Message in a chocolate

Little messages, inspiring sayings, words of wisdom, and the like make me happy.

So when I break open a fortune cookie and read the little slip of paper that is nowhere near an actual fortune I tend to get upset. Mad, at the fortune cookie makers for depriving me of the fortune I so rightfully deserve. Often times the “fortunes” inside those tasty cookies are just statements, bearing no resemblance to “things that happen or are to happen to a person in his or her life” (thanks, dictionary.com).

Awhile back, I started a fortune cookie research project, taking down all of the critical info in an excel sheet; where the fortune cookies came from, what the messages were, and the brand of cookie. I’m not exactly sure what my research goals were, but had I continued my project perhaps it would’ve provided enough evidence to petition the fortune cookie makers to give the people real fortune cookies. Maybe they would have been audited to make sure at least 90% of the messages were actual fortunes. But knowing me, that all seems a bit unlikely. It probably would’ve just impacted from where I would have ordered my veggie lo mein and spring rolls.

But enough about fortunes, I don’t eat that much Chinese food anyway. Let’s move on to promises.

TRUE or FALSE: Erin likes chocolate.

True! Yes, I am a lover of most every kind of chocolate out there (except the ones my nut allergies don’t allow me to enjoy). However, sometimes it’s not about the chocolate itself but rather what’s inside the chocolate (or actually written on the inside of the wrapper). Whoever came up with the idea for Dove® Promises is a genius in my book. I recall buying them for the snack table at my NYC work one day just because I wanted (or needed) the little inspiring messages inside.

I realize this may sound silly, but it’s true. Sometimes a little message can just turn my day around. I could be feeling overwhelmed with life and I get a little positive message and it just makes me stop for a moment, take it all in, and then smile. It’s like it becomes a new day. So, thank you Dove® Promise writers! Keep up the good work. I’m looking forward to seeing some new ones in my next bag. And feel free to stop using some of the ones that don’t really do anything for me. You can probably guess which ones I’m talking about.

Ok, another test to see how well you know me.

TRUE or FALSE: Erin likes getting rid of things.

False! I have the opposite problem, I like to save things. I’m working on it, but getting rid of stuff can be challenging for me. So, if you didn’t see it coming, yes, I save all my wrappers until I write the promises down in my journal. Now I don’t necessarily do this each time I eat one, so sometimes piles of blue crinkly foil do accumulate around my room. But every once in awhile I sit down with my journal and the empty wrappers laying around and read through all the messages already in my book. I’m essentially looking to see if I’ve already jotted each one down (I don’t put the dupes in) but in doing so, I rediscover all of these wonderful morsels of positive, happy thoughts. And I find myself smiling.

So, every now and then I’m going to share one of my favorites here. And who knows, you may be having a ‘down-in-the-dumps’ day and reading a promise just may turn it into an ‘I’m-on-top-of-the-world’ day.

With that said, I leave you with this Dove® Promise…”You are exactly where you are supposed to be.”

Let’s Fly Away

After a fun-filled, jam-packed long weekend in Michigan with family and friends, I had the luxury of a 3-hour layover in the Baltimore airport. I know most people might dread a layover like this, but I decided to take advantage of it. After all, I was by myself with no obligations. My mission was to relax and simply be.

Once I deplaned, the first restaurant I saw was Vino Volo. Ding ding ding, we have a winner!

But in typical Erin fashion, I made note of the spot, and decided to make a quick pass through the concourse to see all of my options before choosing where to camp out. And yes, as most would have predicted, I ended up walking back to Vino Volo.

I chose a lovely little table on the end, cornered by some greenery. I’m pretty sure they were real shrubs (not the fake plastic kind), but we’ll never know. The waiter greeted me and pleasantly explained the menu. Instantly, I knew I was going to choose a flight of reds. After all, it was the theme of the day. And in my opinion, why should I get one glass when I could taste three different types?

I told my waiter the flights between which I was debating, and after his recommendation, I went with the BBQ Reds. This flight consisted of the following:

Malbec Roca Andina
Argentine, Mendoz, 2011

Tempranillo San Pedro Apostol
Spain, Campellares, 2010

Zinfandel Seghesio
California, Sonoma County, 2010

I knew I was a fan of Malbecs and Tempranillos, but had never tried a Zinfandel (well, at least one that wasn’t “pink”). I followed the routine that Willy had taught me in France, and tried them all, from left to right. I enjoyed all three, but my favorite of the flight…the Zinfandel! Here’s the description from Vino Volo:

Pomegranate & Pepper

Aromas of black raspberry and mineral, with a hint of violet, lead to a supple mid-palate of black currant, pomegranate and white chocolate. Ripe tannins produce a long structured finish.

