En Pause in the Country
People that live in big cities can understand when I say it’s a love hate relationship. There is nothing as exhilarating as city life. The uncertainty of any given day is exciting. The vibrancy and energy of city life can become addicting. It takes a certain type of person to want to live the urban life. Even with that, there are different levels. Our life in Paris is entirely different than our life in Pittsburgh. City life in Pittsburgh is different than that of Chicago life and the New York City life is different than the Chicago city life. I still get butterflies when I’m landing in New York. That’s the only city where I get that feeling. Chicago is a new city for us, and we are still in the discovery stages there. Pittsburgh feels like home. But Paris… Ahhh Paris! I have no words for Paris. Paris is an entirely different level.
Either you love Paris or you hate it. I personally love it. This past weekend we went to a farmer’s expo. It was quite interesting considering that I am a city girl. My family has a history of country and farm life, so perhaps it is ancestral. I was surprised how comfortable I felt in that kind of atmosphere. I posted some pictures of our adventure on social media and a friend quipped that I was going to become a farmer’s wife. The funny thing about his statement is that my husband’s family are actually farmers on his father’s side. Yes, they make and produce champagne, but the root of that is farming. Country life and city life do go hand in hand. Without that country life, there could be no city life. At the expo we saw the beginning of all the luxury items that city people crave. Everything has a beginning. The beginning is necessary for the end results. It’s really disappointing that country life is considered undesirable by so many of the city folk. It’s truly a wonderful life and it’s necessary.
I know that I myself will never be actively involved in the farming life. I am not that hardy. I do, however, appreciate it. I do enjoy dipping the proverbial toe into the water that is country life. I find that the peacefulness and quietude are essential for me to regroup. Pierre and I often jest about our house in Pittsburgh being our “country” house. Not because of the location, but because it’s a reset for us. It’s a place for us to take a breath away from the hustle and bustle that is Paris. We love the energy that is Paris. Anyone that lives in a high-energy city will tell you that it is important to take a step out of that kinetic space and to reset oneself. As Pierre and I move forward, we are reworking out the dynamics of how our life balance will look in the near future. I am a planner, so it’s very exciting for me. I am fortunate to have a partner that not only supports me but is flexible and willing to believe in me and to believe in us. He knows so much about so many areas in life and I know about some things that he doesn’t. We make a great team. As we shift locations and paradigms, I am wondering if I should change the name of this blog. I was born and raised in Pittsburgh. That part of me will never be erased. Pittsburgh is the mold that made me. Paris is a forever home. No matter where we navigate in the world, we will always return to Paris. So perhaps I will keep the name. I named this Paris to Pittsburgh not in a chronological way, but because I step back into my roots when we return to Pittsburgh. I go from Paris back to Pittsburgh. It made sense to me. That little North Braddock girl will always be there inside my soul. So, even though we may physically move away, that part of myself will live on in my heart. Paris to Pittsburgh to Chicago to Champagne. I am excited for this next chapter. Allé allé allé!
