MarsSoup

If you’re thinking of going for the first time, I’d recommend the “take-off” from the deck of a boat already out to sea, NOT from the beach. My parents did the latter in the Bahamas and found it difficult, to say the least. I did it the preferred way in Maui and although I enjoyed the view and the excitement of being SO WAY UP HIGH all alone, I was anxious about the straps giving way AND about my glasses falling off my face into the ocean. I also think it would’ve been more fun to do together on our honeymoon, but my husband was fearful (understandably). If you don’t wear glasses, take off from the boat itself and trust the equipment, then go for it! One really cool thing is taking a visual measurement of the boat from that far away. My thumb covered it completely… THAT’s how high I was!!

The only times I’ve done this in front of a room full of strangers was in Alabama. My husband did one, my brother-in-law did one and I did one (“I will remember you” by Sarah MacLaghlin). Then, if I remember correctly, my husband and I sang a duet… I think it was Scarborough Fair by Simon and Garfunkle. Karaoke is well worth it if you’ve practiced the song a million times on your own. It’s scarier if you aren’t sure how it goes.

My husband and I used to sing online all the time in a karaoke chat room, if you can still call it that. We’ve also hosted a Karaoke party for our Sunday School class.

At first thought, my recollection of Paris is negative: my dad getting mugged in the Metro, cramped hotel accomodations, getting taken for $50 at Montmarte for an artist’s portrait of my mother… well ok, mainly the mugging.

But I do have a few wonderful memories like seeing a dad walking down the residential street with his darling daughter on his shoulders carrying a loaf of bread and singing together, Le Champs Elysys (not sure if that’s spelled right), the Louvre, and the Musee d’Orsay among other amazing museums and galleries.

Still, I would sooner recommend the French countryside than the city. Some of the most memorable moments were in the countryside… the somber beaches at Normandy, the little towns on the sides of hills and mountains (each building is worth sketching!), and especially Le Mont Saint Michele… it’s breathtaking. And I’ll never forget our daily breakfast of “pain au chocolat” fresh from the nearest bakery. You just can’t get it that good in the States.