I am a few months shy of 28.
By my 25th birthday, I had traveled more than most people do in a lifetime.
My first year out of Furman, I worked as a live-in au pair for a half-French, half-Irish family in Le Vésinet, the wealthiest suburb of Paris. I proceeded to fall in love with my three best friends. Instead of exchanging rings, we all go matching tattoos.
The following year, I moved to Niort, where I worked as an English Teaching Assistant, and I lived with the Spanish Teaching Assistant.
I then spent a summer in Columbus, Ohio, interning with my sorority’s history museum. I also became best friends with Libbi and Henry that summer, and I started dating Dan. It was a summer for the history books!
After my internship, I moved to Mamoroneck, New York, where I was again a live-in au pair for a French family. I adopted my oldest child, Ali, as my twin sister, and I miss the whole family terribly. After six months in New York, we all moved to Toronto, and I finished my job in my third country in three years.
I’ve had some amazing adventures, but they’re not enough for me.
I want to do them again.
This time, with Dan.
I’m proud that I accomplished so much as a strong, independent young woman, but I want to accomplish them again as a strong, independent young woman head-over-heels in love with her husband.
Besides, he needs someone to drag him across Europe. Did y’all know that he applied for his first passport the day I told him I was moving to Toronto? True love.
To Do (Again)
Go to Disney World.
Dan has never been to Disney World. I know. I almost didn’t marry him for that. My family went to the four main parks when I was in the 6th grade. I did just EPCOT on my 8th grade field trip. Then my Kappa Big Dani and I went to Magic Kingdom for one day in Summer 2006. We spent two days at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and MGM Studios for Spring Break 2007. I have not been back since then, a tragedy if there ever was one.
See a concert at Red Rocks.
I grew up listening to my mom talk about how amazing Red Rocks is. If you’ve never been, it’s a natural amphitheatre in Colorado with incredible acoustics and a breathtaking view of the Denver skyline. Back in 2007, my brothers, cousins, and I saw Modest Mouse in concert there. My hair was frizzing, I was wearing my comfy and NOT cute airport outfit, and it was drizzling, but I was rocking out in the world’s most beautiful amphitheatre with my best friend (and step-cousin) Noah by my side.
Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower.
I’ve done this twice, sort of. The first time I was studying in Versailles, and I went up the Eiffel Tower with my friends Ellen and Arthur. We were there too late to go to the top, but we took the elevator to the second level. It was magical to see Paris at night from such a famous landmark. The second time was right before I left France. My best friend McPhee visited me at the end of my job in Niort, and we went to the very top of the Eiffel Tower. This was in the afternoon, so it was a completely different view of Paris. Again, magical.
Sunbathe topless in the South of France.
I did this in both Nice and in Antibes. No one batted an eye, probably because at least half the women on both beaches were topless.
Visit my cousins in Norway.
Hands-down, one of the coolest things I’ve ever done is meet one set of cousins in Oslo, take the train to Voss, hang out with tons more cousins, take the train back to Oslo, and spend time with another set of cousins. My name can be traced back to the “Original Brita,” who came to America from Norway in the late 1800s. The Americans and Norwegians have stayed in touch the entire time! I loved meeting my extended family and learning more about my roots.
I’m linking up with Kiki for The Circle. What cool things have you accomplished? Do you want to do them again? If so, by yourself or with someone? Leave me a comment!
I want to do almost all the cool things I’ve done alone over again with Jon! That’s probably why I drag him to all my old haunts whenever we go somewhere I’ve lived – New York, Paris, etc. Doesn’t make us any less strong or independent, I don’t think – you can’t dilute an experience by sharing it, you can only enhance it!
Exactly! My experiences in France contribute so much to who I am. By sharing the places behind those experiences, not only will they be even better, but he’ll understand me more. 🙂
I have pretty much the opposite wish – I’m proud of myself for adventuring after college, but if I could go back and do it again, I’d be single for the Korea years. Let’s just say: when your housing is tied to your teaching contract, but you break up. . .it’s all kinds of awkward.
Nooooooo!
Can you at least laugh about it now?
Hah, it is a bit hilarious in hindsight; so glad that period’s over!
Brita – I love the “things I would do again” spin you took on the reverse bucket list. Might have to do this with my own list. Thanks for sharing!
I have a long history of putting a fresh spin on whatever fun topic Kiki gives us for The Circle each month. 😉
Go you! Keep it up!
I definitely don’t consider myself much of a traveler, but I’m happy that my early life brought me to SE Asia and I love that I get to be back here again, this time with my man. Angel’s never been to Disneyworld–and he grew up for 20 years in Anaheim and worked down the street from the park in high school and his family only went there once when he was 5. Granted, that was probably a smart choice on their part as finances were really really tight…but I don’t think he appreciates theme parks quite as much as he should.
I find it amusing that an ex-pat doesn’t see herself as a traveler.
I’ve actually been to Disneyland in CA a lot too. When I was a kid, my family lived in Santa Ana, so we went once or twice a year. I visited my old friends when I was 15, and we spent two days doing Disneyland and California Adventures.
By far I am most envious of your visit with family in Norway! One side of my family emigrated from Sweden, and we know we still have relatives there. But we don’t know them. My mom has just started trying to trace the ancestry, and with such awesome tools as Facebook and Ancestry.com, we hope to connect with them one day.
The Original Brita is definitely the reason we’re still in touch with all of them. She wrote letters back to her family and to her husband’s family for decades, all the way up until her death. My cousins in Norway showed me some of the letters!
I actually have Norwegian ancestry through both my maternal grandmother AND grandfather, but we only know the cousins through my grandmother’s side. Her maiden name is the name shared by many of those cousins still in Norway.
That is so cool! I LOVE family histories and hearing about other people’s immigration stories!
Going to the Eiffel Tower is on my real to-do bucket list! That’s so cool you got the chance to travel so much. I’ve traveled a lot in the states it seems, but I haven’t been to many other countries.
I could have written an entire blog post on JUST the Eiffel Tower. I also plan on having at least one picnic there with my husband, one of my favorite pastimes from when I lived in France!
My husband has also traveled extensively within the States (so have I), but the only “foreign” country he’s been to is Canada… to visit me! I had the benefit of studying in France (and traveling to Madrid, Vienna, and Prague) before working there for two years (and traveling to London and to Norway).
This is unique!! I kind of like it!! Now I want to make one 🙂
I like putting my own spin on the prompts for The Circle.
I have never heard of a do over bucket list but I think this is a great idea. I love it!!
Ha, probably because I made it up! 😉
this is such a neat take on a bucket list!!! i want to do a few things over with my husband also – here’s to making them happen!!
I love sharing things I’ve done before with Sam – not because I feel the need to relive them – but because the memories of some of them are so nice and so special to me, that I want same to experience it to so that he can understand and maybe even feel why they are so important/cool to me. x
Wow. I’ve only ever seen Europe in pictures and am definitely jealous of your traveling. It’s seriously so fun and exciting to go to new places and see different things!
So many cool travel experiences! How cool is it that you’ve been an au pair in so many different places. I’m sure you created tons of memories with each family you worked for! 🙂
And I hope you get to experience all of those things with Dan soon!
Thanks for linking up!
Wow! What exciting experiences you’ve had! I loved how you put it together as a story! The top of the Eiffel Tower and sunbathing topless!! It’s like a movie! 🙂
Such a cool list, going to Disney World again is also on my list!
Diana L. My Reverse Bucket List.
I’ve been topless at a beach in Nice too! Of course I was only 1-year-old at the time, so not quite the same… but I still think it counts! 🙂