Think About It Thursday: Cycling Trivialities

I haven't posted on a Thursday in a while. As the title explains, Thursdays are reserved for deep thinking. Yet, I don't sit down and make myself think of a topic at a specific time or for a certain period of time; the thought process just happens, and bizarre as it is, usually on a Thursday. Perhaps, being closer to the end of the week, Thursday happens to be when all my thoughts reach the brim of what I can keep in internally, and a deluge of emotion is released. Whatever the scientific reasoning, I know that writing down my thoughts (preferably with a pen and paper) is much more therapeutic to my being than keeping everything in or explaining how I'm feeling to others verbally.

For most of the East Coast, today's forecast ain't lookin' too good. Showers upon showers, grey cloud after grey cloud, and a lowering of the recently high temperature. Personally, I love rainy days as much as sunny ones. The type and amount of rain really does determine everything for my day. On days like today, when the sun will never get the chance to peek through the clouds to say hello, I find myself either extremely motivated to work on my future, or extra nostalgic for all things, places, and people past. Somehow though, my reasoning always takes me back to square one and the need to focus on the current moment. 

This morning I decided to give Bon Iver another chance. I most certainly do not have anything against their talent; more so, this particular band reminds me of a very lost time in my life. Listening to any of the songs from the second album hits a switch in my brain, signaling that I should probably cry rivers and let snot fall from my nose like a waterfall. I most certainly am a sight when I cry, as I'm sure most of us all are. 

Why do I always cry, you wonder? I cry because I think of when I first started listening to the album. I was stressed out and exhausted and emotional. It was the week before Halloween and I was in charge of the school party. My computer died and I had no money nor insurance to fall back on in case of this quite normal circumstance. (Whose computer hasn't died on them before?) I had to rewrite all of my lesson plans, figure out Halloween games that were appropriate for three- to eleven-year-olds, prepare to have my classroom skills evaluated by the head of the English department, and return to the Préfecture to wait in line for my carte de séjour (which in the end, I never received). I immediately thought my life was awful, that I had the worst luck in the world, that I was having the worst week ever; the complaints continue. I had no idea what was coming. These were mere trivialities, arriving in one go, but trivialities nonetheless. The Apple staff in Lyon helped reprogram my computer for free. I made new lesson plans. Our school had its most successful Halloween party yet. I passed my evaluation with flying colors and received wonderful recommendations to even further improve my teaching skills. After four hours, I even received a new récépissé from the Préfecture. I made it through the week.

And then I received a call late at night. I didn't even hear my mom's voice before I realized why she was calling. My Mom-Mom was gone. 

Image courtesy of SlideShare

It will already be a month ago tomorrow that my Grandad passed away. This time death didn't come so suddenly, but it came and went nonetheless, taking another person I love and look up to, away. The weeks leading up to his death, I repeatedly listened to a song by Lord Huron, that now will be timestamped with those same feelings expressed earlier. One day last month, I called my Dad and explained how I felt too comfortable at my job, how I needed a new challenge, how I wanted to explore the world some more but didn't know where to start, and how I didn't know where exactly I wanted my life to go. Significant to one person, trivial compared to the entirety of the universe. A week after this phone call, my Dad courageously flew out to be with my Grandad while his spirit cautiously passed into the sky. Ever since, I've felt extremely guilty of even complaining about my life, of thinking, again, I had it bad; not because of my Grandad dying, but because I wasn't focusing on and recognizing each current moment as special, unique, and absolutely needed to prepare oneself for the future. Death always seems to reiterate the difference between the three tenses: past, present, and future.

Worrying about what is or is not to come is something we all struggle with, and I'm nowhere near achieving the ability to overcome that; but, I do try to remind myself that in the end, we must learn to trust our guts before allowing our reason to overtake each individual circumstance. On the same note, we can't wait around for anything to happen. Waiting produces more worry, more over thinking, more anxiety where anxiety has no place, yet or maybe even ever. We all need to dance, run, walk, do cartwheels, draw, write, or even take up the recorder again. We can't look back and worry about what was or should have been. We must accept the present, learn from the past, and look forward to, but try not stress, about the future. Most of the time what we stress about never happens. Plus, those who we miss are still with us, whether we can physically see them or not. In the end, we're just cycling trivialities.

