Gui and I just got back to Austin from a whirlwind weekend in California (I'm sifting through 500+ pictures, so much more on that later), but before we left, we participated in the annual Urban Assault Ride through Austin. It's a bike ride with pit-stops all around the city and fun obstacle courses throughout. The whole thing is sponsored by New Belgium Brewing and started 9 years ago in the Live Music Capital. I remember missing out on all the fun last year when we were still 5,000 miles away in lovely Paris, but this year our friend Melynda gifted us the registration to the event for our birthdays and we've been counting down since!

A couple of weeks leading up to the ride, Gui and I started taking a cycle strengthening class in preparation. Even though it took me 4 classes to be on pace with everyone else, it was hands-down the smartest thing we did to prepare for the course. Even as early as 8 a.m., riding for 20-something miles during the summer in Austin is no easy task (well, at least not for a beginning cycler like me).

We managed to keep a good pace, though and with the encouragement of our friends Melynda and Carolina who were a team all their own, we finished the ride 152nd overall out of 540+ teams, and 76th out of nearly 300 coed teams. I've never done a ride like that before, but it was wonderfully organized and the obstacles at each stop were so much fun that I hope we can make it a yearly event. The best part for me was remembering routes that I'd long forgotten and discovering how much more bike-friendly Austin has become since I've been living on the other side of the world. The worst part: remembering how hot it gets in Austin in the summer.

There's been a lot of commotion going on these parts lately, mostly due to the fact that my husband is seriously awesome. I don't brag about him often enough, but I know everyday how lucky I am to be stuck with someone as clever and kind as he is. When we first started out as a legally wed couple in France, he was always supportive of my learning French and seemingly endless job-search. And, he never stopped believing that I shouldn't settle for a job that I was over-qualified for simply because of the language barrier nor just for the sake of finding a job. In the end, he was right, and I know that the confidence he had in me to be successful in France at the very least motivated me to find an amazing job there.

So, when we decided to move back to Austin, I knew he might face the same type of barriers that I faced in Paris. We tried to prepare ourselves for a long-term job-search here, but as the days have been ticking by and the market seems to be drying up, all of our planning has been starting to feel extraneous. More recently though, Gui had been having much more success and over the past two weeks, he was getting calls and interviewing for jobs that were precisely what he had hoped to find in Austin. He was particularly excited about a position that involved working with lots of engineers and learning completely new technology, so he made every effort to be perfectly prepared for his interview with this company. Going through the same motions as I did back before I interviewed at my last fancy job, he sought advice from friends in the business, thought long and hard about how the American-style interview process would be, gave it his all and hoped for the best.

This week, he received a call from the company reassuring him that they wanted him on the team, and this morning, they contacted him again to officially offer him the job. What a relief! If Gui could name his dream job, it would likely be this one. He's obviously happy, but I think he's even more excited than he's leading on. I, for one, am a seriously proud wife - he was able to do in two months what took me over a year to do in France. Brilliant, smart, funny and good looking? I definitely got the better end of the deal here.

Guillaume and I have been non-stop job-hunting for the past month. It gets pretty feverish being cooped up all day long in front of a computer, writing cover letter after cover letter, making phone calls, emailing contacts, sending out resumés, etc., etc. So, we've been trying to balance out our time with outdoor activities, visits with friends, cooking, crafting and other non computer-related events. Here's what we've been up to:

Hanging out at the library. One thing that I didn't realize I missed so much while I was living in Paris was having access to a public library. There are twenty-three(!) public library locations in Austin - the main one being less than a mile from our house. When we're feeling a little bored and want to take a respite from computers and filling out applications, we bike over to the Faulk library to resuscitate our brains. It's unbelievable how many books I want to read and check out and I'm in utter awe of how many knitting, sewing and craft books I now have at my fingertips! I do try to restrain myself from going overboard, though because the more books I check out, the more I have to trudge uphill with me on the way back home.

Cooking. It's funny how coming back here has made me realize how much I miss French food. Just the other day, I was daydreaming about foie gras and toast. We've been trying to cook when we can, although it is more difficult than we thought it would be to resist invitations to lunch and dinner at our favorite Austin eateries. But, I've been referencing my current favorite cookbook to kill some of my cravings, and I have to say, that Dorie Greenspan sure knows her French food! My soupe pistou was the perfect way to eat up bountiful summer veggies and I can't wait to whip up the orange-amande tarte that taunts me every time I open up the book.


Crafting. Well, technically, I've been crafting, not so much Gui. He mostly just goes somewhere to chill out with a few beers and friends. Some girl friends and I have started meeting each week to knit, sew, crochet and embroider over food, wine and witty banter. There's lots of oohing and awing over each others' projects, and I've already learned how to do so many new things since we started sharing ideas and starting new projects. It's been a great way to wind down and interact with some creative filles after a long day's work.

