On top of the world!

Where: Sacré Cœur basilica , Montmartre, Paris
When: November 2013

My boyfriend Samuel and I were lucky to arrive for a short holiday in Paris on a gorgeous and crisp fall day. We considered ourselves especially lucky as that the forecast had called for the possibility of rain during our entire stay (as is often the forecast in Paris). So we were thrilled to see the blue sky and happy, non-threatening clouds and decided to take advantage and hike the spiraling and narrow 234 steps into the dome of Sacré Cœur's basilica. The view did not disappoint. We also toured the eerie crypts of the basilica, seen in photo four. We paid 8 euro each to tour the dome and crypt, we both agreed it was well worth the cost. A noteworthy point is that the admission fee goes toward the ongoing renovation of the basilica which was constructed between 1875 and 1912. You can discover more about Sacré Cœur basilica here.

~Rebe

Photos taken by and are the property of Rebecca Leese (Paris, France 2013)

dream-worthy...

I love the bold colors in this photo... and the model's ombré hair is gorgeous! I want it all: the flowers, her hair and jewelry, and the print caftan-style top! LOVE!

Photo credit: French Vougettes

After the rain...

That moment - the sun breaks through clouds - happiness.

~Rebe


Photo credit: Rebecca Leese (Plascassier, France 2013)
Haiku by Rebecca Leese

Wanderlust and bubbly

Here are some photos from one (of many) recent rendezvous in Nice with mon amie Rebecca. We started this day with a visit to the flower market and then proceeded to have a picnic on the beach complete with some "bubbly" (it's not called Champagne unless made in the Champagne region of France). As always, lots of talking, reflecting, and laughing ensued. Another great day!

~Rebe

Photo credits: photos taken by and are property of Rebecca Leese (Nice, France 2013)

dream-worthy...

I love everything about this photo: the red vintage Volkswagen, the beach, her sunkissed skin and hair, the casual yet cool outfit and neutral beach blanket... the whole image makes me want to rewind to summer.

Photo credit: French Voguettes

Bon weekend!
~Rebe

Zen retreat

Before flying to France I was home in Pennsylvania for five weeks with my family having sort of a zen retreat experience. It's not quite as glamorous as it sounds, I was at my parents' house and breakfast in bed and daily hot yoga were not on the agenda..but it was pretty amazing nonetheless. I did get to spend lots of quality time with the fam including my nephew who is still young enough to think I'm cool (okay well most of the time at least) and my absolutely adorable 12 month old niece. What was on the agenda: hikes with the dog, cooking and dining al fresco, outdoor play with the kids, pool time, and lots of sleep! Ahhh..it was wonderful. It's sad to think that summer is over. But with the welcome crispness of autumn comes many things to look forward to: my favorites being cosy sweaters, comfortable boots (I love sandals but my old lady feet not so much!), and cuddling up by the fire with a loved one, a good book, or both! Happy Fall!

 

~Rebe

Photos taken by and are property of Rebecca Leese, McConnellsburg, Pennsylvania 2013

40 hours in Paris

Here are some photos (in no particular order) from my recent whirlwind 40 hours in Paris with mon amie, Rebecca. To me Paris is near perfection, from the cafés and bistros to the people watching and window shopping to the overall chicness of it's entire ambiance... I just can't get enough. Lucky for me I am going back with mon copain (boyfriend) in November! I can't wait! After all don't they say Paris is the most romantic city? Let's see! Stay tuned...

 

Bisous, Rebe

Photos are the property of Rebecca Leese, taken in Paris 2013.

Wandering the streets of Nice

Be it coincidence or fate, it surely is a small world when two New Yorkers with similar interests in fashion, travel, and wine end up living in the South of France at the same time..and we have the same name! The other Rebecca in my life right now is Rebecca Rorrer, creator of the blog Ambassador of Fashion. I look forward to our weekly rendez-vous in Nice and I even tagged along with her for a whirlwind 40 hours in Paris during Paris fashion week...more to come on that soon. Here are some photos from one of our days spent wandering the streets of Nice.

Nearly empty streets in the early morning.



Pretty pastels.

Empty tables await hungry explorers!

More pastels, I love the colors here.

Pizza and cathedrals.

Window cacti.



More window cacti!



Mon amie, Rebecca



Moi!

xo
~Rebe

Photos taken by and are property of Rebecca Leese  (Nice, France 2013)

My Expat Life in France

If you told me a few years ago that at age 30 I would leave my job, my life, my family and friends and move out the country I probably would have laughed. Sure I caught the "travel bug" at a young age and I've been blessed to have had the opportunity to travel to some places that many only dream of: France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Singapore, Indonesia to name a few. But partly I was able to travel to these places because I had a good job with a comfortable salary as a medical professional in New York.  I also had a very comfortable and happy life there for five years which included the aformentioned job but also a wonderful circle of friends, a cute apartment in a great location, and supportive family only a four hour train ride away. So why leave? 

Well, you may have noticed that I used the word comfortable a few times in this post. That sense of comfort in my life was part of the push for me to jump in to the unknown. I was too comfortable, working a job that I liked (most days) and going through the motions of life. New York is a great place to do this. You can "go through the motions" but still feel like you are living an incredible and exciting life, after all you live in NYC! To outsiders New York often seems big and crowded and scary. At first it is all of those things, but living there for an extended time provides a different reality...it can actually begin to feel quite enclosed and small. New York welcomes solitude without ever making you feel alone. For me it was a place to extend my youth a bit longer. Just living there made me feel as if I had accomplished something great. "I did it! I lived in New York!" But now what...

I started to get the itch to leave about a year before I made the move. My life had become too repeatitive and I felt that I was suffocating amongst the noise, the traffic, the people, the buildings. I needed fresh air and open spaces. Hadn't I always wanted to live at the beach? Why didn't I ever do that?  I was worried that five years would turn into ten and then I would be a 40 year old living in New York in the same comfortable life as now (with a few cats in a studio apartment, yikes!). Please don't think that I'm ungrateful for the life that I had. I am eternally grateful and I wouldn't trade the experience for the world. I just needed a change.

And then... I met a guy at a party. Aren't the twists and turns of life funny like that? There's just one minor (major?) detail, this party was in the South of France. Flashforward a year of long distance dating, Skype rendez-vous, and increasing our frequent flyer miles and it was decided, I was ready for a new adventure! Join me as I share some of the experiences and images from this next chapter, my life in France.

~Rebe


photo credit: Rebecca Leese, Paris, France 2013