrote our names on it and locked it by the 10th post. Lol, we recorded it...it's pretty deng funny because I couldn't lock it for the longest time! Anyhoo, I should probably start saying goodbye to Paris and start packing. :-( sad day! I hope Rome is good to us. I'm excited to see the Vatican again. Yay for more firsts with my hubbers!

Bonsoir from Paris!

Richie and I are currently in Paris and having a fabulous time. :-) It truly is a city of romance, relaxation, rich in culture, high fashion, and great food! Tomorrow is our last day and then we head off to Rome. I hope it will be as enjoyable there as it has been for us here. Paris' weather has been perfect, which has played a BIG role in our stay here. DAY 1 (Saturday, June 30, 2012) It was definitely a rough start to our trip. We arrived at 6:30AM with over 24 hours of no sleep and nonstop travel. We were exhausted, but we had to stay awake and take advantage of our first day in the city to adjust to the time difference. We arrived at our hotel, (Hotel Waldorf-Trocadero) over five hours ahead of check-in, so we were stuck waiting around in the lobby, but that was fine because we met some of the guests and swapped ideas for our stay here. --The hotel is a PERFECT location...less than 10 minutes away walking distance from the most *gorgeous* view of the Eiffel Tower, 15-20 minutes from the Arc de Triomphe, less than 5 minutes from the metro, across the street from a great boulangerie...sigh...we lucked out in location. We met up with our friends Hazel and Cameron for lunch and took a bunch of photos in front of the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe. Later that evening we all met up with my friend Sidsel for dinner and to stop by the Louis Vuitton shop on the Champs-Élysées (not the original store, but the 2nd oldest in history!) Great group to travel with, yay friends! :-) DAY 2: Sidsel, Richie and I went to mass at the Notre Dame! Nope, didn't see Quasimodo, but the Gregorian Chant mass was a blessing in itself, totally set the positive vibes for our trip. We did a fun photo-op around the gardens of Notre Dame, grabbed yummy crepes from a street vendor, grabbed sandwiches and baguettes and ate them at Jardin du Luxemborg, where children rent little boats and poke them with sticks to make them move in their giant fountain. Then we had a little snack of fromage and wine...very Parisian. ;-) lol...then!!! EUROCUP FINALS MADNESS!!! True, it was Italy versus Spain, but that didn't stop the French from going crrrrazy over it! We briefly went to the Trocadero to join in the madness, but it was above and beyond insane...everyone trying to peer at the live feed they were showing on a projector screen in front of the Eiffel Tower...we decided to head out and find a bar to watch futbol, but no such luck. Every restaurant and bar was overflowed with people. So we ended up getting pizza and watching the game from the hotel room. Spain kicked Italy's butt! DAY 3 (Monday July 2nd) Sidsel, Richie, and I spent a gorgeous morning at the Jardin des Tuileries, the garden surrounding the amazing museums such as the Louvre, Orsay...etc. Then...VERSAILLES! Well, before that: CHRISTIAN LOUBUTIN!!! Lol...I just had to. Sidsel, Richie and I went to the very first Christian Loubutin boutique just in time before the line started to form outside. NO, I didn't buy anything, but I did try on a fabulous pair of $1200+ pair of shoes! The palace in Versailles isn't open on Mondays, but their garden takes a day in itself to walk through, and even then we didn't get to view everything! It sure was worth it, though. It's such an easy day-trip away from the city, and it was so peaceful easy to appreciate because none of the tourists were there, it was alllll ours to indulge in! (btw, we had sushi here. France makes awesome sushi!) At the end of the day we all had to part ways and say our goodbyes. :-(. Hazel and Cam headed off to Euro-Disney for the 20th anniversary of their park, and Sidsel had to go back to Denmark. --She and I ALWAYS cry when we part ways because we never know when we're going to see each other again because of the distance! But we've been blessed to see each other a lot in these past 4 years, so hopefully we'll have the opportunity again soon. Day 4: Our first day in Paris without our friends, we survived! We ventured out to see the Sacré Cœur, I went to confession with a French priest who didn't understand what I was saying, but anyway! Lol...the view from the Sacré Cœur is breathtaking...definitely worth taking the million flights of stairs to the top (420+ feet to be more exact.) Then we walked through Montemartre...then took the train back to Notre Dame where we waited for our romantic dinner boat tour through the Seine River. While we ate poisson and such, we cruised through to see... 1: Notre-Dame 2: Ile Saint-Louis 3: Conciergerie 4: Pont neuf 5: Passerelle des Arts 6: Musée du Louvre 7: Musée d'Orsay 8: Assemblée Nationale/Concorde 9: Pont Alexandre III 10: Pont de l'Alma 11: Musée Branly 12: Tour Eiffel ...whew! Can you imagine we had time for more?! Once the boat tour was over, we booked it back to the Trocadero to view the Eiffel Tower sparkle its evening lights. Cheesy romance at its best. ;-) Day 5: Museums museums museums. 1: Musée des Arts Decoratifs (History of Louis Vuitton - Marc Jacobs, Babar, Madeleine, Absinthe...etc) 2: Musée d'Orsay (Manet, Degas, Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh and more!!) 3: Musée de l'Orangerie (Monet's Water Lilies...sigh...BREATHTAKING...Renoir, Rousseau, Picasso...etc...whew!) Then...Café Angelina! I swear to you, the richest hot chocolate milk I have EVER tasted in my entire life! If we were to head back to the states now, I would have bought a bulk, but we're headed to Rome soon, so it would have been a challenge. But wow...worth the trip! And their pastries, ohmywow! On our way home we ran into a family from the Philippines who was COMPLETELY lost...thanks to Sidsel, Richie was able to help them find their way to the Arc de Triomphe. Lol they thought we were from Paris. Funny times! Tomorrow: the LOUVRE! About to do my research tonight so that I can indulge in tomorrow. :-)