Image courtesy of SlideShare

Until next time,

La petite pamplemousse

Sing Along Sunday: Mamacitas in May

Hello fair readers,

I hope you're enjoying this warmer weather! Today, I made my way to the local nursery and picked up new vegetable plants and flowers for my balcony. (This year's winter was certainly generous with snow; I'm actually glad now that I didn't keep any of my plants past October as I'm sure they wouldn't have made it). Anyway, I sit here, covered it dirt and sweat, and realize that I haven't posted in nearly a month. Eek!

 And what a weird month May has been. Lots of circles: emotionally, physically, and mentally. I swear that I started making a May playlist at the end of April, but my over-thinking got the best of me and I got lost in my mind for a while. A spring funk if you will. But hey, enough with the excuses, let's get down to business already, shall we?

As always, be sure to click on the link to access this month's playlist. You can also follow me on Spotify by clicking here. Please note, you need a Spotify account in order to access my monthly playlists. I've included both the artists and song titles below, so if you're not into Spotify, you can always check out my favorite women however your musical hearts desire.

Be warned, the emotions run high this month!

1. "Workin' Woman Blues" by Valerie June: Boy, does her voice gives me the chills. I feel my soul being transported to the Blue Ridge Mountains every time I hear this song.
2. "Just A Little Lovin'" by Carmen McRae: I rediscovered this song while compiling an all around American music mix for a friend.
3. "Heart Stops" by Anya Marina: I can never seem to play this song only once. You may have heard her voice before as she does the best cover of T.I.'s "Whatever You Like."
4. "Living Proof" by Cat Power: I grew very fond of Cat Power's music during my sophomore year of college. She's one of those artists that you listen to non-stop and then you give up for greener music scenes. Once you return to her music though, the sound still welcomes you with wide open arms. 
5. "Trace of You" by Anoushka Shankar and Norah Jones: When musically-inclined step-sisters finally meet, their music takes on a whole new meaning. 
6. "Chain of Fools" by Aretha Franklin: The soul, the sass, the class.
7. "Undone in Sorrow" by Crooked Still: Back to a misty meadow I go with this song. The burning ache to return to fiddle hits me every time I listen to this.
8. "Goddess" by Banks: This gal does something with her songs that is so bizarre, but feels so familiar. I can't explain it in words, though. I cannot wait to see her live next month.
9. "Dernière Danse" by Indila: I am obsessed with this gal's part in Soprano's "Hiro." I had no idea she had an album out on her own until my dear friend Soumia sent me a link to her latest hit. For a quick translation, go here.
10. "Sittin In Limbo" by Sarah Dugas: I first heard this song while driving to New Orleans. She sure knows how to sing about her sorrows.
11. "Listen With Your Heart" by Norah Jane Struthers: I really must have been missing the mountains when I made this playlist.
12. "Cry Me A River" by Julie London: Why don't songs talk about heartbreak anymore? It's just so beautiful and relatable (sorry, Ke$ha, you just don't do it for me).
13. "Merry Happy" by Kate Nash: British girls are the best at break-up songs, hands down. You always can learn something from what didn't work out.
14.  "Hurry On Now" by Alice Russell: Get ready for your troubles to melt away.
15. "Train In Vain" by Annie Lennox: Annie has been a favorite of mine since childhood.
16. "Adieu" by Coeur de Pirate: One of my go-to Canadian singers. If you would like a translation of this song, go here. 
17. "Sand in My Shoes" by Dido: I was obsessed with this song in my teenage years. As summer approaches, this song is perfect for those relationships that are effortless to get involved in, but oh-so-difficult to forget.
18. "Air Balloon" by Lily Allen: If there's a gal who doesn't give a flying f*** about anyone's opinions, it's Lily. With an album titled, "Sheezus," you have to give her props. Personally, I love her even more because of her music video parodies (check out "Hard Out Here").
19. "J'ai tant escamonté" by Zaz: This song is a dream, plain and simple.
20. "Criminal" by Fiona Apple: How could I make a female playlist without including this lady?
21. "My Blood" by Ellie Goulding: Personally, I think this tops "Burn" on any given day. Another dream-like, fluid composition.
22. "New Strings" by Miranda Lambert: I know, I know, I claim to hate country...but she's the one country singer that I do admit listening to (probably because of her kick ass attitude).
23. "My Moon My Man" by Feist: Last, but certainly not least, an old favorite which got me through many work shifts selling jewelry and all things Swedish.

If anything, I hope you have found a few new gals to check out further after this post.

