A Rosé World

Where do I begin when describing my experience in Bordeaux? I could write chapters upon chapters about the stone covered streets and the towering ornate fountains. The gothic styled cathedrals and statues throughout the city streets was that of a medieval town, but the cotton candy sky’s and laughter filled air set the scene for more of a fairytale. But hey, I’m not J.R. Tolkien, so I’ll let your mind picture the rest. I spent my days roaming around aimlessly, often letting the street choose me instead of vice verse. I enjoyed trying to take photographs that actively portrayed the beauty around me. I loved Paris, but in all honesty I was ready to leave when the time came. Paris constantly felt like a big city full of hustle and bustle and fast paced streets. Don’t get me wrong, it is fun to be apart of something so large and exciting, but by day 3 my anxiety had peaked and I needed to remember how to relax my jaw and relieve the stress from my shoulders. I suppose this is why we all love to visit New York... for approximately 2 days, and then it’s time to go. Compared to Paris, Bordeaux was slow and steady. The parks were full of people picnicking in a hurry to go no where. The air felt lighter and the sun felt warmer. Every single person was smiling or laughing and shop owners took precious time to talk to me in their broken English, eager to hear my story. Paris has its own form of beauty and I will always cherish it, but Bordeaux... Bordeaux stole my heart. The majority of you have probably only heard of Bordeaux because you have seen it on a bottle of wine. I mean hey, it is one of the largest wine capitals in the world, so I figured it was absolutely mandatory that I tasted some. I stopped at two different shops and got to sample a few different wines. The shop owners explained each wine to me and I nodded excitingly even though I probably understood 3 and a half words that they said. I sat in the street and enjoyed some finger foods while sipping on a rosé... and life was good. At the second winery, the owner asked to draw me. He had multiple people drawn upon his walls and said he was inspired by my solo journey. I of course agreed and sat as he sketched my outline. We laughed and I sipped my Rosé, trying to sit still. I was excited that a little piece of me would never truly leave Bordeaux (although isn’t that the case in any place you fall in love with?) I quickly discovered I liked the rosé’s in Bordeaux which is surprising because they tend to be too sweet for me in America. I was excited about this discovery because the color of a rosé is not that of a white or red, but instead a sunset mixture of dusty pink. It sparkled against the sun and reflected the golden streets well. As I stared at the glass, I realized the color had somewhat flooded my vision. It felt warm and happy and I realized the color perfectly exemplified my feelings toward Bordeaux. It’s as if I was wearing rose tinted glasses as I walked the streets, covering everything in a blanket of light pink. Leaving Bordeaux today was not as easy as leaving Paris. I’m excited for the next adventure, but I will miss my rosé world. *** Next time you feel a strong emotion for a place or thing, take a moment to relax your shoulders and assign a color to it. It’s an amazing way to reflect upon your feelings and sink deeper into a moment. ***