my series of infinite moments, part 1

in november of 2003, just weeks before i turned 24 years old, i moved to paris. well, i actually moved to sèvres, but who's counting? it took a 5 minute bus ride to be in paris, proper. but even now, writing that i lived in france seems somehow foreign to me. i can't really believe i went through with it.
i followed the advice of a friend who had moved to germany to be an au pair. so, i visited the agency's website and decided i wanted to move to france. i spent almost 6 months or more scanning families, posting my information, looking at photos, reading family bios, and the like. it was an odd process, to say the least. i mean, i was basically "shopping" for a family and they, on the other end, were doing the same. i came across a family with 3 girls, which is what i wanted. see, at the time i was interested in this, i was still on the fence about liking kids or not. i thought girls would be easier to deal with. this family wanted a native english speaker to help the girls with their english homework and to speak to the youngest, who was 4 at the time.
so, i placed a posting with the family and continued with my search. i would say it was about a week later when i received a phone call from a weird number. i answered it without thinking and on the other end was a man with the thickest french accent i'd ever heard. he explained to me who he was and said he was interested in hiring me as their au pair.
i didn't say a word. i actually hung up on him.
i thought it was a joke; one of my friends screwing with me, maybe. i didn't expect to be contacted that quickly and it took me totally off guard.
i stood in my living room shocked at what i just did! i was all sweaty and nervous and then the phone rang again, so i knew it wasn't a prank. i answered and it was the same voice again. i had to lie and tell him i lost the connection. see, once i acknowledged the voice was real, that meant what i was doing was real. it wasn't just looking anymore. it was really happening.
his name was phillipe. how perfect i thought. his wife was called valerie and his three daughters were fiona (age 9), amandine (age 7) and aurelie (age 4). i loved them instantly. i couldn't wait to see them. their story was an interesting one. the family had just returned to france from a 4-year stint living in england, where phillipe had a job. his employer was transferring him back to his home country and valerie also had to go back to work. this is the reason they needed an au pair. this is the reason they needed me.

ten years in ten years

when i was 18 i never really imagined where i would be or, more importantly, who i would be in 10 years. i recently passed on the opportunity to go to my 10-year high school reunion. i believe i made the right choice. let's face it, i never liked high school. my best friend lives in denver and there's no way she'd go, and my only other friend from high school gave me endless crap for not going. i think i've apologized enough. anyway...
i saw some photos from the reunion and since then, for some reason, some of them have come out of the virtual woodwork on facebook. so many of them are married. with kids. some of them even married people from our graduating class! i am still in shock when i come across girls i used to know and now they're all married.
i wonder if i've missed out on something? am i the freak?
i mean, like i said, i couldn't even imagine what i'd be like when i was 28.
but here i am. i'm 28 years old and i'm certainly not disappointed in who i've become or what i've done so far. i didn't really have lofty expectations, so i guess couldn't possibly be disappointed. i've traveled to places i never thought i'd go, seen and done things that still carry memories i'll have forever.
i am in the best relationship i've ever been in. i guess that's another thing i never expected, but it happened anyway. i'm single as far as my taxes are concerned, but i'm not alone. and i'm the happiest i've ever been.