Living the Hitch-hiking Way

I left with 20 euros in my pocket, a small backpack and no phone. It would take around 5 hours to get to Montpellier from Grenoble, so I had heard, and I was hoping to arrive before nightfall. It was the first time I had hitch-hiked alone. The day was beautiful, not a cloud in the sky and the air was warm - a great day to stand around with my thumb stuck out, waiting for a nice soul to stop and take me to some further destination. As a solo hitch-hiker, you have to learn to follow your instincts, sharpen your wit and trust people more than you normally would. Travelling as a solo girl hitch-hiker, you have to augment all of those at an even higher level.

Fortunately, I had an amazing first experience making my way to the south of France. I have to thank the five people who picked me up along the way and got me safely to Montpellier: the English-speaking dad, the physical eduction high school teacher, the woman en route to visit her family, the semi-truck driver, and the French-islander from (one of those occupied French islands). I know none of their names, just their stories. I made it there before the sky grew dim.

Montpellier (and Courtney - the friend I was visiting who I had met a month earlier when she came to CouchSurf in Grenoble) showed me an amazing time and was a great host.
We laid on the sandy beaches of Montpellier, created catchy names for future inventions, watched five cars burn completely up in the middle of the night after our two hour jam session at a closed bar, bronzed in the sun by the river and mocked the multitude of photographers and their subjects. Our literal "mockage" goes as follows:
 

"Oh, look at me. Oui, take my picture."

(Uh oh! I got caught in the mockery) - notice said girl in white

Just laugh it off.

 My weekend in Montpellier wasn't all fun and games. I did have a terrible interview on Monday morning, where I was told my French sucked and my English grammar sucked even worse. Let's just say I won't be getting that job. Now to thinking differently about the future, yet again.

The adventure back from Montpellier was yet another interesting one when four French-Turks picked me up and dropped me off well further than I needed to go, that left me with difficulty trying to get a ride back to Grenoble. I met another hitch-hiker while hanging out around a toll booth, a very nice toll attendant named Erik and a lady who kindly dropped me off in Lyon. Luckily, I was able to get a hold of a friend that lives in Lyon who fed me and let me crash there for the night. I made my way back to Grenoble the next morning to arrive just in time to teach my first class.
I told my students if any of them could top my weekend, they could all leave. It was a sure shot none of them could, but they all enjoyed the story of my eventful weekend.

I came back with .32 cent in my pocket.

Living as "The Girl Next Door" in the French Alps

For those of you that haven't noticed yet, I have started a "living series." Each post I write for the next couple of months will be tagged, labelled and will be titled with "Living" in some form or another. hashtag #thelivingseries
I thought this would be an interesting way to portray my writing, as I'm currently "living" abroad and "living" life to the fullest possible. So today's topic: Living as "The Girl Next Door."

That's right, I'm the girl next door. Maybe in the traditional sense as well, who knows, but I'm talking literally, "the girl next door." The girl next door to a really attractive, who happens to be pretty awesome, French guy... with a girlfriend. First off, I hope he never reads this because it would be incredibly embarrassing (or funny), depending on how you look at it. However, I am completely attracted to said French man, but not-so-much that he has a girlfriend.

I'm not sure why I tend to want things I can't have - oh wait, I think that comes with life and probably my personality as well. But unfortunately, this one will have to remain friends. I can still look right?

Just kidding. He lives on the 4th floor.

On a side note, Spring is in the air... everywhere I look around. The flowers are in full bloom, the lower mountains have shed their white blankets for a fresh green canvas and the air is warm in the valley. The people are out and about and Oeli is enjoying basking in the sun on a daily basis. You can't beat a long bike right from the city into the French countryside, where horses roam, three mountain ranges surround you in all directions, the air is warm and the sun is shining down on your face. That's how I spent my Sunday afternoon in the beautiful French Alps. I don't think I can give this up any time soon.

Living Abroad with a Dog

Sure, the process of bringing my precious pooch to France was exhausting. I had to make sure he was up-to-date on all of his shots, he was micro-chipped, certified, and not to mention all the dreadful paperwork to complete the process. It took numerous trips to the vet and the final trip to Washington DC to get his USDA certification to permit him to travel out of the country.

Sure, I had to buy a new cage for him to travel in, pay the airline company (a lot of money) to allow him to travel with me and I had to think about his well being on top of it all.

The first time I lived abroad, I was staying in the dorms, which did not allow animals. At the same time, I wanted to experience life as an exchange student, travel and adventure as I pleased. My parents offered to watch Oeli during the year I was abroad. I can't explain how many times I thought about him, wanted his company and missed being able to look into his sweet, sweet eyes. I knew that if I were to ever to go back abroad after that year, I would take him with me. The experience that I had as an exchange student was one of the most, if not the most amazing year of my life to date, and I wouldn't change anything I experienced. But I can recall certain points during the year that having my loving companion would have been just the right thing to get over the home sickness or cure my case of the "Debbie Downer."
After finding out that I would be returning to France this year, there was no doubt in my mind that Oeli would be coming with me. It had been 4 years since the first time I had lived in France; and I knew my experience here this time would be completely different and I was okay with living a more settled life this go-round. 