It was amazing how you could really smell the pepper. Wow. It went down smoothly and left a happy taste in my mouth. If my bag wasn’t already stuffed, I would have taken a bottle back to Boston with me.

And since I cannot go more than 2 hours without eating something, I ordered the olives. A selection of warm olives tossed in herbs, you just can’t go wrong there.

And because olives are not nearly enough for me, I added a cheese plate for a bit more sustenance.

I love cheese plates (as long as there are no “blues”) and this particular selection was extremely satisfying. The following were the cheeses I enjoyed, in order of preference:

Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog Chevre (TOP PICK!!) - this goat cheese was unlike any other I’ve tasted

A Cabot Vermont Aged Cheddar

Old Chatham SheepHerding Camenbert

I wonder if passer-bys dragging their suitcases, rushing to their next flights or to baggage claim to see their loved ones, even noticed that I was just sitting there, eyes closed, enjoying every little bite of cheese. Pure bliss.

No bread needed. Just cheese.

So here’s the takeaway: Next time you travel, allow for extra airport time, so you too can enjoy a flight of a different kind.

Bonus:

A special thanks to Cory, my waiter extraordinaire of the evening. After chatting with him about the Zin (I even confessed to never having tried a red one) he mentioned another really great one. And to my surprise, a few minutes later he returned to my table with a glass for me to taste. And was I ever impressed. This rich wine just made me smile. And I have discovered another favorite, the Temptation from Alexander Valley Vineyards, 2009.

Description from Vino Volo follows:

Cherry & Black Pepper

Vibrant ruby color gives way to cascading flavors of plum, cherry and black currant. Baking spices intermingle with toasty oak and sweet tannins on the long pleasing finish.

‘probably’ – ‘ably’ + ‘s’ = ‘probs’

Back in the day, I used to get annoyed when a former coworker would say ‘whatevs’ and other things like that. Those words sounded ugly to me and I didn’t see the point.

However, now I’m noticing that these same words are popping up in my everyday conversations. Somewhat often to be honest. And no, they’re not always coming from the other person’s mouth, I’m just as guilty. Sorry Mom and Dad, but it’s true.

So why do people say words like whatevs, totes, probs, ridic, etc.?

A) Out of laziness
B) Caught up in a trend
C) Just for the fun of it
D) Following a rule-governed pattern of language
E) All of the above

I’m guessing everyone has a different answer, but I’m going with… E) All of the above.

Here’s a video that caught my attention in a recent University of Michigan, LSA Today newsletter on this very subject.

Slang: Totes Legit

How legitimate — or “legit”— is the use of certain slang words? LSA English Professor Anne Curzan explains the word formation process known as “clipping,” revealing how seemingly improper colloquialisms can evolve into accepted, everyday language.

First off, ‘clippings’ is a new term for me, so √ (learned something new today). And I hadn’t made the connection between these contemporary more slang-related clippings and those clippings already established in the English language. What an awful excuse of a linguist I am!

Nonetheless, some of you will probably enjoy this video, and may even develop a new appreciation for all these special words the young kids are using these days. Just teasing, but for the record, I am against using them in real writing (or else I would’ve written ‘probs’ in the previous sentence).

Never too old to be an intern

For the past 5 months, I have been an intern in the Education Department at the French Cultural Center/Alliance Française of Boston. I discovered this opportunity during my alone-time in the Dordogne region of France. Securing this position involved writing une lettre de motivation en Français as well as a Skype interview from my hotel room in Paris. As most would agree, the job interview process can be stressful, yes. But in this case, the added pressure of all communication in French made it extremely challenging and a bit nerve-wracking. I admit it definitely helped at the time to be immersed in the language, but communicating in French with a grocer is not the equivalent of a professional interview. Needless to say, I did the best I could and was proud of myself for going for it.

When I was offered the internship, not only was I super excited about speaking French upon my return to the States, but I was thrilled to be a part of an organization that teaches young children French. I mean, 1-year-olds starting to learn French through songs, stories, games, etc. How awesome is that!

A quick look at what I do… My time is split up between the Children’s department and the Adult department where I work with the head teachers and curriculum supervisors. I brainstorm activities and games based on weekly themes, create pedagogical resources for special intensive adult programs, and assist teachers in several classes with young children (ages 1 – 3). I really enjoy the time I spend in the classrooms with the kids; their brains are amazing and it’s great to witness their progress. But more on that (and some funny anecdotes) another time.

Anyway, many people assume that interns are college kids looking for some experience to beef up their resumes. And even though this is often true, in reality, internships can be useful at any age, especially when contemplating a career transition.

