Merci and Thank You

Today’s my birthday, and I’m so glad that I’m now old enough to stop pretending like birthdays aren’t a big deal to me. Because they are – birthdays are a huge deal! I mean, right? As my mom used to say, having one is better than the alternative of not having one, so I’m very happy to be alive, here on the planet, and to celebrate and to be celebrated. And I’m in Paris! I had a birthday in Paris! Holy crap! Which is probably why I’m a little tipsy as I type this: Kir and chardonnay, margaritas and a Guape Verte at my favorite Mexican restaurant (yes, really – in Paris), and now, a little vin rouge. That’ll do it.

Aaaaanywayyyyy, all that prefacing is really a means to say this: thank you. 2012 has been absolutely, positively, mind blowingly unbelievable, and a big part of that amazingness was the people I met through this humble little blog of mine. If you’re reading this, you are part of the awesomeness, so thank you. I never knew that writing for strangers could be so satisfying, I never dreamed that I could meet lifelong friends on the Interwebs. Thank you for commenting, for liking, for emailing, for supporting me as I shared some very personal things and also some very random things. It really has meant the world to me in a way that I can probably never adequately articulate.

As I get ready to head back to the States, I’ve been thinking a lot (read: worrying a lot) about what I’ll do after this year, and I’m already prepping for The Great 2012 Letdown, wondering how l’ll ever be able to top what I’ve done in the past 12 months. It started on the beach in Mexico with dear friends, then I traveled around America to see family and friends I don’t get to see that often, I moved to the city and country I’ve dreamed of living in since I was 14 and I now speak (and mostly understand) the language. I traveled to some of the most beautiful places in the world and then made incredible new friends from all over it.  My basketball team won the national championship, my baseball team won the World Series, and in another 7 days, I’ll begin a three-city trek back to my favorite place in the world – beautiful San Francisco – to figure out my big, fat question mark of a future. How can I top that? By pretty much any standard, that’s an amazing year. I promise you, I have never taken a shred of it for granted; I’m so grateful for every bit of it.

So thank you from the bottom of my heart for being part of the best year of my life. I feel like the luckiest person on the planet. I can’t wait see what the next 12 months holds for all of us. Joyeux anniversaire and happy birthday à vous; even if it’s not for months to come, I hope today — and every day — feels like the best and most special day of your life.  xoxoxo

Category : Expat Life
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