Showing posts with label American living and working in Monaco. Show all posts
Showing posts with label American living and working in Monaco. Show all posts
Friday, June 7, 2013
Hormones on Holiday!!
Just picked up these pretty little things....
We start Clomid while on holiday! We're off on Monday to Venice, Italy and then Vis, Croatia on Friday. Can not wait to conceive our first child on such an amazing trip! And the best part...if we succeed, baby will be due on our 5 year wedding anniversary. Here's to hoping (and praying)!!
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
2013 Monaco GP
Tomorrow marks the start of the 2013 Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco.
It's a weekend that I've only witnessed once before. And last year it was super crazy, sometimes annoying, and mostly just good fun. For the 2012 GP I had 2 visitors, who I'd like to think I showed a good time to...while trying to manage an event with 25 staff and over 500 visitors over 4 days. It was exhausting, but at the end of the week it was all worth it.
This year will be a bit different...I don't have any visitors, and I don't have a 4 day huge event to manage. I am however helping a friend with a scaled down version (just 86 visitors for Sunday). But it still requires putting in a few hours, and going in blindly praying it's successful.
There are so many events happening, none of which I'm too keen to check out. Everything is too "party party" for me. Honestly, if there was a chic, loungy beach environment for me to go and sip on a normal priced bottle of Rose I would so be there. But there doesn't seem to be anything that matches the venue, nor the prices that I am looking for.
Either way...it's shaping up to be a stressful, crazy, memorable, and hopefully fun 3-4 days. Cheers to the 2013 Monaco Grand Prix!!!
It's a weekend that I've only witnessed once before. And last year it was super crazy, sometimes annoying, and mostly just good fun. For the 2012 GP I had 2 visitors, who I'd like to think I showed a good time to...while trying to manage an event with 25 staff and over 500 visitors over 4 days. It was exhausting, but at the end of the week it was all worth it.
This year will be a bit different...I don't have any visitors, and I don't have a 4 day huge event to manage. I am however helping a friend with a scaled down version (just 86 visitors for Sunday). But it still requires putting in a few hours, and going in blindly praying it's successful.
There are so many events happening, none of which I'm too keen to check out. Everything is too "party party" for me. Honestly, if there was a chic, loungy beach environment for me to go and sip on a normal priced bottle of Rose I would so be there. But there doesn't seem to be anything that matches the venue, nor the prices that I am looking for.
Either way...it's shaping up to be a stressful, crazy, memorable, and hopefully fun 3-4 days. Cheers to the 2013 Monaco Grand Prix!!!
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Birthday Plans for a Weekend in Milan, Italy
Woke up with a great yoga sesh this morning at Yoga Shala. Yoga is an amazing way to start the day, and it totally kicked my ass. I went for a run yesterday morning, and I was totally feeling the back-to-back work outs. But I wanted to get some workouts in before my BIG birthday weekend for my 30th in Milan, Italy!
We've been planning our trip for about a month now, and thankfully we started that far in advance since it was hard to find a flat to rent (we always use www.airbnb.com). For us, planning a vacation/trip is like therapy. You get to research, decide and plan exactly what you want to do and where you want to go. Since this is our second trip to Milano we had a better idea of where we wanted to stay, and what we wanted to do.
Here's a run down of our plans:
Thursday we take the train from Monte Carlo, Monaco to Ventimiglia, Italy and then a second train straight into Milano Centrale. The total train time is about 4 hours, putting us there just after lunch! We will get the keys to our flat and then we plan to head to the Triennale Design Museum. David's a Creative Director, so he thrives off of Museum outing and gets some awesome inspiration. I'm also into design (albeit more the fashion type)...but I can definitely appreciate the interior and architectural aspects and get some inspo for our apartment in Miami!
Our dinner reservations are at Ristorante Guerrini, which was rated highly on TripAdvisor for both good food and romanticism. It's my official birthday on Thursday, so I hope to enjoy an amazing meal and some special wine!
Friday is a shopping day! Whohoooo, we will start at the outlets ( Il Salvagente ) just outside of the city center, and then make our way back towards the middle. Stopping for lunch at Nobu Armani. And then hitting up the shops nearby, and a late afternoon Aperitivo. Dinner reservations are at Don Carlos...which again was highly rated on TripAdvisor as well as the Michelin Guide. This restaurant is a bit more fancy...I can not wait!
Saturday is another day of shopping and exploring. We plan on checking out the San Marco church and lunching at La Latteria (which was recommended by the New York Times). We don't have dinner plans for Saturday, and plan on asking the gentleman we rent the flat from...since it's always good to take a locals suggestion.
And finally, for Sunday we will check out the renowned brunch at the Bulgari Hotel before catching our train at 3pm to head back to Monaco.
