Before 2013 completely disappears...

As 2014 slowly approaches, I wanted to take this time to share photos of all the marvelous Christmas trees I've seen.

Just kidding. I won't put you through that torture. I think one Christmas tree is enough for this year.

 Anyways, while reading Barb's post on spending Christmas alone, her recap of 2013 had me thinking of all the events in my life throughout the year. Even though certain events didn't come out the way I wanted them to, I must say that it wasn't a completely terrible year.

Every event taught me something new and the older I seem to be getting the wiser I am becoming.

That being said, here is a recap of my 2013 and the lessons I've learned.

1. I began my internship for a non profit and was bullied by the other interns.

What I've learned: Bullying doesn't only happen in middle school.

2. I started my new job in my chosen field.

What I've learned: I'm a winner!

3. I moved in with a couple.

What I've learned: If you have options, run!

4. I reconnected with an old acquaintance through facebook.

What I've learned: Facebook brings people together.

5. I graduated college and earned my bachelors!

What I've learned: You can finish school after all.

6. Saw my ex-boyfriend with his new wifey the same day I graduated.

What I've learned: Orlando is too damn small.

7. Went to New York with one of my friends to see this so called acquaintance.

What I've learned: Never EVER go to harlem at night again.

8. This old acquaintance became my bestie and soon my not by choice friends with benefits.

What I've learned: It's okay to say no. I HAVE a choice.

9. I went to Chicago with my friends with benefits and soon realized what it was like to be used.

What I've learned: no matter how well you know a person, always listen to your gut.

10. Got my heart broken.

What I've learned: I am the only one to blame for this, but at least I didn't pay for the hotel in Chicago or New York.

11. Guy I had a crush on last year (guy I also made out with) comes back into my life.

What I've learned: They always come back.

12. Old crush quickly becomes a fling and then ends up moving away.

What I've learned: My feelings for him weren't the same as last year. Moving was the best thing he ever did (at least for me).

13. Went to Seattle to see a friend.

What I've learned: No matter how far friends are, they still care about you.

14. Saw French bean and went to Georgia.

What I've learned: Adventures are always so much fun with friends! And never trust hotel pictures, they lie about their appearance.

15. I move again with the couple and a single guy to a bigger house.

What I've learned: Rooms being too close together calls for disaster.

16. A close friend hurts me.

What I've learned: sometimes even when you don't want to, you have to let go of the negative people in your life. Even if you really care for them.

17. I go on a 7 day cruise with one of my  friends and connect with a cutie on the cruise.

What I've learned: Never give him your number.

18. Cutie and I start to "date" but in the end  it fails.

What I've learned: Things happen for a reason.

19. I take off for Christmas to Budapest.

What I've learned: Office jobs are not for me and hopefully some day I will be able to find a job that lets me travel.

This year was a crazy one for me filled with good, bad and crazy events. Even though, I didn't move to New York as planned, it gave me a chance to reflect on some of the choices I've made and now that 2013 is almost gone, I will be applying the lessons I've learned to the next chapter of my life.

Now that I've tortured you with my list of events, let me leave you with one last torturous thing.

CHRISTMAS TREES!

Have a Happy New Year!

Hanny the coffee bean

P.S. I did this whole post through my phone, so if something seems off or looks like gibberish, I blame the phone.

Merry Christmas...I Guess.

I have something to say that I never thought would be uttered in my adult life: for the first time ever, I shall be spending Christmas alone.

No family. No friends. Not even the slightest vision of sugar plum fairies dancing in my head.

Everyone that I know in France will literally be out of town on the 25th, and my dear mother remains sequestered in 80 degree weather back in Miami.

I don't quite know how to react about potentially feeling lonely on Christmas day, but I have several tasks to keep me busy.

1) Decorating the Christmas tree* with presents*.

*Actual Christmas tree and presents optional.

2) Relocating the mini poinsettia into a bigger pot.

I haven't neglected it. I tend to it every day and check to see if its soil runs dry. However, it's inexplicably dying and I've had the poor thing for only a week. I'm a horrible plant mother and therefore cannot be trusted with other plant offspring lest I want to have plant services called on me.

This is what a plant looks like when it has given up. 

3) Thoroughly cleaning and tidying my room.