Sure, now I have to think more about him instead of myself. I can't just leave for a weekend without making multiple arrangements to ensure he's taken care of while I'm gone. I come home during to day to walk him and come home early at night. I've had to deal with annoying neighbours, whimpering because he needs (or wants) to go outside, countless bags of dog food, treats, play toys (that he tears up immediately) and "accidents" in my room.

But there is nothing better than the unconditional love a dog gives. He is selfless, obedient and reassuring. He's always there for me when I need him most and he never lacks in cuddles. He has the cutest ears that flop in the wind and his markings make him unique. He always makes me smile as he cocks his head one way and then another when you speak to him. He knows when he's been bad and he tucks his head and shrinks down, but I can't stay mad for long because he deserves nothing but love. He knows when I'm sad and is always there to comfort me; and he looks at me with those sweet, sweet eyes that say, "Mom, don't worry. Everything is going to be okay."
And it will be, because he is there to make everything better.

I would never give him up for a million dollars, because it is he who helps build my happiness on a daily basis. He isn't just a dog: he's my best friend and companion.

Hi, I'm Oeli.

Living the "No Shampoo" Do

Maybe it was the fact that I was tired of dishing out hundreds of dollars (or Euros) a year in order to keep my hair looking "so fresh and so clean clean;" or maybe, subconsciously, I thought that instead of buying more shampoo and conditioner, I could buy another beer (or two) when I went out with my friends later that night. No matter what the cause, I up and decided to go cold turkey and chemical free on the hair front and walked away from the hair product aisle empty handed.

It had already been five days since I had washed my hair. It was possibly the longest it had ever been. I had normally washed my hair once a day with the occasional 'skip a day' and "throw it up" method; but five days was a drastic amount of time for me and I wondered how I had made it that long. Even when I was backpacking Europe and Asia, or travelling around India and Nepal, I still always found the opportunity to wash my hair: whether it was in a cold shower, out of a spigot, or bucket, or under a waterfall in the jungle. That's right, I was addicted. I thought the only way for my hair to look, feel and smell clean was to use that beautiful thing we call, "shampoo." Honestly, I used to think the only way I could feel clean was to have my hair washed. Oh, has that changed drastically.

I had been on a snowboarding trip over a long weekend. Unfortunately, I didn't have much time to take a shower before running to catch my train the day I was leaving. I didn't realize that I hadn't washed my hair the day before either. I didn't see any worry since there would be a shower at the apartment where we would be staying. But immediately upon my arrival, we starting cooking dinner and partaking in the nights festivities. On a snowboarding trip in a small apartment hosting 7-8 people and one bathroom, people tend to throw hygiene out the window, or at least minimize the amount of showering time that takes place. That meant, "no hair washing;" and that is how it all started!

I had briefly seen a Buzzfeed article about a girl who hadn't washed her hair in three years, but I didn't read it. But for some reason, when I was standing in the hair product aisle a couple of days later, that article popped into my head. I thought, if she can do it, so can I! And here I am, months later, with healthy and clean-looking hair (I even have great volume!).

Taken April 4, 2014 (just after I let my hair down from a ruffled bun) - sorry it's webcam quality

I have to be honest, in the beginning, I didn't think I could do it. I hadn't done any research on it, my hair was already starting to become really oily and I hated the fact that I didn't have that silky feeling conditioner gives you after a shower. But once I found out that shampoo actually strips all of your natural oils, causing your scalp to overcompensate causing it to become immediately oily (the reason why I washed my hair everyday), I thought, this cannot be good for my hair! I never looked back. I knew I wanted to give it up.

I cheated once, when I went to get a haircut. There is no better feeling than having someone else wash your hair and getting an incredible head massage along with it. But I immediately regretted it when I had to START ALL OVER.
Not only with the readjustment from my hair, but then my own personal endeavour.

HOW I DID IT:

Like I mentioned, I went cold turkey. I didn't start with organic products or even the vinegar and baking soda mixture. I went straight for the kill and completely cut out everything. I started out simply rinsing my hair thoroughly, scrubbing almost as if there was shampoo in it. It gave me the sensation that I was still "washing" my hair, even though I wasn't. Then once my hair was dry, (I mostly naturally dry, but if in a rush, I will still use a blow dryer) I would add a little baby powder to the roots to help minimize the oily appearance that happens in the beginning.
Since I first started the process, my hair has changed completely. It's less oily, although I still add baby powder on occasion to make it "feel clean," and especially to my bangs that hit my forehead. Now, I only have to rinse it once every couple of days, still scrubbing as if I'm massaging shampoo into it. It's incredible how we don't need hair products to make our hair look and feel healthier. And the interesting part about it - it doesn't smell at all! I know most people ask themselves, "doesn't it start to smell?" but it actually does not. And if you are really considering this lifestyle change and need to have some type of scent in your hair to make you feel clean, I recommend natural oils. Put them on the ends of your hair where your hair becomes the most dry and it will make it feel smoother and give you a "smelly-good" sensation without having to use any products.
Another helpful hint: If you are getting to the point where it's becoming "too much," use the baking soda trick. Before my recent play (I knew I would have to be on stage and wanted to make sure my hair looked especially nice), I took my baking soda into the shower and just scrubbed my roots to give my hair some good volume. I probably didn't need to do this, but again, it stems back to that sensation of cleanliness.

For the future: washing my hair isn't in the plan.

Please let me know if you have any questions, suggestions or comments!