On a side musical note, I was ecstatic to see Chet Faker live this past Thursday. He did a great job and got extra bonus points in my book after telling everyone: "Put down your fucking phones, there's already like 100 versions of this on YouTube. Just enjoy and dance." Preach! I know I got my dance on!

I hope you have a wonderful week!

A la prochaine,

La petite pamplemousse

Atlanta: Home of the 1996 Olympic Games, Largest Civil War Museum, and Margaret Mitchell

As promised, I have more to tell you about my days down in Atlanta, Georgia. If you missed my previous post on CNN Center and the World of Coca-Cola, be sure to read that post first!

As my friend took her midterm exams and handed in papers, I continued to explore the city on my own. On my third day there, I decided to learn more about the history of Atlanta. I took the MARTA and then a bus to get to the Atlanta History Center out past Peachtree. I felt a bit out of place walking on the side of the road with all of the BMW, Mercedes Benz, and Audi cars driving by me. After passing a few swanky bridal shops and hotels, I made it to my destination. 

First, I headed into the Centennial Olympic Games Museum. There I absorbed as much information as I possible could on the general history of the Olympic Games, Atlanta's bid to host, and what happened in each event during those 17 days in July 1996. I loved seeing how the number of athletes and events increased with each round of Olympic Games. It was also pretty cool to see each of the mascots and the cultural reasoning behind them all. I most definitely do not remember Izzy (aka Whatizit)! Most interesting of all though, was seeing how political tension between countries can change and even cancel the infamous international sporting event.

Examples of the Olympic medals handed out to athletes in 1996.

The flame was flown from Greece and then transported by train!

Next, I wandered through Turning Point: The American Civil War exhibit. One of the nation's largest and most complete exhibits, Turning Point boasts more than 1,500 artifacts, from both sides of the Civil War. Walking through the rooms, I learned about the complications and intricacies of firearms, what both Confederate and Union soldiers wore and carried with them, the importance of the Postal Service, and even how bank notes worked back in the 19th century. I easily spent two hours in that exhibit, soaking up as much American history as I possible could.

Old Civil War letters

Confederate bank notes

Largest collection of Civil War mortars

Oldest standing wagon from the Civil War

Next, I headed outside to wander the grounds. I walked through the old Smith family farm, which was built in the 1840s. The house was originally located outside of Atlanta, but was moved to its current spot in the 1970s. Surprisingly, unlike the rest of the city, the house survived both the Civil War and the Reconstruction era.

Original slave home from the Smith family farm

Modernity peeks out from behind an old well on the Smith family farm.

Spring is here!

Peace statue

I took my time following the little trail around the 22 acres of land the Atlanta History Center owns. I saved the Swan House for last. Edward Inman was the heir to a large cotton brokerage fortune in the post-Civil War era. After acquiring land in Buckhead, he hired the firm of Hentz, Reid, and Adler to design a home for his family. Philip Trammel Shutze designed the home and adapted Italian and English classical styles (which are quite apparent when you walk through the place.) There are swans throughout the home, as well as eagles, one of Mr. Inman's favorite animals. The Inmans moved into the house in 1928; sadly, just three years later, Mrs. Inman was left alone in the large house after her husband suffered from a heart attack. She lived in the house until 1965. The Atlanta Historical Society purchased the house, land, and furnishings a year later.

The Swan House

Hello lovely!

Walking up the back entrance

Tacky as anything!

Mrs. Inman's bathroom, which is covered with fake marble because she wasn't pleased with the real marble! 

Another tacky bedroom!

After a long walk through the gardens, I made my back to the bus stop and then back to Midtown. My ticket to enter the Atlanta History Center included entrance to Margaret Mitchell's old apartment which was located a convenient block or so from where I was staying. I just made it in time to catch the last tour of the day. Author of the classic Southern love novel, Gone With The Wind, Margaret Mitchell was born and raised in Atlanta. A feisty little lady, Margaret claimed that Scarlett was in no way based off of her own life; however, my tour guide was sure to point out quite a few similarities. Supposedly, she had read all of the books in the local library that her husband told her it was time she wrote her own. Whenever company arrived unexpectedly, she would throw a towel over the typewriter to hide what she was working on; however, people talk and most of Atlanta knew she was up to something spectacular.

Margaret Mitchell lived on the first floor.