Exercising. Gui has been testing out the neighborhood gym pretty regularly now. He bikes there, meets up with a friend and spends an hour or so pumping iron (or whatever they call it these days) before riding back home in 100-degree temps and arriving at the front door drenched in sweat. I've been riding to the yoga center just a couple of blocks away, but somehow I've managed to get home in a much drier state than my counterpart. Anyway, it's been really good to get out and sweat after being holed up for hours on end. It's also been good training for the bike "race" that we've got coming up. Honestly, I couldn't be more terrified of falling on my face, both figuratively and literally during this race, but it's been a motivating factor in my willingness to get out and commute on 2 wheels when I can. And, I've thoroughly convinced myself that we've chosen the hilliest neighborhood in Austin to live in.

I was browsing through some blogs and came across this adorable, artsy and inspirational blog written by a San Franciscan in Paris. Her photos of Canal Saint Martin, pastries and bread from her local boulangerie and the marché all made me nostalgic for my former home. I browsed through some of my blog archives to relive a little bit of springtime in Paris, but it only made me long even more to be back in our old quartier.

I do love being back in Austin, but my heart is starting to understand the concept of being torn in two. I spent the past weekend relishing in family time - attending barbecue after barbecue with aunts and uncles and cousins and family. It's what I remember longing so much for when I was living in Paris and I felt so lucky to be here for all the fun this time. I've also been so happy to bounce around town, soaking up the Texas rays at the pool, catching up with friends over a margarita or Negra Modelo, knitting and learning so many new crafts with my über creative girl friends.

But, then there's Paris. In all it's gorgeous springtime glory. And, oh how I miss bike rides to the Eiffel Tower and picnics by the Seine and strolling from café to café and walking home from work with a perfect view on La Grande Dame de Paris! Of course, I miss my friends and family there, too and knitting nights and les happy hours. I wish I could be here and there all at once.

Did I mention that I turned 30 a couple of weeks ago? Perhaps that has something to do with all this nostalgic banter. I celebrated with fancy drinks, a lovely dinner and then crazy karaoke. I had so much fun and then woke up at noon the next day wondering how on earth I got through more than half of my twenties doing that same routine every weekend. I guess getting older is a lot about reflecting back and looking ahead at the same time, and I think that's the process I'm going through right now. I'm so excited about all the adventure of making a life and home here, and although I do find myself checking the rear-view every once in a while, I'm so happy to be living in the moment, bracing for what's next.

So, as previously mentioned, Gui and I spent a few days in Portland last week with a couple of friends from Normandy who'd been traveling around the West Coast for the past few weeks. We'd never been to the city some say is Austin's twin sister from the north, so we decided to take advantage of the timing and squat on our friends' vacation just a little.

I have to say, the city is pretty brilliant. We were infinitely grateful for the lovely, sunny weather we had the first day and the seldom showers we had the second and third days. Apparently, it had been raining for 30 days straight before we arrived, and I've got to admit, I don't think I would have been as enamored with the city if it had been so rainy. Still, during the times that it was a little grey and misty, I couldn't help but still feel happy to be there. I think the lush, green surroundings suit the cold, wetness very well - so much so that I found myself still ooing and awing when the sun was shaded by the clouds and the windshield wipers came on. Unlike Paris, which is made to be seen in the brilliant sunlight or clear, dark night, Portland is just made for the dreariness.

We hadn't planned anything for our time there, so we spent our days going where our hearts pulled us, and for the most part, our hearts stayed in the center and east-side of town. I loved the vibe and charm of the residents, and the mélange of old and new, rustic and modern that reverberated throughout the streets. Portland has a much more "old-town" feel to it than Austin does, but I still found myself sighting similarities between the two cities. And, I definitely felt at home there.

We rarely visit places that require a stay in a hotel (we usually spend our vacation time visiting friends), but we stayed at the Jupiter Hotel this time around and quickly realized we'd made a great choice. The rooms are nice, but the best part about the hotel/motel is that it's right in the middle of all the action. I think its closest Austin counterpart would be San Jose Hotel on Congress, just a little more rough around the edges.

All-in-all, the trip was a major success - we ate, we drank and were certainly merry. We caught some amazing views from the Japanese garden which is tucked into the side of a mountain, and Gui and I took a trip to the coast where I fell in love with the lovely, quaint seaside town of Cannon Beach. We even visited a cheese factory in Tillamook and tasted some amazing cheddar before continuing down the Oregon Coast Highway and heading back to Portland. Of course, there was the obligatory trip to Powell's bookstore (we went twice) and lunch stops at the famous food carts downtown. My favorite places were the little local craft shops filled with beautiful handmade treasures and plenty of inspiration.

I admittedly visited Portland with high expectations, but I was no where near disappointed. I do wish that some of the shops stayed open past 6pm, but the fact that there is no State sales tax in Oregon totally makes up for that.