I'm also a horrible room mother. Even I'm ashamed as to how much of a slob I can be.

4) Drinkin' booze.

There was a point in my young adult life in which I would drink orange juice only if it had rum in it. This week taught me that not much has changed since then.

Also: there is no more space in the booze compartment of the infamous bookcase/booze cabinet. I gotta be cold-hearted and evict some residents.

5) Pack my suitcase.

I'm headed to the Netherlands on December 26th and will celebrate New Year's Day in Amsterdam. No time to mope around the house this Christmas.

And, inevitably: 6) Light some candles and pray to the French strike gods that the SNCF and Air France don't decide to ruin my trip.

French Christmas cheer just wouldn't be the same without peppering a vacation with train delays and canceled flights.

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Since I will not be in the country prior to the end of the year, let this message serve as my well wishes to all of you lovely readers.

I'm going to forgo the annual "Re-Cap of Barb's Year" to just a few notable highlights: decided to go to Ireland, went to Ireland, met an Irishman at the airport in Paris, kept in contact with the Irishman, spent time with the Irishman in Paris, had heart broken by the Irishman, celebrated 26th birthday, went to London with 19 French middle school students, went to a Franco-American wedding in Burgundy, went home for the summer, was a bridesmaid at a friend's wedding, went to visit Coffee Bean in Orlando and took a trip together to Savannah and Atlanta, Georgia, went back to France, went to Ireland a second time.

I'd say that this Karate Chop Ninja Squirrel year featured more ups than downs overall. Let's see if 2014 turns out to be surreptitious and unexpectedly life-changing, like Ninja Squirrel in the dark.

Je vous souhaite un Joyeux Noël et une très Bonne Année/Les deseo una Feliz Navidad y un Prospero Año Nuevo/I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Barb the French Bean

The Two Six Year Olds, the Grumpy Cat and the Hoarder

My house consists of three rooms and four people. Two of them are a couple and the other two are single.

When I first moved in with my friends/roommates, I only lived with the couple. At the time, I lived in a small apartment with my own walk-in closet and a private bathroom. Life was great until the couple decided to move and well having no where else to go and very little options, I followed. We ended up moving into a bigger house with higher rent and an extra room. And that is where the story of the two six year olds, grumpy cat and the hoarder begins.

Moving into a house that has all the bedrooms close in proximity, is rarely ever a good idea. Especially, when you live with a couple. This was not a problem in the last apartment, but once we moved into the house, everything became a problem.

From the temperature in the house to the dishes in the sink. The new addition to our little "family" was both a blessing and disaster in disguise.

Of course, I never had a problem with the addition, but I did have some issues with the couple or should I say the two six year olds.

The Two Six Year Old's

AKA the couple. They are the ones who argue day in and day out. One points fingers at others when he makes a mistake and throws fits like a child, while the other one stomps her way out the door when she doesn't get her way. There is a list of things they do that puts them in this category, but this does not affect me as much as it affects the Grumpy Cat.

The Grumpy Cat

He has been my entertainment for the past few months. While the couple are always huddled in their room, he has been the very person who has kept me sane. Although, his sarcasm can be too much to handle sometimes, it has never caused an argument between us. Grumpy cat also makes silly impersonations, one being the Grumpy Cat -- Same face and all! Grumpy Cat is a neat freak and having shared a bathroom with me, he has indirectly called me a hoarder.

The Hoarder

That's me! Okay so I am not much of a hoarder, but I do have a bunch of crap in my room, which in some odd way makes me feel like a hoarder. I am usually never home, but when I am, I get annoyed by the couple from time to time, especially when the heater is on. Not only is the heater a waste of money, but it also has me sweating to death.

My living situation has been a rather interesting one with so many different characters in the house, it is no wonder that the house almost burned down! but that my dear readers is for another post.

Now that you are all well aware of my roommates, it will be much easy to talk about the crazy crap I've had to deal with this year with the two six year olds and the grumpy cat.

I've never had much luck with amazing roommates, but it's much better than the crazy roommate I had and her inmate boyfriend who used to stare me down...

I'm sure I am not the only one who has had to deal with roommates, so please share your stories and soon enough I will post about the day my house almost burned down.

Hanny the coffee bean