I'm looking forward to an amazing trip with my hubby and explore more of Milan. Hopefully we have made some good selections for a weekend trip to Milan and will give an update and details when we get back next week! Happy early birthday to me...cheers!
We've been planning our trip for about a month now, and thankfully we started that far in advance since it was hard to find a flat to rent (we always use www.airbnb.com). For us, planning a vacation/trip is like therapy. You get to research, decide and plan exactly what you want to do and where you want to go. Since this is our second trip to Milano we had a better idea of where we wanted to stay, and what we wanted to do.
Here's a run down of our plans:
Thursday we take the train from Monte Carlo, Monaco to Ventimiglia, Italy and then a second train straight into Milano Centrale. The total train time is about 4 hours, putting us there just after lunch! We will get the keys to our flat and then we plan to head to the Triennale Design Museum. David's a Creative Director, so he thrives off of Museum outing and gets some awesome inspiration. I'm also into design (albeit more the fashion type)...but I can definitely appreciate the interior and architectural aspects and get some inspo for our apartment in Miami!
Our dinner reservations are at Ristorante Guerrini, which was rated highly on TripAdvisor for both good food and romanticism. It's my official birthday on Thursday, so I hope to enjoy an amazing meal and some special wine!
Friday is a shopping day! Whohoooo, we will start at the outlets ( Il Salvagente ) just outside of the city center, and then make our way back towards the middle. Stopping for lunch at Nobu Armani. And then hitting up the shops nearby, and a late afternoon Aperitivo. Dinner reservations are at Don Carlos...which again was highly rated on TripAdvisor as well as the Michelin Guide. This restaurant is a bit more fancy...I can not wait!
Saturday is another day of shopping and exploring. We plan on checking out the San Marco church and lunching at La Latteria (which was recommended by the New York Times). We don't have dinner plans for Saturday, and plan on asking the gentleman we rent the flat from...since it's always good to take a locals suggestion.
And finally, for Sunday we will check out the renowned brunch at the Bulgari Hotel before catching our train at 3pm to head back to Monaco.
I'm looking forward to an amazing trip with my hubby and explore more of Milan. Hopefully we have made some good selections for a weekend trip to Milan and will give an update and details when we get back next week! Happy early birthday to me...cheers!
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Pink Full Moon April 2013
So my week last week was just crazy, starting off horrid and ending quite nicely. Here's a little run-down:
Monday. Woke up and immediately was having a terrible day. Sunday night I got the news that my mom's mom was very very sick and in the hospital dying. She did not have the strength to eat, speak...and apparently had "brain poisoning" from the cocktail of medications that the doctors were administrating in an effort to keep her alive. I woke felt guilty about not being able to be with my mother to give her strength and support(me being here in Monaco and her being in Indiana, USA). I also was mid-cycle of my period at this time. Another indicator that I wasn't pregnant. That this month was another failure.
Tuesday. Another bad day, much like Monday. Just can shake the feeling that I'm a bad person. Nothing seems to make me feel better, I just cry and cry...even sitting at my desk at work. Crying for no apparent reason, with nothing that my dear husband can say to make me feel better.
Wednesday. Feeling relatively better. I go to the 2 hour full moon yoga class at Sunshine Yoga and get some insight. Apparently the full moon this month was the "Pink Moon", and has some significance for the rebirth of spring. She said that there was a reason that we all had been feeling strange. Here's an interesting blog post about this phenomenon.
It was at this class that during our mediation/relaxation at the end Cathy said, "let everyone enjoy their own happiness." It was in that moment that I realized that whenever I find out someone had a baby, or someone else is preggo...I get jealous. But the fact is, that everyone is entitled to that happiness. And just because they got pregnant, doesn't mean that it won't happen for me. There isn't a limited number of women who can get pregnant and my friends being preggo give me less of a chance of falling pregnant. I need to be happy for each and every woman who gets to experience the magic of pregnancy and birth, and in that happiness it will help my universal pull to be just that: pregnant. And it doesn't stop there...I shouldn't judge a fat person for not having control, or not having motivation to exercise. Maybe they are happy like that...and they are ENTITLED to that happiness (and that goes for anyone no matter what makes them happy: doing drugs, drinking excessively, eating poorly, being lazy).
Thursday. Feeling better yet. Resolve to figure out our struggles of getting pregnant and make an appointment with my gynecologist.
Friday. Have a great day. Get a phone call from my mother that my grandmother is doing well. That she was sitting up, speaking and even eating and drinking! Wow, what an improvement...even the doctors are amazed(was it the pull of the full moon that helped her recovery?)! I'm feeling the strength of the renewal and hopeful that the next few cycles will be the very time that I will finally get pregnant.
Was anyone else feeling crazy last week? Does anyone else find it interesting the impact of the lunar cycles on human behavior and emotions? Do you agree that each and every person is entitled to their happiness?
