An Office with a View... of Paris

I had my 4th interview with the multi-national company today!  I got to experience a couple hours in the day of  a "salesperson's" life.  It was hectic but meshed well with my ADD personality.  I'm excited to start already, but they want me to visit more people and places.  I told them a story about how my father changed careers from law to financial advisor with Merrill Lynch.   He was a little older than I am now, and hated working in law,  its the ADD thing!  He applied for a job at Merrill Lynch and they rejected him.  Well, he wasn't about to take no for an answer so he showed up anyway and they gave him a desk.  He worked there 15 years before he retired.  I jokingly warned them today, that I was going to come back and sit at the empty desk by the door if they didn't hire me already!

Earlier this week, I visited the very bustling Los Angeles office.  It was humming with energy and everyone was happy.   I got the courage to tell the big boss that one day I wanted to work in the Paris office.   Yikes, in the past, during an interview, I would say anything they wanted to hear to get the job.  This time, I was authentic and told him what I really want.  Wow, what a concept!     He had recently been to Paris and wanted to know if I knew where the office was located.  I told him the exact location in the 9th, near the Opera and Galleries Lafayette, just two streets away from my favorite shoe store.  Of course, I had already google mapped it!    Now he knew how to motivate me and he introduced me to an account exec who had recently relocated from the UK and now was living his dream life in Santa Monica, blocks from the beach and 10 minutes from the office.  The message to me was clear :  anything's possible when you ask for what you want.

Grad-bag

I wonder if anyone makes paper photos anymore, in this digital age of clicking and posting.  I have boxes of old photos that I went through yesterday with my parents who are here for the graduation.  We found pictures of my mom and  dad when they were young and beautiful.  Mom, took a picture of my dad when he looked like a version of young Charlie Sheen.  Hold it up to his face now with his long white pony tail, oh well, never mind!

I can't believe Jonathan and Sam are graduating.  I look at their little faces in the pictures and can remember those days like they are yesterday.    So sweet and adorable and funny as hell.  I had such a good time being their mom.  Of course I still am their mom, but no longer on an everyday basis.  Needless to say, I am so proud of them,  both graduating in a tough subject, physiology, Jonathan with honors and with applications in medical schools all over the country.  Sam discovering his entrepreneurship and leadership.  They have truly become wonderful men, gentle yet strong, smart, of course, but emotionally balanced and with the world of opportunities in front of them.  I always taught them they can be anything they put their minds to, as long as they are happy doing it.   I guess I wasn't always happy being a CPA so that was my main message to them, do what you can be happy doing.  I am still in search for my true passion.  With the boys growing up and finding their passion, I am finding myself on the same path.  I have an opportunity to interview with a large multi-national company.  I haven't had a corporate job, even a full time job for over 14 years!   I don't have the excuse anymore that I have to take care of my kids.   Why am I considering it?  They have offices in Paris :)

Its Ladylike to Drive a Stick!

As the belles ladies finish their trek through La Belle France,  I had my first lesson driving a stick shift with Nima at http://www.stickshiftlessons.net/.  He is a great teacher and very patient.  I highly recommend him if this is a goal you want to achieve.  He taught me some of the basics and I spent an hour just starting and stopping in a parking lot.  Not safe enough for the streets but I hope to conquer driving in canyons in the next few lessons.    I did not stall even once, so I feel pretty good about that.  It took courage to get behind the wheel of a stick shift, as I recounted earlier, my first experiences were not pleasant, but this time I really enjoyed the feeling of driving a manual transmission, feeling in touch with the car and the road. I am anticipating the journey through the French countryside with the wind in my hair and the road stretched out before me.

The Princesses ended their 6 day jaunt from Paris to Monaco yesterday, check out gorgeous photos   -Finale-Monegasque-pour-le-Rallye-des-Princesses