Living Life in London-town: Part 1

[Contrary to popular belief, I was welcomed with sunshine and semi-warm weather.]
It's been two weeks since my arrival. I question where the past two weeks have gone, but I do know they have been filled with laughter, adventure, travel and not to mention, settling in to what will be my home for the next... who knows how long.
Warmly welcomed by an incredible man who has been nothing but a huge support from the beginning, Oeli and I quickly fell in love with what would be our new life.

A couple of pictures from the last two weeks of our new lives that include my goodbye, our welcoming, Italy, outings around London-town and domestication.

Xussie wondering why she's being disturbed just for me to say goodbye.

Daddy dropping me off at the airport. Mom and I didn't get a picture before I left (my fault, I forgot). 

A warm and heartfelt goodbye with Aunt Faye and Uncle John.

A wonderful Welcome to London brunch with Adam, Tom (roomie), plus Kate and Rene!!!

Oeli fits right in. 

Being domestic and creating a balcony garden.

Oeli settling in just fine :)

All of the wonderful people I've heard so much about welcoming me to London with a Sunday roast!

We're silly people.

Italian coast...

Piggy backing around Italia 

Adam sneaking in a kiss before the wedding.

The beautiful married couple (Lisa and Gerard)!

EXPLORATION
to an old fortress

Living on that "Natural Homemade Deodorant"

Hi all!
It's been a while but as you may or may not know, I've been moving to all-natural products over the past year and a half. Natural everything: soap, shampoo (which I will touch on later in a different post), etc., but deodorant has been the very last thing... I was a devout "Secret" user mainly because I LOVED the scent of the deodorant and how it made me smell - but of course it's toxic. After my uncle mentioned something the other day about how he believes store made deodorant actually is the increasing cause of breast cancer, I started doing some research and think it's time that I move away from the chemically induced antiperspirant.

 I was a huge skeptic on whether or not the homemade deodorant would work, but after I made my batch (two different styles which I will list below), I was immediately impressed!
I removed the deodorant from my beloved Secret (the one that twists up through the holes and is more "liquid" with still being solid) as well as removing that of a travel Secret solid tube.

I referenced the recipe here (recipe #2) but wanted more of a "Secret" like scent and wanted to make the "sheer-solid" style that would allow me to use that Secret tube.

My recipe to make the "sheer-solid":
Baking Soda (2.5 tbs)
Pure Corn Starch (2.5 tbs) - I used Johnson's Baby Powder pure corn starch with aloe
Vitamin E oil (just a couple drops)
Tangerine essential oil (5-8 drops) - depending on your preference
Lemon essential oil (5-8 drops) - depending on your preference
Thieves essential oil (4-5 drops) - Thieves is strong so be careful not to overpower
Pure Coconut Oil (2 tbs)

I played around a little with the Corn Starch and Baking Soda to create the right consistency. This helped make it almost like a thick batter that easily went into the tube and when turned, came out almost like the Secret did, with a bit of a different consistency but still worked. I wish I could describe the exact consistency, but think of a good thick pancake batter.

For the more solid (regular deodorant stick), I just added more corn starch and baking soda to the mix and packed it in the tube once it became a more solid consistency. *note: it will break apart until pressed together because of the added corn starch and baking soda*

At first, I wasn't sure about the scent, but once it settled, it actually smells quite good, especially under the arms and is subtle and not overpowering. I've noticed less sweating and no odor seeping through so far, so this makes me extremely happy!
So happy I found this recipe and I highly recommend it, with whichever scent you personally choose! But please make sure you're using high quality pure essentials oils. :)

Living as The Average Sized Female

I'm scrolling through endless articles, photos and the "new professional" attire fashion tips as I prepare for my interview in D.C. on Friday, thinking there is NO WAY I would look good in that.
It makes me wonder why everything I've seen lately is still targeted for the Size 2 female. Which I have to admit is an improvement from the Size 0 it used to be. But I have no idea what this outfit would look like on me. How will it fit on a woman with boobs, with curves, with actual thighs instead of chicken legs?
Isn't there a campaign to promote healthy bodies and healthy body image? How are we as females supposed to do that when all we see around us are advertisements that promote Size 2 and under, tall and incredibly skinny women.

This is not me:

Nor is this: 

But this is the average girl:

And it's not because we're not healthy. It's not because we don't exercise. It's not because we overeat. Mostly it's because of our genes, because we don't want to feel starved, or because we enjoy some of the joys of life that include delicious (and starchy) food and beer. Well, at least I do. And as I'm trying to find the perfect interview outfit that looks professional without making me feel like a whale (and no, I'm not fat, I'm just your average sized woman), I find these photos of great fashion styles, but I have no idea what it would look like on ME.
My idea of body image is morphed because of what I've been conditioned to believe is beautiful and I don't know how to break that cycle. As long as I'm active, eat well, feel good about myself and exercise regularly to keep my mind and body healthy, that's really all that should matter, right?

Living Life - Back in America

It wasn't easy knowing I was leaving my beloved Grenoble, the place that had become my home. I was happy there. I enjoyed the culture, lifestyle and people who had become a part of my life. But all good things come to an end; and so, I left my Grenoble apartment at 3:45am on the morning of May 22, 2014, knowing that would be the last time I would see this beautiful city again for a long while.

It was bitter-sweet, the return home. I had some amazing help at the airport, Oeli was the best travel dog ever and I got to drink my sorrows away on board, for free. I was greeted with a friendly smile from one of my great friends at the airport, who so graciously picked me up in D.C., and we drove back to begin another life in the States.

The days were long as jet-lag set in, Memorial Day weekend was in full throttle and thousands of emotions swept over me like a storm of wildfire. I didn't know how to think, act, feel... be. I just knew that I was in a new chapter of my life while still re-reading chapters of my past. Unhappy thoughts and sorrow rushed over me. Dreams of the past haunted me. I had opened a can of worms coming back to the life I had once known, that was no longer the same.

“It's so much darker when a light goes out than it would have been if it had never shone.”
― John Steinbeck

My lights went out when I came home and I'm still fighting to turn them all back on. I don't know how long it will take or how long I will have to fight, but I'll never stop. 

It's my family and friends that make me smile, the memories that I will never forget that push me to make new ones, and knowing that the world has so much to offer that drives me to do my best. I am on just one small branch of my Tree of Life. No matter how much doubt I feel today, I control how I will feel tomorrow... and I am on a mission to make the best out of life!