Letters from France

Hello belles!

I am writing this now in our Paris office, here in Montparnasse. Why am I here you ask? Well, I was fortunate enough to have been able to join the Recontre Nationale, which was the first ever community convention for our sister site Aujourdhui.com. Members from all over France, and some even as far as Belgium,  converged last weekend in the lovely souther city of Montpellier. 

Thanks largely in part to the hard work and dedication of key members from Aujourdhui.com, we were able to house 150 people for an entire weekend. The event took place in a traditional camping area, which, according to my French colleagues, were common vacation spots for many French people. Amidst the hills, streams, and forests (I seriously felt like singing the Sound of Music each time I ran up and down the paths), the Aujourhdui.com team held positivity workshops, talks with celebrity coaches like Jean-Michel Gurret of MentalSlim and Sybille Montignac of the Montignac Method, and of course-- this being France-- long and languid lunches and dinners with the members.  

There were several highlights in the weekend, and among them were the regional specialty dinner, where members brought their provincial specialties. I must have eaten my weight in macarons, cheese, pate, and saucissons, but thankfully managed to burn them all with early morning calisthenics, jogs, and walks.   It was very tiring, especially for the members of the team and the organizers, but you wouldn't have seen it with their bright smiles. It was really awesome to see everyone participating and having a good time. At the end of the weekend, we toasted the launch of the new book by one of our resident psychologists and coach (Cecile Neuville) with champagne-- of course-- and then partied until the very wee hours of the morning. 

Montpellier is a beautiful city and it was treat to see another part of France. While Paris is always breathtaking, the southern area showed its vibrancy with beaches, warm weather (I was wearing tank tops and flip flops the whole time!), and of course, the lovely people who lived there. 

For now, I will leave you with some pictures from the little excursions I took in Paris and Montpellier. 

Until next time!