Monday. Woke up and immediately was having a terrible day. Sunday night I got the news that my mom's mom was very very sick and in the hospital dying. She did not have the strength to eat, speak...and apparently had "brain poisoning" from the cocktail of medications that the doctors were administrating in an effort to keep her alive. I woke felt guilty about not being able to be with my mother to give her strength and support(me being here in Monaco and her being in Indiana, USA). I also was mid-cycle of my period at this time. Another indicator that I wasn't pregnant. That this month was another failure.
Tuesday. Another bad day, much like Monday. Just can shake the feeling that I'm a bad person. Nothing seems to make me feel better, I just cry and cry...even sitting at my desk at work. Crying for no apparent reason, with nothing that my dear husband can say to make me feel better.
Wednesday. Feeling relatively better. I go to the 2 hour full moon yoga class at Sunshine Yoga and get some insight. Apparently the full moon this month was the "Pink Moon", and has some significance for the rebirth of spring. She said that there was a reason that we all had been feeling strange. Here's an interesting blog post about this phenomenon.
It was at this class that during our mediation/relaxation at the end Cathy said, "let everyone enjoy their own happiness." It was in that moment that I realized that whenever I find out someone had a baby, or someone else is preggo...I get jealous. But the fact is, that everyone is entitled to that happiness. And just because they got pregnant, doesn't mean that it won't happen for me. There isn't a limited number of women who can get pregnant and my friends being preggo give me less of a chance of falling pregnant. I need to be happy for each and every woman who gets to experience the magic of pregnancy and birth, and in that happiness it will help my universal pull to be just that: pregnant. And it doesn't stop there...I shouldn't judge a fat person for not having control, or not having motivation to exercise. Maybe they are happy like that...and they are ENTITLED to that happiness (and that goes for anyone no matter what makes them happy: doing drugs, drinking excessively, eating poorly, being lazy).
Thursday. Feeling better yet. Resolve to figure out our struggles of getting pregnant and make an appointment with my gynecologist.
Friday. Have a great day. Get a phone call from my mother that my grandmother is doing well. That she was sitting up, speaking and even eating and drinking! Wow, what an improvement...even the doctors are amazed(was it the pull of the full moon that helped her recovery?)! I'm feeling the strength of the renewal and hopeful that the next few cycles will be the very time that I will finally get pregnant.
Was anyone else feeling crazy last week? Does anyone else find it interesting the impact of the lunar cycles on human behavior and emotions? Do you agree that each and every person is entitled to their happiness?
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Favorite Things about Living in Monaco
So I started to make a list with all of my favorite things about living in Monaco....
-Dogs are allowed everywhere
-Opera / symphony / ballet / vernissage every single night of the week and weekend!
-The beach and the sea
-Fireworks for every occassion (Easter, Christmas, fireworks competition in July, summer, and more!)
-Cafe on every corner
-Now owning a car...taking the bus and public transportation everywhere!
-Learning to live in a small space (sounds strange, but I LOVE this)
-The mountains! Definitely none of those in Miami!
-Learning to listen. This too sounds strange, but since I don't speak the language I have to listen more and speak less...it's taught me a lot about myself. It's also a good tool to have, which I'm happy to have developed!
-Learning to live at a slower pace. My life was one big rush, from one thing to the next in Miami. Living in Monaco has taught me to slow down, that much is wasted in the rush. I have learned to enjoy the small moments, and slower pace of life.
-The way that the French & Monegasque think! Honestly, they do think differently than Americans, which is very refreshing and insightful.
-Dessert. In Miami, I never ordered dessert or had coffee after dinner. Here I nearly always take a coffee or dessert or BOTH. Again, I think this goes hand-in-hand with the slower pace of life.
-Wine and champagne. These were some of my fave things in Miami as well, but they seem to taste better here :)
-Not making plans! In Miami I had a habit of jamming my weekend with plans, and here we just go with the flow and rarely make plans. We seem to enjoy the "spur of the moment" things more so here than we ever did in Miami.
I know that there are a million other things....maybe I will publish a "Part 2" in a few months as I continue to think of more things.
-Dogs are allowed everywhere
-Opera / symphony / ballet / vernissage every single night of the week and weekend!
-The beach and the sea
-Fireworks for every occassion (Easter, Christmas, fireworks competition in July, summer, and more!)
-Cafe on every corner
-Now owning a car...taking the bus and public transportation everywhere!
-Learning to live in a small space (sounds strange, but I LOVE this)
-The mountains! Definitely none of those in Miami!
-Learning to listen. This too sounds strange, but since I don't speak the language I have to listen more and speak less...it's taught me a lot about myself. It's also a good tool to have, which I'm happy to have developed!
