Saturday, May 12, 2012

Where I've Been, And Where I Am Now


As I alluded to a few weeks ago, the period leading up to vacation was a whirlwind of work, with a soupçon of being sick, and a whole lot of stress. I worked 14+ hours a day for three weeks in order to be able to go on vacation, and the toll it took on me was profound.


For me, to heal, recharge and generally get right with the world, there's no place like Paris. M. was already there for work, and I joined him and he did as little work as he could for the 12 days we were there. I had caught a nasty cold and on the flight I was a seething mess of ick (really, they should have burned everything I came in contact with) but I felt that if I could hang in there until I reached Paris, everything would be OK.


And it was. It took me a few days to feel human again, but massive amounts of sleep, relaxation and pastry completed the invigorating tonic I needed to be well again, both physically and emotionally.

The thing I get over and over again when people hear that we're going to Paris for vacation is "Again?!" I have to explain that we don't find any other place as relaxing and recharging as Paris, particularly in the springtime. We've been there so many times, and we don't do the tourist things, so we don't rise early, stand in long lines, rush to fit in all the sights, have a mediocre dinner and collapse in exhaustion to do it all over again the following day. No, it's the opposite. We sleep in, take as much time as we want to laze about before I run out to pick up breakfast. We revel in our Pierre Herme croissants, or maybe a kouign amann. We may decide to take a walk to the Tuileries to sit by the fountains and feel the warm sun balancing the cool breeze. We may decide to go shopping (we both hate shopping but inexplicably enjoy it in Paris). Or we may take off with no destination in mind, just exploring, seeing where that street leads, or if the bistro we ate in years ago is in the same spot we remembered.


All that walking is as rejuvenating as the sleep and relaxation. It's also a key to eating pastry without guilt or weight gain. We typically cover 8-12 miles a day in Paris, but with all that walking we're paradoxically less hungry. My theory is that the food we are eating is so delicious that we need less of it to feel satisfied. We've never dined at any restaurant with a star, Michelin or otherwise, while in Paris. We prefer to find neighborhood bistros, or stock up on cheeses, fruit, bread and chocolate at the little epicerie around the corner from our hotel. The epicerie is pricier than a grocery store, but they have a fabulous selection of cheeses, and they make amazing puff pastry tomato tarts with pesto. Or we pick up a couple of pastries from a patisserie (always checking Paris Pâtisseries first). We open our window and stare down at the rooftops of the city we love while enjoying our room picnic.


This time I had taken myself so beyond the pale of common sense that it took me a few days to bliss out, but it happened. All that relaxing and resting and walking and watching the fountains gives one a lot of time to think and contemplate, and I did a lot of that on this trip.

How did doing things I love (working, baking, volunteering) careen out of control? I love working, love my job, but doing more of it didn't make me love it more. Ditto baking. I love to bake, but my obsession to complete Baking From My Home to Yours resulted in making things I didn't enjoy, nor did I enjoy making them. I had turned my life into too many things that had to get done, and I lost the joy of doing them. With no time (no time!) to contemplate them before, during or after, my life lost the patina of worth. I spent all this time working more, and not achieving completion, and I spent what little time I had at home baking, and not loving the process. It didn't take me more than a day in Paris to realize that I had to change. That was a revelation. In the past, I would say "things have to change!" when talking about work while we were on vacation. This time, it was clear to me that the change has to come from me. And it has.


I must have at least 20 partially written posts of things that I baked in the breathless couple of months before my vacation. I was practically an assembly line on weekends, quickly combining ingredients, putting the thing in the oven and snapping photos before it had cooled completely. While in Paris, I was able to correlate my behavior to the tourists I sometimes notice. The ones who run up to the statue, fountain, monument, whatever, quickly snap a photo and rush off. They've seen the fountain in the Tuileries, look, here's the photo. But did they experience it? I don't think so. Will they be able to recall the feel of the mist that hits from time to time when the wind changes direction and blows the fountain's spray just so? Will they remember the warmth of the sun, or that family on their bikes, or how different the water looked when the sun ducked behind the clouds? I don't think so. But that's how I'd gotten about baking, because I was rushing it, doing it because I had to, and not savoring the process.

