Quick Update since Summer 2010...

So after an incredible summer in Europe I headed back home to the Excited States and took to looking for a 'traditional' job. Something that would let me move into San Francisco, have dinner parties, get a dog, go out on the weekends...you know the regular old 26 year old lifestyle. Well it proved to be a lot harder than I thought. (And honestly...who are we kidding?) I did the regular job search thing, posted my resume on all the major sites, talked to recruiters, updated Linked-In, networked. But all that came my way were sales jobs, something I'm completely uninterested in! So I started doing part time stuff to keep busy and at one point had two server jobs, one at Tyler Florence's Rotisserie and Wine which was in Napa and one in Sausalito. Then I picked up a third job at TyFlo's Mill Valley Kitchen Essentials Shop and in January 2011 was working 3 part time jobs. Well that was just too much! I was able to cut out both server positions and focus on the shop. I didn't want to get back into retail but this was a great place for me, combining my passion for food and beverage with kitchen stuff! The people who worked there were so fabulous and it was so nice to be there but I wanted much much more.

I had started my application to become a Backroads Trip Leader back in 2008 when I left Montfaucon and France. However, they were on a hiring freeze and then I was in the middle of working towards getting back to Europe and missed the deadlines in 09. Thankfully this year I was keeping a close watch and worked really hard on putting a substantial application together.

After a quick phone interview mid-February, I was invited to the infamous Hiring Event. I was so nervous and excited. I don't think anything can prepare you for the intensity that ensued. On March 3rd, I went through an 8-hour interview process that included being the first to introduce myself to a room of 50 people, bike mechanics, language skills tests and guest scenarios. It was incredibly difficult to remain professional in such a familiar and exciting environment. I can't really explain it but there was this sense of energy all day, a sort of 'these are my people' feeling that many of us had. I'm so proud to say that the next day I was offered a position with a company that has won more awards and has the best reputation in an industry that I adore. As of April 25th, I'm back in Europe. On May 2nd I start a 10 day training process that will no doubt make me a better guide, leader and person. I get to live in France, a place I've always felt at home in, use my languages and be around people. This truly is a dream job!!

Follow my antics here and at my new site with hopefully more frequent posts:

http://prettyshami.posterous.com/

My last month in Europe...

As my fun filled 2010 summer comes to an end, I can look back and say that this has truly been an experience of a lifetime. Feeling a little bit less than fulfilled as a Sales Lead Manger for Restoration Hardware and wanting to give one last chance to an incredible relationship I found myself putting in my two weeks and packing my bags for a summer of adventure in Europe. Well I can safely say that that is exactly what I got.

I have been fortunate enough to visit 7 countries on this trip and live in two! My last month was spent living in the small town of Aachen right on the Belgian/German border in a beautiful apartment. There was an incredible market and downtown area where it's said that Charlemagne's remains are buried and the best part is that there is the most incredible ice cream shop right around the corner from the house. For 1.60 you can have about 500grams of ice cream piled high onto an incredible fresh baked cone. I love this guys' style because he opens every day in the morning, makes four kinds of ice cream (lemon, mocha, chocolate & vanilla) in huge quantities and when he runs out, he shuts his door. Needless to say there's a line out the door and down the street to this place most days I come here. I've definitely been incorporating this wee treat much more often into my daily rituals than is needed.As my Aug. 8th departure date approaches, I've been trying to connect with an old friend of mine Meghan from high school as she's been traveling around Europe as well. We decided on meeting in Venice since we'd both never been and then heading over to Trieste which is the last little beach town before you hit the Slovenian boarder and then on to Croatia which is definitely on my top 5 list. I'd never been to this part of Italy but I can never complain about Italy. It has to be my most favorite place in the entire world...although there's still a lot to be discovered. I had such a great time with Meghan and as a special treat her sister Carrie-Lynn joined us.

Le Mer Mediterranean

After a wonderful time with my family in Egypt, it was off again to visit one of the funnest people I know, my cousin Elsa in Greece. I was only there for 8 days but we had such a great time. After a few days in Athens, eating too many delicious Greek staples we boarded a huge ferry and headed to Sifnos, an island which is part of the Cyclades island group that also houses the ever so famous Mykonos.We stayed in the hotel kiki right in the harbor town of Kamares. If you ever want to live the absolute dream come here! We made friends with the local bartender, a Swedish girl who visited and made a connection with the owner and decided to stay. This girl swims and plays on the beach all day and then at night works at a beautiful bar that has beach access until about 4am, parties after that and then does it all again the next day. If that's not the life...I'm not sure what is.
One of the most memorable says we had was experienced via scooter as we explored the entire Island. It was so incredible!! I also learned that in Greece if you build a church on the land you own then you don't have to pay property tax...well guess how many churches we saw on this tiny island of just 90 sq. kilometers...quiet a few! We spent the whole day checking out every cove and crevasse we could and every had a few pit stops for kitchy shopping and ice cream.

Egypt for the summer!

After a quick 4 days in Belgium, it was back on a plane for me and off to Egypt to visit my family. I hadn't been over since November 08 so it was high time for another visit. What can I say, other than I had an incredible time. My grandmother is so amazing and had prepared some super fantastic meals for me, all my favorites and boy did I eat well (stuffed grape leaves below). It was so lovely to catch up with both sets of grandparents and all my family. A sweet little treat was that my uncle and his partner happen to also be visiting from Paris so we got to see each other, twice in two months is real rarity in this family so it was a special treat.

My cousin Christina organized for us to get out of the heat (and man, was it hot!) and spend 3 days in an oasis not far from Cairo called Stella di Mare. It was so much fun, we went to the beach all day and hung out, smoked sheisha and partied at night. It was so nice to get out of dirty old Cairo. Of course I love to visit but believe me, as no trip is without surprise in my book, there was a severe heat wave passing through just as I arrived that had us literally on the ground panting. With temperatures as high as 57C (135F) in the sun, and lovely inventions like rolling black outs, things definitely got interesting. There was one day that the power cut out at 3pm, the hottest part of the day for 5 whole hours! That day has most certainly been placed on the what doesn't kill you.... list.

On one of my last nights in Egypt, I got invited to a really nice soiree with my uncle at a new club on the nile called Tamerai. It was to honour a family friend of ours as she stepped down as the president of the french Rotary International Club. It was really such a wonderful way to end the two weeks in Cairo and I got to see a few faces from my childhood and reconnect with people. Now it's off to Greece to play with my other cousin Elsa in the Mediterranean sun!