Hello, 2012!

Over a year later...goodness.

I used to be so good at updating these... internet journals used to be such a healthy outlet for me with no shame or worry, but then as I got older and the number of readers began to grow I had to filter more and more until all my thoughts and feelings became code...until there was no point. My stress-reliever became too stressful because I had to be mindful of those around me, which is life. Nevertheless, here I am wanting to type away and update...mainly for my own sake to jot down memories.

For one...I'm a married woman now. :-) I am no longer a De Leon...rather, Tirol has been completely nixed from my name. I am Mrs. Maria Christina De Leon Bernal.

Richie and I got married on October 1, 2011. It was the most beautiful and traditionally chaotic wedding. I will always and forever remember that day for what it was...near complete perfection. It isn't until days, weeks, MONTHS later that you hear of these little aesthetic things that went awry, but I know now that on the day of, if you're surrounded by the right people, they hide and protect you from any silly logistical mishaps so you're completely *in* the moment. And because of them, I totally was...and I'm thankful. :-)

Months fly fast...I should have learned something from all that preparation, and most importantly our wedding day. I kept reminding myself that the prep and the actual day WILL go by fast, so I forced myself to mentally slow down, enjoy, and indulge in all that was going on so that I could appreciate and value every moment, and I did! But for some reason that advice and discipline went out the door once we came back from our honeymoon because we immediately were thrown back into our normal lives. Work came at us at full force, we've been so busy with this and that...all of a sudden it's been 5 months. Time does *not* slow down for you. You have to grab hold and embrace what you can as it passes by you. It took me a while, but I know that now. We know of a couple who has had a literally blissful 25+ years of marriage, sharing with us that their "honeymoon phase" has yet to fizzle...and I believe every word simply because their love exudes effortlessly out of them as individuals, -it can be nothing but the truth! Richie and I say to one another that we aspire to have a marriage like their's...they're such great role models. :-)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
In other news...

The Lord has been speaking to me and has been pressing to get my attention. I have no doubt He's been calling, but I have been having such a hard time trying to understand His message. He's been talking and showing Himself to me, but it's been like a puzzle...and my head and heart have been so cloudy I can't put the pieces together.

...I feel so damaged and scarred that there's this wall keeping me from finding true clarity in the message He's been wanting me to receive. (Yes, I refuse to deny the hardships, Lord knows there were many to get to where Richie and I are today)...I haven't willingly allowed myself to let go and let God...

I am aware of the abundant blessings and I am thankful to no end, but I refuse to lie and deny...I am still damaged. But He's been speaking to me now more than ever and there's always a reason for God's time...

-I went to confession today. It was the speediest impromptu confession I ever had...it was during my work day in between classes and I felt pressed to spill it all out in a list before my next class arrived, I didn't have time to reflect or relieve! It was the most unsettling and unnerving confession. ---Fr. Peter told me to read Luke Chapter 15...I'll get on that straight away before I sleep tonight. I may not get my answers right away because it's more of my impatience, I need to continue to work on His time and just...open my eyes, ears, and heart...pray for clarity and the strength to do whatever He wills.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

And that's that. We're already in Month 3 of 2012...sigh...see you in another year, Blogger readers! :-\ Hopefully sooner rather than later. ;-)