Right Now.

Taken at the top of Gallerie Lafayette in Montparnasse, Paris, France

Reading: The Road by Cormac McCarthy. A pretty dark novel about a father and son desperate to survive in a post-apocalyptic, desolate world. Imagine The Day After Tomorrow meets I am Legend but much more real, as well as less Hollywood. My friend, Jack, recommended this book to me while I was searching for a good travel read. Sadly, I only have about 30 pages left until it's over and reading it slowly to cherish what little entertainment I have these days. I am considering finishing the book, Atlas Shrugged, but I'm not sure if I'm up for a classic quite yet. I have also become addicted to some great blogs over the past few months: 

Blog Milk - Amazing interior and graphic design taste, art, fashion, simplicity
Grrrl Traveler - A brave solo female traveler who captures her experiences so well through her writing
Nomadic Chick - She really knows how to put the gypsy back into traveling and life!
Sailing Around the Globe - A couple, a photographer and musician, sailing around the world to find happiness.

And that's just a few off the top of my head!

Watching: Usually, I would be watching The Big Bang Theory but apparently, I have no access to the show online if I am outside of the U.S. However, the most recent video I watched was a 5-minute clip of George Carlins' skit on Stuff. A friend of mine shared it on my Facebook wall and I loved it!! Sometimes, I feel many societies revolve their lives around the desire for more stuff.

Working on: Many things. Further developing my philosophy by surrounding myself with positive people, finding new insights, and keen observations of all of the different perspectives I've been exposed to. My physical fitness without having a gym has been an interesting but fun challenge! I LOVE this blog post which details ways to workout while being on the road (yes, you will get weird looks from people when found doing push ups in public by the boulangerie) as well as motivating words to keep it up! Another resource for travelers who want to stay fit is this article from Women's Heath that lays out all the different exercises you can do pretty much anywhere. Lastly, I love working out to this video because again, it does not require any fitness gear and if you don't get embarrassed easily, can be done right by the Eiffel Tower. ;)

Thinking about: What am I NOT thinking about these days? So much has been on my mind lately what with the all the travels and something about the Parisian rain that makes one ponder so much! I'm thinking about my current couch host, a close friend of my mother's, and how we differ on so many levels...age, opinions, attitudes, thoughts, preferences. It just seems like she's not happy and I do everything I can to make a difference in her life. I'm thinking about how I can make her smile tomorrow (She told me her favorite soy sauce is this so perhaps I will get her a few. I'm also thinking about how I got here. I'm in Paris. I used to think it would be soo complicated to get my ass over here but it turned out, I was way wrong. I'm thinking about how happy I am.

Anticipating: This year has been so great and I feel it's going to get better every single day. I am anticipating more beautiful memories to be made, meeting new people, writing more in this blog, and most of all? 

Being able to do sit in a field and soak up the Sun! 

Listening to: A variety of music, depending on my mood throughout the day. When I'm in a fun and silly mood, I love listening to "Ai Se Eu Te Pego" by Michael Telo because it makes me want to dance! For moments when I just want to sit back, reflect, and not think about anything in particular, I love "The Four Seasons" by Vivaldi. My motivational work out song?? It has to be "Turn Me On" by David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj. And, when I feel a little discouraged or down, this song always does the trick!

Eating & Drinking: It's been pretty consistent this past week which is great when you're traveling, actually! For the most part, my diet consists of baguettes, pate du porc, camembert cheese, shredded carrots (to place on top of pate), strawberries, almonds, and spinach salads. On special days, I'll reward myself with a chocolate truffle..but very sparingly! During some meals, my mother's friend will make me a traditional Vietnamese meal such as Hu Tieu, a clear glass noodle soup with seafood. Yum. Drinking? I don't drink any alcohol for a few reasons now. It's dehydrating, expensive, and I'm not a fan of hangovers. Although one glass of red wine is supposed to be good for the heart, I'm okay without. Instead, I've become heavily addicted to sugar-free cups of green tea because of its health benefits and a good way to keep warm!

Wishing: My family, boyfriend, and friends are here. Right Now. I miss everyone dearly and although this solo experience of traveling abroad has been more than amazing, I miss my supportive and loving community! It's okay though, just over a week ago, my boyfriend came out here (Paris and Rome) to spend a good 7 days with me! An unbelievable trip which you can read about here. And, I wish it wasn't raining every single day for the rest of the month in Paris. But you know what? Cold, rainy days are what makes sunny days that much better!!

What are YOU doing Right Now? Reading? Listening to? =)

 

A huge thank you to Danielle, who provided the inspiration for today's post!

-MsCathy.