Since coming home a month ago, things have been different. I leave work at a reasonable hour, go home and make dinner. That's shocking. For all of my love of baking and cooking, I've never been one to know how to make dinner without recipes. And needing recipes after a stressful day at work equals eating chocolate, cookies or cereal for dinner. So instead of baking (which I inexplicably am no longer motivated to do), I am learning how to make dinner without recipes.

In my search for balance, things that no longer give me joy and those that increase my stress level have to go. Regrettably, my goal of baking the rest of the recipes from Baking From My Home to Yours is at the top of that list. Ditto groups where I'm locked in to making certain things at certain times. I've belonged to many and benefitted much from them, but it's them or my sanity, and I'm embarrassed that it took me so long to figure out that I come first. With these changes, I doubt I will continue to blog.

To the many readers who stop by this space to read, use the recipes and leave your thoughts, I am deeply grateful. I started this blog three and a half years ago so I could participate in Tuesdays with Dorie. If you had told me a couple of months ago that I would no longer be blogging, I would have teared up and felt a sense of loss. But the reality is that it was time.

I have no doubt I'll bake again when the urge returns, and if I make something worth sharing, I might even write about it here. But the mad dash will have to go on without me. I'll be just fine, God willing, now that I am learning balance.

Peace.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Leslie, thank you for your elegant post and the lovely photos from Paris - especially the pastries! I long to go back there to soak up everything that is Paris (OK, and to eat pastries). I wish you the best, and hope that you return to Paris soon!

Anne said...

What a beautiful and insightful post Leslie. I love and agree with your thoughts and hope you find balance and pleasure in whatever you dedicate yourself too. Lots of love- Anne

Nancy/n.o.e said...

Leslie, I totally understand your decision. We have our own factors to balance but have come to the same solution to the equation. I'll be finished soon, soon, soon! In the meanwhile, I'm gratified that Paris worked its magic and that you are finding a way to peace and balance. And thanks for your friendship!

Nancy/n.o.e said...

Oh, and WHAT is that purple confection? Crazy! Only in Paris...

Torviewtoronto said...

delicious food and pictures enjoy

Julie said...

I will miss reading your posts! Take good care!

Cindy said...

Dear Leslie,
I look to you as a good friend--your posts are filled with humor and good sense.
Sounds like you had a magical trip to Paris. Thanks for your thoughts on visiting Paris. I probably won't make it to Paris--my health is just not good enough. But if I went to Paris I would use this post as a travel guide! That is just how I like to travel.
Good luck! Just know you will be missed. You will always hold a spot in my Google Reader!

Sweet Posy Dreams said...

A thoughtful post. It sounds like Paris was the perfect tonic for you. Best wishes on your less-hectic future!

Anonymous said...

Completely understandable. I know how you feel. Enjoy life and know that we will miss you in the blogosphere.

Unknown said...

I can completely relate to so much that you said. Thanks for sharing. Going forward I hope you find the balance you seek, but know that we'll definitely miss you!

Kiersten @ Oh My Veggies said...

I'm going to miss your posts, Leslie. But you're right, blogging has a way of snowballing into a huge commitment. I'm in a similar boat right now--every second is consumed by work or my blog. If I didn't love my blog so much (and hate my work with an equal passion!), I don't think I could do it. And even still, I feel like I really need to reprioritize things and find some balance again. I hope the decision you've made helps restore balance to your life and find joy in baking again too. And maybe when that happens, you'll post again--out of a love for baking, not obligation.

Hanaâ said...

You will be missed, Leslie. Your bread posts (and many others) have been an inspiration! I'm glad your trip to Paris provided clarity (and yummy goodness to boot). Enjoy your future endeavors! Peace to you too. Please keep in touch :o)

Hanaa

Unknown said...

I know exactly what you mean, Leslie (well, except for the going to Paris part). I do hope you'll post from time to time when you want to, not from any sense of obligation! I have always enjoyed your writing and hope you'll keep it up somehow. Best, Jessica

aaltho said...

I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

Alena

Elizabeth - SugarHero.com said...

I'm late to this post, but I had to comment and wish you well! This was beautifully written and so wise--why do something if you're not enjoying it? I'll miss you and your posts, but maybe in the future I'll get to read your words and see your photos again. Best of luck with everything!