In less than two weeks the Chef and I will be on to our next grand adventure.  A driving expedition of over 2,000 miles to our new home…Maine! Along the way we’re going to live up to our name.  Stopping by NOLA for a little French fix.

Visiting my friend with the fabulous last name…the Champagne who Went in Alabama.

A meeting with the ghosts of the Civil War in Gettysburg.

Catching up with a college friend on her blueberry farm in upstate NY.

However the trip won’t be complete without a drive through the land of the US Chateaux.  Yep, there’s no way this chateaux chasing princess is gonna miss that!

To my Texas family moving to Maine is like going to extremes.  At least that’s what my brother said on the phone yesterday…”You guys go from one extreme to the next.”  He was referring to Paris (the adventure of summer past) to well…Maine.  I guess that would be extreme.  My reply ” makes life interesting.”

I’m elated beyond belief to think I’m actually going to live where it snows!  The last time I saw snow falling was circa 2004 and it was Christmas.  Mind you this was in South Texas…you can imagine the hysteria! So I’m sure we’ll have to invest in one of these:

And I’m praying to the good lord above this never happens to our little Veloster:

My fashionable side might have to take a backseat for a while as I have to go from shopping here:

to here:

That’s fine..a girl needs a little variety!

Our little coastal village is also a pretty hip place.  I’m really looking forward to meeting the locals. They like playing dress-up too!

While the Chef is away out here:

on a boat named for this brave woman:

I’ll be daydreaming the day away like this ….

Just kidding, that would last for all of two minutes because the snow would be calling me out…if just to stand in it.  I can’t wait.

On the weekends I’m sure postive we’ll be on the hunt for these guys:

and I know we’ll find many of these:

Just to add to the ever evolving world of French history and the path I’ve found myself on while discovering it and being intertwined with it….Guess who’s home is here in Maine???  She never made it here to see it or live in it, but it was built for her….my lovely BFF of a past life, Marie Antoinette!  The Chef won’t know that until he reads this post, fabulous! He’s in for another one of Elissa’s historical “wild goose chases” ie, chasing French history...minus the jet lag!!! Here’s a glance of the home…somewhere in Edgecombe, ME.  Hope my caretaker befriending skills are still good 😉

Legend has it, that many of her personal belongings made it to Maine, including 6 cats.  Now, these weren’t just any cats, but Turkish Angora cats.  They naturally were let loose or just flat ran away and bred with normal kitties.  Over time, the descendants of these cats became the beastly Maine Coons, the official state cat of Maine!  It just so happens this is the Chef’s favorite cat.  I’ve heard him rave about the day he will have one…Mr. Kitty would be this cat’s snack! They are ginormous.

And they say nothing in life is coincidence.  Maine, here comes The Traveling Pear…guess we were destined for one another!