movies and life.

Something fun that my guy and I like to do together is watching movies. We don't really have any of the same hobbies besides this. I like hiking and skiing and running and taking walks and reading. He isn't into those things. He thinks hiking is a strange thing to do and can't ski or run because of his multiple knee surgeries. I occasionally get him to come for a walk with me but let's face it... that's very rarely. So, the one thing that we can do together is watching movies and we both love that. Since we like spending time together, we watch a lot of movies. This would seem like a terrible habit to have because we spend a lot of time indoors, but in a city that is constantly covered in clouds and plagued with precipitation, it isn't a completely abnormal hobby to have.

I could make a list of 100 movies that we love, but I think I will save your time and mine by giving you a little list of the movies we have watched recently that we really liked.

Here it is (as I thought of them, in no particular order)

The Next 3 Days

Loosies

crazy. stupid. love.

Limitless

50/50

Soul Surfer

Drive

Colombia

The Help

Sarah's Key (read the book before... couldn't put it down)

In other news, I have some pictures to share from my week at home in NJ. All of these pictures are with my family <3 Check out the baby's face!!!

What I'm listening to right now:

N'oublie Jamais

So when I first arrived in France, we decided a good way for me to practice my French would be to watch movies in French. We've only watched one of the five we bought that night - N'oublie Jamais (The Notebook). I read the book way before it became a hit blockbuster, and I will admit that I actually still loved the movie which, for me, is NEVER the case. It is such a beautiful love story, and I don't think anyone, male or female, could deny that.  I could probably watch that movie 100 times and never get tired of it.

I think maybe I'm just feeling romantic right now after a wonderful weekend in Paris. We had such an amazing time, and I have plenty of pictures to share. We met up with a wonderful couple, friends of his from school. We ate good food. We saw so much of the city. And, I fell in love with Paris and my man all over again.

...And, it got me to thinking of The Notebook and how true romance is possible and how it isn't always easy. Our journey hasn't been easy, but as my favorite quote from the movie goes...

"So it's not gonna be easy. It's gonna be really hard. We're gonna have to work at this every day, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, you and me, every day." 

So look at me... I'm living in France. What am I sacrificing really? Sure, I miss my family and friends. I know that I will always go see them though. I will visit them often. It won't change my love for them or their love for me. France... could be worse. This is a wonderful place for people to come visit! If my love is here, that's where I want to be. And, that leads me to my second favorite quote from The Notebook...

"That's my sweetheart in there. Wherever she is, that's where my home is." And, it's true.

Back in Action!

I have neglected to blog for over three months now because life has been a bit crazy (hence the title of the blog). Let me catch you up!

Thanks to the wonderful and beautiful Katherine's hookup, my love and I rang in the New Year in high style at a swanky loft party in midtown NYC. I loved the chance to dress up, and I love seeing my man looking as handsome as ever in his suit, vest, and tie! He cleans up well! Unfortunately, I have ZERO pictures to share because we were having such a great time!

My wish for the New Year was simple: bliss. Maybe it's not logical or practical but I have been hoping and praying for a year that would be simple, painless, and blissfully happy. Last year, although full of many great memories, was a bit of a disaster. I was robbed. I moved twice. I changed my job's location yet again. I could go on... but on the positive, I was blessed with good health as was my family. I met the love of my life. My true friends became clear to me. Personally, I grew stronger.

Fast forward to March 2011 and I'm living in France. I am excited for what the future will bring. I will be sure to be a better blogger so I can keep my friends and family in the states in the know. By reading my blog, you can come on this journey with me as I stop wishing for bliss and start creating it.

Lately.

I have neglected to blog lately because I've been so busy! It's no excuse and I promise I will be a better blogger from this day forward. With that being said, I'll fill you in on what I've been doing lately.

Lately, I....
*started a new job in a new place
*moved back home with the parents
*have been apartment hunting online and around the NYC area like crazy
*saw a few great movies (see the next post)
*spent Thanksgiving weekend with my love, my parents, and my favorite aunt, Bonnie
*contacted a few old friends and made plans for dinner and such now that I'm back home in Toms River
*Christmas shopped
*received an early birthday present from my parents - Wii!!!!! :)
*walked around the shops in Bryant Park and postponed my plans to go ice skating at Rockefeller Center because of the insane line... maybe this week?
*started to really feel like an adult and realized I need to find some more direction in my life so I can be blissfully happy... suggestions?
*realized I need to get my butt in gear and start fundraising for Friends Across Borders - please let me know if you'd like to donate ($15 is enough money to send 1 child in Morocco to school for a year, including transportation and we have a tax ID number now so you can write it off!!) **contact me at kaylanreabold@gmail.com
*also realized I need to get on a work out routine which means eliminating my exhausting commute!
*have vowed to be a better girlfriend, a better daughter, a better niece, a better cousin, a better friend, even a better sister! Whatever it takes.

A Not So Thrilling Thursday...

My Thursday off was supposed to be relaxing... and it kind of was... for the first few hours...

 I was lucky enough to have off on Veteran's Day. Naturally, I wanted to do the usual weekend activities. Every Saturday and Sunday my love and I wake up and debate whether or not to get bagels. I really don't understand why we do this because we both want the bagels and we both know we're going to end up going. We walk the six or seven blocks to The Bagel Store where we are greeted by Michelle who knows me by name (knows me by name meaning she calls me Katelin but I am used to that).  We always call ahead and order first otherwise the wait is absurdly long for a bagel (but probably still worth it). We order the same thing every time. Well, just like on a Saturday, we walked to get our bagels but on the way back, I popped into a coffee shop only to be disappointed when they didn't have pumpkin spiced coffee.

I wouldn't have even been on that side of the road if I hadn't decided to detour to the coffee shop but since I did, I saw the crime scene that was my cute, little car. My window had been broken and I was afraid to even look any closer.


Because of my impending move, the backseat of my car had clothes on hangers laying across it and once the mean, mean thieves saw those goodies - they broke the window, popped the trunk, and ransacked my whole car. They took my GPS, the brand new super cute (still in the box) rain boots my lovely mother had just bought me, and the contents of my truck - which was pretty much the tangible contents of my life.

Side bar: Transitioning from the master bedroom I had all to myself in college to a one bedroom apartment I had all to myself in Long Island to living in a five bedroom apartment with four roommates wasn't the easiest move I made. So in order for my stuff to not take up the whole apartment and my parents' garage, I have been using my trunk as a quasi-storage unit.

My roller blades, tennis rackets, favorite books, 2 suitcases full of clothes and shoes and jewelry are just some of the items that were taken from me!! I called the police and after what seemed like forever they came to survey the damage themselves.  I had to make a list of all the things I'd had stolen but that is easier said than done. You try making a list of all the things you own while you're in shock, crying, and so overwhelmed. Just so you can get the full image of how much was stolen - I have been wearing my love's sandals around the house, I had to borrow socks from him, and I had to purchase underwear because the only ones I had were the ones in my laundry - everything else had been packed.

Of course I'm sad about everything (my Pandora bracelets were really sentimental to me. charms from a bunch of people all symbolizing different mile markers, achievements, and some that just provided me with motivation), but my smart mother, father, and aunt are right when they say that it could have been worse. What if I had seen the mean, mean thieves doing this and they tried to hurt me?

I will answer the one question you probably have... does insurance cover this? With that I leave you these words of advice, PROGRESSIVE IS WORTHLESS.