Longing For Paris
The other night I watched the musical “Funny Face” (1957) with Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire and found myself longing for Paris. Although I have been there before, I desire to return with a different perspective. I went as a backpacking, college grad with limited funds and my best friend. My hope is to return to Europe one day with more means and time in a different season in my life of course.I think what the movie truly evoked in me was not just the glamour of Paris or even the iconic and beautiful European landscapes, but rather the idea of spontaneous adventure, unbridled freedom, carefree exploration, interesting people, the cultural diversity and memorable stories to tell over the years. It brings an excitement and energy to my whole being just thinking about going there.
Since international travel is not possible due to financial and parenting obligations, I began to think; "why not bring the cultural experience right into our home?" Engaging two teenage boys in anything other than video games over the summer is challenging. And long gone are those days when they were young and you planned craft days, field trips, library visits, chalk painting on the sidewalk, bubbles in the backyard and hammock reading days. As part of my quest this summer to actively stimulate my children despite working full time, I decided to give my boys a chance to experience some international flair right at home. With about 7 weeks left of summer, we have handpicked 7 European countries to explore with an authentic meal, traditional music, some history trivia and a movie that represents the country each weekend. This will also give my children a chance to understand my ethnic heritage as well. Surprisingly, everyone was onboard with the idea, including my husband who will do all the special cooking. An example for Great Britain will probably be a meal of Bangers and mash, listen to the Beatles and maybe watch some EPL and Monty Python. Other countries we will experience this summer include: Austria, Poland, Italy, Germany, Spain and Greece. Once our adventures are over, I will share the outcome. Bon Voyage for now!