In my case, having graduated from college in 2001, I am using this internship to explore my passions and improve my French. I’ve always been interested in second language learning in young children and my previous jobs have not directly led me to that path. So, being an intern is allowing me to further explore it from the educational perspective. Hopefully I will find the insights I’m seeking. But for now, I’m just trying to take it day by day and soak up as much as I can, just like the little kids in my classes.

GOOMOW

GOOMOW could mean many things to many people. But to me, this simple acronym stands for…Get Out Of My Own Way

A friend gave me this advice back in August of 2011. I was complaining about how I felt like I hadn’t made any progress in my life when he pointed out to me (in a nice way) that I need to get out of my own way.

All of the talking about things I want to accomplish and dreams I have for the future won’t actually come to fruition unles I let them. And although it’s easier to blame my lack of progress on life’s obstacle course, it’s just not the case. It’s about time I hold myself accountable, start getting out of my own way, and realizing some of these dreams of mine. So here goes:

I, Erin J. Quinn, get in my own way.

Now, it’s out in the open. That’s supposedly the first step, right? In any intervention program to recognize and admit the problem? Well, there. I did it.

Going forward, I plan to work on accomplishing things, little by little. And all of the ideas in my head will eventually fall into place as I take the initial action steps.

But in order to do this, I first need to face my fear of imperfection. This fear negatively effects a significant chunk of my life, and even though sometimes I think it’s genetic, I am holding out hope that it is reversible. For example, I know the main reason I don’t blog more frequently is not due to a lack of things to say, but rather wanting each post to be absolutely perfect. I don’t like the idea of putting something out there and not being completely satisfied with it. But this feeling inhibits me from actually writing, which is the part I really do enjoy.

So starting tonight, I am going to try to not let perfection hinder me. If I have something I’d like to post, I am not going to read it hundreds of times before hand and then just when I think it’s set to go, decide to sleep on it. I am going to remind myself that its ok not to be perfect. And than I’m going to hit ‘Publish’ and feel good about doing it.

I mean, in reality, no one is truly perfect, so it makes sense to stop trying to attain an unattainable goal. So cheers to not being perfect, and to making headway in life!

P.S. How many errors did you catch in this post? I put a few in there on purpose just as my friendly reminder that it’s ok not to perfect.

Happy Anniversary!

I’ve been feeling a bit nostalgic recently, but that is really nothing new. Hardly a day goes by where my mind doesn’t wander back to a moment in France. And if I’m on my laptop when this memory takes shape in my brain, I immediately open up my pictures folder. After a few minutes of browsing, I find I have a goofy grin on my face that gets bigger and bigger as I look through the hundreds of photos Erika and I took last fall.

However, when I come to the end of the collection, I’m sad. I feel a bit empty. I long for the days I spent there enjoying the company of new friends, being a free-spirit exploring the countryside, living up the French way of life, and bonding all the while with Erika. I wish I could relive the moments, even the not super exciting ones, just to be back there again.

But today, instead of being triste, I am going to celebrate.

Why, you ask? No, I did not just win an all-expenses paid trip to the beautiful south of France (though how incredibly happy would that make me) rather today is my anniversary!

I landed at l’aéroport de Bordeaux-Mérignac in France on October 19, 2011 for the very first day of what became an adventure of a lifetime. And if one anniversary was not enough, I’m also celebrating my arrival on November 19th in Cubjac, France where my solo-journey of delving into the depths of my mind for some reflection and personal growth all began.

So in honor of these special occasions, I am going to enjoy a glass of wine (or two), some olives, a baguette, and cheese. I am going to let myself relax, reminisce, and really try to take in the whole experience. And most importantly, I will be smiling. After all, smiling has lots of health benefits, just like the red wine of France.

Back to life, back to reality

My France Adventure has technically come to an end. A grueling 9-hour flight on Christmas day transported me from Paris, France to Detroit, Michigan. Despite being excited to see family and friends, I was sad to come back. I was secretly hoping the security strike at the CDG airport would cancel or delay my flight, just to give me a little more time in the country. And I probably cried more on my journey back to the States than I did during all my pre-France goodbyes combined. Yes, I’m quite the crier.

These past few months have been nothing short of life-changing. And as I got caught up in everyday living over there I got behind in blogging. But, have no fear, I am going to continue documenting my adventures (in chronological, order of course). After all, this blog will be a keepsake for me to remember the good, the bad, and the flat-out amazing of my time in France.

Oh, and finally, I realize I missed the opportunity to become part of your year-end giving plans, but if you feel so inclined, donations to the ‘Send Erin Back to France’ fund are always welcome. Gifts will be graciously accepted in USD or EURO. Bonne Année!