Merci, mon cherie

Thanks to my Bestie, ND, I am going to Paris next week. She graciously offered for me to come again while she is there for work like I did in January for my Birthday. She goes twice a year(sometimes more) for Maison-Objet which is a pretty intense and inspiring trade show. It is the place that trends in the design world are set for the upcoming season. When I was there in January (pictures below) it was really the beginning of my obsession with all things design.
I have always been interested from afar..and have the thousands of magazines to prove it, but have never in my life been around such profound creativity.
Well ND lives in this world everyday, and she has always pushed me in that direction knowing my love and my want to be more creative and be around more creative people than I was on a day to day level at my job.
So.. I am going to the show again. And while I am there I will be Helping Shelley Simpson out at her booth. She is founder and creator of Mud Australia an exceptional line of ceramics. She believes strongly in craft and community. I am very excited to help her and learn from her more about Sydney and the thriving art community. As my friends know... a large portion of my home/design mags are coming from Australia lately. Again..this is all thanks to ND making the connection and introducing us in January. Merci, mon cherie.

love you mom.

I received this from my mom this morning..
Doesn't matter how old you are..It is so nice to have moms to get your ass organized!

"Photo copy: 4 (leave one w/A, two w/you/one for us
driver's license
phone list of emergency #'s
airplane ticket
passport and health card
write bank and credit card #'s

Take:
medicines

adaptor for phone/camera and computer chargers
contacts/glasses/solution/eye drops for dryness
2 toothbrushes/paste/picks/floss
sunscreen/lip
Imodium/pepto/Advil
hand wipes/sanitize solution
shampoo/conditioner
makeup
journal/travel books
sunglasses
plastic baggies/large bags for dirty shoes in suitcase
umbrella/rain jacket
Traveler checks ? or enough cash to exchange $l=1.431e or 500e=$715.8US


Check State Dept. Website:

travel.state.gov for specific reports, alerts, advisories wherever you travel

Worldwide cellphone reception for like 60 days
Know who to contact in the local consulate at your destination
Us embassy.gov.
In crisis: State Department's Overseas Citizens Service (202) 501-4444
Register travel plans online (travel.state.gov) in case of an emergency
Keep a low profile. . . do not draw attention to yourself! jewelry, clothing, etc."

new boyfriend

This is my new, boyfriend , I picked him up today and am very excited to get to know him. People think he is great..and I am excited to discover all those beautiful things for myself.

I really don't have the $$ for all of the things that go into getting ready to travel for a while...but I know I needed him. I can not wait to name him. any suggestions?

I am also interested to see how and if I can shoot some cool Video.

Sabre

This is what I hope to get into while in Marrakech. I just found an amazing blog all about living in Morocco. It has given me lists and lists of things to do, places to eat, and places to drink!
She has her own boutique. I emailed her, so hopefully I will be able to spend some time with her around the medina and the souks!

Eid al-Adha - Morocco | iExplore

Eid al-Adha - Morocco iExplore: "Marking the end of the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, Eid al-Adha or the 'Feast of Sacrifice' is one of the most important feasts in the Islamic calendar. The three-day festival commemorates Ibrahim's (Abraham) willingness to obey God by sacrificing his son - although he was later allowed to sacrifice a ram in his son's place. In remembrance of this, a cow or ram is usually sacrificed as part of the religious celebrations with a portion of the meat being donated to the poor, sick or needy."

Ramadan

I just realized I will be in morocco during Ramadan. Which is depicted in this photo I found...(don't remember where). I will also be there for Eid al-Adha which is described above..
I am so excited to see all these things and be there for such an important part of their year!!
I was able to see a Hindu priest cremated in an all day celebration in Bali in 1998 and I was fascinated,horrified,and hypnotized.
I have always been very intrigued by religious traditions. it is something I have loved learning about since before college..and during college. Religion as understood in the general sense, is very confusing to me and to be able to learn and see so many intense and important rituals has been very exciting and has helped me shape my ideas and my thoughts on the subject of organized religion. I can not wait to learn more about Muslim traditions!

Sept 9th until Sept 30th

This is where I will be sleeping for Three Weeks! The Jade Room. It looks like Heaven.

I booked my flight. I am on my way. I am going to Paris and then Morocco. Marrakesh.

I am staying at Riad Mesc el Lil . It looks like a Jewel, just like Patricia who runs it. She has been very kind and very helpful over email. I am booked. I could not have done this without the push and support of my friends who are helping me while I am gone.

Also...S&S are house sitting. It all has just been moving in the right direction the last 24 hours. So much has fallen into place and so easily. I am also planning on floating for October. It is not so scary now. It is as thought there is a peace and calm that has taken over..and I am going for the ride. I will sleep like a baby tonight. First night I am truly tired and not anxious in 11 days.

The Journey begins

It has been a long, long, time since I have posted. And I am still not sure what happened. But it had a lot to do with work. And now I am not there. So.....I am feeling free and happy. Not happy to be gone, it was unexpected and a pretty bad seperation, but happy to now have closure. The love and support from my family and friends has been beyond anything I could have imagined. I know I have a very special group of people around me, but seriously...above and beyond.

I am pretty stressed about $$ and who isn't at this time job or not, but having worked straight for the past 12 years I am going to take some time and find the right thing. I am not rushing to apply for jobs and send my resume to places...I don't think that people really read them that way. I know I didn't. So I am going back to Paris. Back to Maison D'Objet. My Best Friend is there for work so I am going to make some contacts, get some inspiration, and begin again.

After that I am planning on going to Morocco for a few weeks. I am hoping that I can find the right place and the right people. I already have a pretty amazing lead.

So here we go. Next 30 years... will now be for me. For loving, living, and creating. I am so excited for this journey.