The French Connection

Finally...the prodigal blogger returns! It has been ages since a post..sorry to be off the grid for so long, but it's been a very busy couple of weeks...I've got lots to catch you up on!

A major event happened on May 23...I said my final farewell to Kimberly Clark. My team and colleagues had a fun and sweet going away party for me...lots of good wishes, nice parting gifts (including a few creative ones like a chef hat/welding helmet combo), a few embarrassing photos and stories...but, most importantly a time to say goodbye to folks I cared about. It was nice and it actually felt very "right"...a mix of sadness but with an air of looking forward and lots of good wishes. Although it felt VERY strange to be pulling out of 1400 Holcomb Bridge Road for my last time as a KC employee, I was ready and felt very much at peace.
I didn't really get much of a chance to think about being unemployed since I had about 3 days to finish getting us ready to head to France for a month of vacation. Guy and I left on Saturday May 26 for 4 weeks...a major holiday for us.
We spent the first week of our trip in the French countryside near Toulouse, staying with friends and just doing lots of sightseeing and enjoying the culture. The second week was a bike trip along the Canal du Midi (yes, you read that correctly, I said bike trip!). It was a great trip! We have captured the details of our first two weeks in France on a different blog...a travel blog that Guy and I did together...in case you want to see more details about those 2 weeks, follow the link below.

http://whirlingdirvishes.ontheroad.to/the-french-connection/

Last Saturday Guy and I went our separate ways for the remaining two weeks of our holiday. He headed out to Switzerland for some heavy duty biking, while I met up with some good friends for two weeks of wine, food and relaxation. My next few posts will share the details of the first week, a small group wine trip in Provence and the Rhone Valley! Its an amazing experience and a real treat!

So, it's good to be back on the blog...I'm looking forward to sharing my experiences and inspirations from my time in France over the next two weeks. I thought I would share just a few photos of some of the beautiful food I have seen already...if you are anything like me, it will make your mouth water and greatly increase your admiration for the French people...c'est si bon!