what I have learned so far

• I found this cheese shop, Androuet while I was in Paris and had a very interesting chat with the owner. He mentioned that the owners of a cheese shop in Vancouver come and visit him. I was surprised at all the knowledge I had retained about the various stories about cheese I once knew. I felt passionate and interested again in the subject and feel like I should at least one day a month in a cheese shop or maybe open my own one day. I will start with the one in Vancouver (or maybe the one in Paris will have me back?? ha!)
  
• I still feel like I would like to run or own a hostel somewhere in the world. I have felt this way for 11 years and am no closer than I was when I first discovered this feeling. How do I make this happen??
• I want to grow my hair out into a short boy cut. I have seen lots and lots of women with this look and it appeals to me. Right now, I am not that far off.
  
• I want to walk 10000 steps every day, even maybe more. Even though I detest walking normally, I have come to find it very calming and love my little pedometer.
• I love the idea of lunches of bits of cheese and meat and bread eaten wherever, and off the brown papers their wrapped in. Must do this more at home. I also like the idea of little bottles of wine sold at the grocery store. I wish I could do this more at home. First thing in order is a picnic at Trout Lake with cheeses and meats wrapped in brown paper.
• It is lonely to travel alone, and sometimes scary. But in the end, you are without the compromises and sometimes dramas that can accompany a companion. For to have the freedom of making all your own decisions you give up the fun and sharing of a companion.
• Cause and effect: When something bad happens, it may not be because you did or said something bad; it may not be the effect. The bad thing may be at the start of the lesson, the cause, that in turn creates an effect that is unexpected. I met a girl who in a moment of distraction had her bag snatched. It contained all her cash (and alot!), her credit cards, camera, blackberry, ipod etc.. She kept saying she must have done something horrible in the past for that to happen to her now. I said, maybe it happened to force you to stay in Brussels an extra day to prevent something bad from happening. Or maybe it was something that happened to push your life into an experience of growth and something better.
• Always travel with a good book for when you are in countries where English is not the 1st language and everything is unreadable.
  

What have you learned lately??

xox
Jill