together in paris

i used to love the movie anastasia. actually, i still do and i would be lying if i claimed otherwise. in the movie anastasia the girl anastasia (or ana) has a necklace that says "together in paris". i always loved that sentiment, and not just because paris is an amazing city. but to know that without a doubt you had a better life ahead of you if you could just get where you knew you needed to go - you could pick that place out on a map - and you always had that reminder with you.

paris has been on my mind quite a bit lately for various reasons. one - it was about this time last year that we were making our final preparations for our trip across the pond to germany and france. and two - i just started hemingway's "a moveable feast" which is set in paris, and though i'm only 2 chapters in, i'm enjoying it already.

i'm quite excited about this new book adventure because i've only read one other work by hemingway, and even though i was a fan i always got the impression that i wouldn't like the majority of his other pieces. so, test run. we'll find out soon enough.

i finished fitzgerald's "the beautiful and damned" yesterday. it took a good while to get through, and even though i did like it i don't know that i'll read it over again. the end depressed me a bit too much.

so in my mind's eye i moved from new york to paris. and while i fell in love with new york the first time i visited, my love for paris burns from a deeper place in my soul. one that dreams of living a fantastic life in a far off land full of history, gardens, architecture and art. say what you will about the french, it certainly seems they understand balance a bit better than we do.

maybe i'm determined to like hemingway because in some ways i feel as though we would be kindred spirits. he, an expat in paris, living and working in a land not his own, but the country he adopted and took unto himself. a land full of beautiful language and fabulous cafés. of buildings built centuries ago, of biking around the city, not needing to own a car, walking to the boulangerie for fresh bread every morning, and having jam, and wonderful coffee to start each day. to trek around the city in scarves and boots and visit the marches aux puces on saturdays for fabulous antiques.

i know things aren't always what they seem, and i know life would not be as i imagine it,

but on a day like today

a girl needs to dream