Always take a compass with you, especially when you turn 30!

Life is full of messages, and this picnic birthday day was not exempted of that.

Mariama was determined to take us on a trip through the amazing Fontainebleau forest in the south of Paris; The challenge for a group of friends, walking together, getting tired, and sharing the experience. Was all to be discovered!

I guess Mariama turning 30th, gave us the confident to trust her guts, so we followed her.

She has learned her lessons of the 20’s: never live home without a compass and a map. PREPARATION is part of success to arrive to your destination. Stop in the middle, and check your compass: Am I in the right track? Is this the right direction?

Mariama also seem to have learnt that there is no need for her to do it ALL ALONE, so she teamed up with Jawed, after all they probably know the LAND better than us.

Both have ancestors who would only know their next door neighbour by walking long, long distances. So we trust them!

There is no arrival, without be

ing lost, or at least “the feeling”

we are lost. We all wondered:

Where are we?

Are we in the right track?

May be is this way? Or may be that…?

Even if it looks confusing, or you are actually in the right way, checking the map, it always reassures you that what you have decided before is what is making you go forward.

At some point you got to let go! let loose! and have some fun too!

Uf! Finally the local arrived. Thanks god for that. It is always good to consult those who have done the road before. Good wise advised, and we were on the right path again.

We have not arrived to the top yet, but it was time for a break.

Here is the celebration, a first class picnic, with some mini birthday cake. Everyone brought something, and we could not let Mariama go, without the ritual of the birthday song…in three languages!! (look at the VIDEO after this post)

Up we go, we continue the trip.

Mariama

was happy

to have lead us

so far, but the real bit was to come yet.

We claim as a team, and we got to the top!

So Mariama received her "getting to the top" graduation map!

CONGRATULATIONS MARIAMA FOR TAKING US WITH YOU TO THE TOP!









PS there is also a little surprise in the last post!

Happy birtday Mariama!

The twins! Mariama and Yacine

by the way, Mariama has a twin sister! so Happy birthday to Yacine too.

Lots of changes!

dear friends and family,

It would be no surprise to you to know that we are going through lots of adjustment.

Time has come and we need to move from the beautiful place we have been living for now, and which we are ready to let go.

We know that there is something much better out there for US! but it has been not easy to find jet...

In the other hand, Mariama still preparing the second part of her exam, which is in November.

This is the oral part, and of course a very important one, since it decides whether Mariama gets in to the School of Law or not. For this reason, if you are planning to come to Paris, we are saying no to family and friends, since we need full focus on the exam. Next year things may be a bit better and we will be happy to have you in our home.

I am also at a challenging stage of finding a full time job, which has prove more than difficult in the French context...however, this is not news for me, so I will just continue sending nice CV's and letters.

We also would like to say thank you to all of those who have been keeping track of Mariama's process and have been sending her good energy. By the way, her and Yacin, her twin sister turn 30 this next 5th of October.

Please leave us a post with a nice message!


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