-Learning to live at a slower pace. My life was one big rush, from one thing to the next in Miami. Living in Monaco has taught me to slow down, that much is wasted in the rush. I have learned to enjoy the small moments, and slower pace of life.
-The way that the French & Monegasque think! Honestly, they do think differently than Americans, which is very refreshing and insightful.
-Dessert. In Miami, I never ordered dessert or had coffee after dinner. Here I nearly always take a coffee or dessert or BOTH. Again, I think this goes hand-in-hand with the slower pace of life.
-Wine and champagne. These were some of my fave things in Miami as well, but they seem to taste better here :)
-Not making plans! In Miami I had a habit of jamming my weekend with plans, and here we just go with the flow and rarely make plans. We seem to enjoy the "spur of the moment" things more so here than we ever did in Miami.
I know that there are a million other things....maybe I will publish a "Part 2" in a few months as I continue to think of more things.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Sunday Not So Funday
It's Sunday early evening and I'm working....something that next to no one in France can say they are doing at this time! Most of my friends are finishing up their day of skiing, and I'm here working.
O and did I mention that my boss hasn't paid us? Yep, our pay was due on Feb 1....it's Feb 24. What a great guy, I'm so happy to work over my weekend extra hours on his project.
YUCK!
On another note...the hubs and I are fighting (over working all weekend & still not being preggo).
Basically this morning went like this:
-Woke up...took a pregnancy test. I'm due for AF (aunt Flow) on Tuesday....it was NEGATIVE...just like the other 50 I've taken thus far. I'm defeated, but honestly it's expected since we only tried 4 times (due to David working until 1-4am every single night this month) so I wasn't that upset.
-David rolled over about an hour after that, I told him it was wierd that the test was negative since I'm having a few funny symptoms. He proceeded to tell me that I need to stop stressing, that it will happen when its meant to happen, that I shouldn't get so worked up.
Which in turn MAKES ME worked up & upset ab the situation. I start to feel shitty, and like I will never get preggo.
-We leave for church, where I proceed to CRY....in church. How embarrassing!! I was atleast able to pull myself together for communion.
-After church we poured drinks at reception, where everyone gathers for a bit of socializing. Here a friend proceeds to ask when we're having kids. I take a deep breath, trying not to cry, and say that we're leaving it up to God (since we've tried everything known to man, I didn't tell him this, but I was def thinking it!).
And now it's 6pm, and I should be in full relatxation mode, but NOPE...I'm working.
What is today's lesson?? Hmmm....that God has a master plan for an amazing child and an amazing career for David & me and that I just need to have a little patience!! Shit, I hope so!
Oh and did I mention that David's drug addict, loser friend ( I use that term loosely, more like an acquaintance) just had a baby yesterday. Oh and he has medical debit (from a drug overdose) of something like $40k. Great guy, totally deserving of a child. Lesson to be learned here?? Life isn't fair!!
Awesome weekend, can't wait for the week!
O and did I mention that my boss hasn't paid us? Yep, our pay was due on Feb 1....it's Feb 24. What a great guy, I'm so happy to work over my weekend extra hours on his project.
YUCK!
On another note...the hubs and I are fighting (over working all weekend & still not being preggo).
Basically this morning went like this:
-Woke up...took a pregnancy test. I'm due for AF (aunt Flow) on Tuesday....it was NEGATIVE...just like the other 50 I've taken thus far. I'm defeated, but honestly it's expected since we only tried 4 times (due to David working until 1-4am every single night this month) so I wasn't that upset.
-David rolled over about an hour after that, I told him it was wierd that the test was negative since I'm having a few funny symptoms. He proceeded to tell me that I need to stop stressing, that it will happen when its meant to happen, that I shouldn't get so worked up.
Which in turn MAKES ME worked up & upset ab the situation. I start to feel shitty, and like I will never get preggo.
-We leave for church, where I proceed to CRY....in church. How embarrassing!! I was atleast able to pull myself together for communion.
-After church we poured drinks at reception, where everyone gathers for a bit of socializing. Here a friend proceeds to ask when we're having kids. I take a deep breath, trying not to cry, and say that we're leaving it up to God (since we've tried everything known to man, I didn't tell him this, but I was def thinking it!).
And now it's 6pm, and I should be in full relatxation mode, but NOPE...I'm working.
What is today's lesson?? Hmmm....that God has a master plan for an amazing child and an amazing career for David & me and that I just need to have a little patience!! Shit, I hope so!
Oh and did I mention that David's drug addict, loser friend ( I use that term loosely, more like an acquaintance) just had a baby yesterday. Oh and he has medical debit (from a drug overdose) of something like $40k. Great guy, totally deserving of a child. Lesson to be learned here?? Life isn't fair!!
Awesome weekend, can't wait for the week!
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