Mitchell's old apartment complex

After checking out Margaret's house and watching a short documentary on the trials and tribulations of making Gone With The Wind into a movie, I headed over to Piedmont Park. There I wandered the paths and stumbled across an odd-looking family of ducks. My phone conveniently died right around the time I was supposed to meet with my friend, but luckily I was able to plug my phone in at the Georgia Tech bookstore.

Atlanta has odd ducklings!

View from the park

I found my friend and we headed off to grab a quick bite to eat before seeing Aziz Ansari at the Fox Theater. Aziz admitted to being in a relationship during his show, which was extremely unexpected given his comedy shows usually revolve around the single, childless life. His jokes were just as hilarious as usual, but it was still a bit mind boggling to accept the now taken Aziz as reality. By the end of the night, my friend thought her spleen had burst;I was rubbing my cheeks because they hurt so much from laughing.

I loved the Middle Eastern decorations.

Inside the Fox Theater

This guy

He made me cry from laughter.

I must shamefully admit that I was unable to make it to the Martin Luther King Jr. historical site before it closed, but now I have an excuse to return back to this lovely city in the future.

The next morning we left bright and early for my favorite Southern city, New Orleans. I could not wait to revisit the Big Easy and see how far she had come since I last helped out as the JMU May ASB group leader. Tune in next week for my posts on New Orleans and the recent Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C.

Bonne fin de journée!

La petite pamplemousse

Sing Along Sunday: Alive and Active in April

Good afternoon,

I hope you're all enjoying your day and making the most of this much warmer weather! I am more than excited to see the sun stay up longer each day, especially after working the night shift last year. (Going to bed at 4 pm was not fun.) While a friend and I have been doing a great job of taking walks on Sundays, I'm hoping to switch completely out of the elliptical/treadmill mode and go explore the great outdoors now that running in a park no longer requires three or more layers!

Speaking of running, back in January I (like everyone else each New Year) vowed to take better care of myself. I realized that dancing 2-3 times a week wasn't enough for me. I also noticed that my eating habits weren't as consistently healthy as I thought. So I asked my super(fit)woman sister for some advice on where to start. She suggested starting with the 100 by VDay Challenge by the girls at Tone It Up. Not only did I stick to the routine, I completed more than 150 miles by February 14th. Like anyone who completes a goal, short or long term, I felt more determined, more confident, and more energetic as a result. I'm super excited to join their next challenge, the Bikini Series, and continue getting myself into tip top shape for summer.

On that note, this month's playlist revolves around being active and alive. The first ten songs I listen to when warming up. The middle ten or so songs I run to and are mostly comprised of club mixes to get my heart rate up. The remaining songs are used for a cool down or when I just want to get my dance on around my apartment. As always, you can subscribe to this particular playlist by going here, or you can follow me on Spotify by clicking on this link. You can also search for these songs on YouTube if you're not a fan/member of Spotify. Please note that two of these songs are not found on Spotify, so you'll have to click on the link below to have a listen!

Get ready to sweat your Sunday away!

