ForestqueenNYC's VirtualTourist Home Page

May 2008: I have been back in France since January and it's almost time for me to leave again. Time flies. Because of the value of the dollar in Europe, I am not sure where I will go next. Paris has become like home to me, but everytime I walk out the door, I spend twice what I would have the first time I lived in France. Well I have until next January to decide.

I haven't added anything to my Paris page because I get internet so sporadically, mainly when I go to MacDonalds and by the time I have finished checking the email and news sites my battery is dead. So I will work on it during the summer. I don't ever expect to be in the top five Paris posters, though.

March 8, 2007 update: I am back in Paris for three months. I arrived on the first of March after changing planes, Lufthansa, in Frankfurt. They didn't stamp my passport there and I am a bit concerned, but have since lost my passport so now that is worrying me even more. I will further update, as time passes, with new tips and photos.

November 2, 2005 update: I will be leaving for Paris next week and will be traveling for the next six months, mostly in France and Italy. I hope to stay in touch with VT especially in the Miscelleneous Forums. Will probably not be posting on any of my travel pages.
Francesca

Please note that the external webpage I have listed is not my own, but it is a terrific site especially for women who travel alone. But please, even if you travel with someone, take a look. It is chock-full of information.

Now for my brief story.

A few months before my 50th birthday, after having raised two sons, I sold my house and almost everything I owned, including my car, and started my new adventure. I moved to Europe.

My children were young adults and had recently left home to start their own new lives. Sadly, these little fellows on this page were going to have to leave home, too.

My cat, my baby girl, Lady, had been with me for 10 years. She moved in with my older son, but about a year or so after I left, she "motored" out to California with my nephew. There she lived, happy as a cat, with my sister until she was 23 years old.

Fred was quite a bit younger than Lady and alot less demanding. He stayed behind with my son until he got married--my son, that is. Then Fred went first class by plane to California and joined his sister, Lady.

I never did discuss with Fred how he liked the trip on the plane. I am sure he would have had a lot to say about it, because, like Lady, he was quite a talker. I bet the two of them compared notes when he arrived in California, where he joined a household of cats and dogs.

As you can see, he loved to sunbathe. I don't think he ever got that nice California tan that his catmates had though.

Willie had been my most loyal companion for 10 years. Part Border Collie, you couldn't find a better dog.

It broke his heart and mine when I left, although, he went to his original owner, my oldest son. But you know how that is--Mom is Mom, even to dogs.

He was about 14 years old when he went to his home in the sky. I still miss him.

Roy is not my dog. He belongs to my sister. I love Roy as if he is my own. As my brother-in-law has said, he is like a best buddy, someone you like to hang out with.

Roy is a very funny dog. My sister told me that she and her husband were sitting out in the back yard and heard him in the kitchen barking. She went in and saw him sitting alone by the counter barking at an empty Chinese take out container.

He also likes to have all the attention. He doesn't like it when I am talking to his mother. He will sit at my feet and look up at me and bark until we stop talking. We haven't figured out whether he wants the attention from her or me. He only does this when she and I are talking.

Just looking at Roy's face makes me smile.

In 1996, after living in France and Italy for four years, I returned to the United States. For about six months, I went through reverse cultural shock which was manifested by depression. I was warned about this, but that didn't help lessen it. I have adjusted since my reentry, but my yearning to go back and live has never diminished. I have returned several times for short visits.

To avoid loneliness while living there, I always enrolled in a language class even if I were there for only a month, as I did when I was in Rome two years ago. In Aix and Florence, where I lived for two years each, I attended the universities there as well as design schools in each city.

It wasn't that difficult to meet people through my classes and there are clubs for Americans in both Florence and Aix-en-Provence. I tried to meet mainly French and Italian people, though, since I wanted to learn the languages. It was much easier to meet French people. Unfortunately, in both countries they also wanted to practice their English, so I can't say I became fluent.

Although, most of the people I met would only be acquaintances, I was invited into their homes for dinner and parties and, at least, I would have someone to take a coffee with in the mornings and lunch in the afternoon. I have, of course, made some very good friends in both countries and we have maintained regular communication through email, phone calls, and visits.

I do not consider my self an expat and I love my country. I love New York and I have a beautiful interesting life here with wonderful friends and family who love me. I would never think of leaving the U.S. permanently, but there is something in my spirit that feels so at home in Europe, even by myself.

In November, I am planning to return for a lengthier stay than my last two visits and, taking it one month at a time, it will be interesting to see what happens.
August 15, 2005

I didn't know Marvin. I found him on the internet and fell in love with him. I wanted to have a cat just like him. I searched for months on cat rescue sites and sphynx catteries looking for another Marvin. He wasn't to be found.

For the last couple of days I have been using his photo as my I.D., I decided to look him up again. To my great sadness, I found that he had died. So out of respect for him, I am no longer using his photo as my I.D.

I will miss him, though I never knew him.

http://www.sphynxcat.net/sphynx_page.html

Francesca
September 16, 2005

Isn't he adorable. Actually he is so ugly he is cute. I love this little fellow although he isn't mine. His name is Monster. I don't know why. He is my nephew's cat.

This is one of my favorite breeds only for his appearance. He has the a similar type of nose as Marvin. Probably a bit too strong for a grandmother to be walking.