1. "Never Go Back" by Grace Potter & The Nocturnals: I love doing a combination of 90s-style side steps and stretching to this song. 
2. "Shameless" by Lissie: Lissie has amazing lyrics, an incredible voice, and one heck of a kick ass attitude.
3. "I Follow Rivers" by Lykke Li: I'm anxiously awaiting Lykke Li's new album, I Never Learn, which is due to release on May 6th. She is by far one of my favorite Swedish artists who never fails to entertain with her lyrics, beats, or dance moves.
4. "Beat (Healthy, Life, and Fire)" by Thao with The Get Down Stay Down: When I listen to this song I imagine biking down a country road with flowers in my hair. In said daydream, I also imagine kicking my bike to the curb to jump (by tire swing) into a lake.
5. "Riptide" by Vance Joy: Gosh I love how he stresses the word "green." Despite the upbeat tempo, this song is quite depressing when you listen carefully to the lyrics. But hey, pass me a tambourine and let's go skipping around to this song in a field anyways! 
6. "This Head I Hold" by Electric Guest: Every time I listen to this song, I do the twist and imagine what my life would have been like if I lived in the 1950s. 
7. "Disparate Youth" by Santigold: I love the music video for this song! I've been a fan of Santigold ever since I saw her open for T.I. & Jay-Z back in 2007. If I ever go into urban belly dancing, I've decided this will be my first solo song. 
8. "Clap Your Hands" by Sia: Who doesn't get excited by a song asking you to clap your hands? 
9. "Carry Me" by Bombay Bicycle Club: For some reason my mind imagines the Blue Man Group banging their drums to this song, paint splattering everywhere. 
10. "Big Hoops (Bigger The Better)" by Nelly Furtado: This lady gets me. I always want to fly like a bird and definitely prefer big hoops to small ones.
11. "Black & Blue" by Miike Snow: I forgot about this song until I took a road trip to New Orleans with my best friend. We got a little too into harmonizing/air instrument playing during that drive, but seriously, why wouldn't you want to goof around to this song?
12. "La Réalité" by Amadou & Miriam: My Swedish friend turned me onto this song back in 2006. I remember this being one of our many closing shop songs, vodka and Redbull in hand. 
13. "Waves of Change (Kaskade Remix)" by Samantha James: This is a great song to listen to if you need a consistent beat to get through that one mile mark. 
14. "Blessed - Avicii Mix" by Tom Hangs: A great song to jump around to, especially when out in the club.
15. "Silhouettes" by Avicii: This song gets me up those hills! 
16. "Calinda" by Laurent Wolf: Can you feel the sunshine pouring through your eardrums? I sure can.
17. "Paris (Aeroplane Remix)" by Friendly Fires: This was my theme song in 2010. I applied to become a teaching assistant in France and played this song nonstop while waiting to see if I was accepted, hoping that my dream to live in France would come true. I still can't believe I've accomplished that dream already!
18. "You've Got The Love (XX Remix)" by Florence & The Machine:  This is my favorite song to do sprints to when outside. Just wait for the xylophone crescendo. Ah, music porn.
19. "As3ad Wa7da" by Elissa : I became obsessed with this song when I was in Tunisia for a wedding. Elissa's voice makes me want to pack up my stuff, run away, and fall in love with a stranger on the other side of the world. You can find the English translation here. 
20. "My Feelings For You" by Avicii, Sebastien Drums: I first heard this song in a club in France. Lots of posing involved when you dance along to the beat, but it also has a great tempo for running. 
21. "Something Good Can Work" by Two Door Cinema Club: I love this band and often listen to them to get pumped up for the weekend. Here's a remix of one of their most popular songs. Keep running!
22. "Lover to Lover" by Florence & The Machine: If I could belt this out while running, that would be something! But, typically you can find me twirling, clapping, and jumping around to this while cleaning or getting my weights out for my toning work out.
23. "Dancin' (KRONO Remix)" by Aaron Smith: He knows exactly how I feel about dance.
24. "Dedication To My Ex (Miss That)" by Lloyd, Andre 300, Lil' Wayne: Despite the dirty language, I can't help but love this song. Plus any song featuring Andre 3000 is golden in my humble opinion.
25. "Luv Back" by Jazmine Sullivan: This gal can sing and boy does she do a great job belting out her frustration with men! I dig the reggae vibe on this track.
26. "Nothing To Worry About" by Peter Bjorn and John: You might know have heard of these guys back when their hit, "Young Folks," was big. Their most recent albums have a more bizarre feel to them. Go ahead and clap the stress away with this song; you shouldn't worry about anything!
27. "Mamma Knows Best" by Jessie J: "Do It Like A Dude" is a classic work out song for me, however, I couldn't resist the temptation to add this to the list. The girl can rock it!
28. "Bumaye" by Major Lazer, Busy Signal: Oh how I love to get low to this song! (How can you not shake it when you hear that beat?) I go nuts when this comes on, whether at Zumba, in the club, or just at home. Be sure to check out the music video for some hard core Caribbean dance moves.
29. "Feel" by Bombay Bicycle Club: Here's another band that's got me in an obsessed daze. Their music videos are always so creative and this one takes the cake. I love how they always incorporate dancing no matter the tempo. 
30. "Ramble On" by Led Zeppelin: This song makes me feel like I could burst from happiness. You could use this for running, for driving, or even a little interpretive dancing/air guitar. 
31. "Go Your Own Way" by Fleetwood Mac: For some crazy reason, I think this song would be great for a dance duet, Dirty Dancing style.
32. "Like A Mighty River" by St. Paul & The Broken Bones: I was just recently introduced to this group. All I've got to say is sweet Jesus, that voice. 

I hope you enjoy this month's playlist. If you have any go-to running, dancing, or iron pumping songs, please let me know! I'm always looking for new tunes.

Enjoy your week and à très bientôt!

La petite pamplemousse