February 2016
Welcome to February! Hopefully this month is kinder to celebrities than last month was. What a way to start the year, huh? Cancer sucks.
On February 2nd last year, my father asked if I wanted to go to Monaco with him. It sounded great! I said yes, then scrambled to prepare as I was leaving on the 17th. Despite the horrifically short amount of time I had to plan (hahaha, me plan), I made the most of my trip. I walked through all of Monaco (yes, it’s that tiny). I inhaled a disgusting number of pizzas. I went to a carnival in Nice. I bought delicious sweets in a cute French town that I cannot remember the name of to save my life (St. Paul du Vence upon asking my dad). I met Italian kitties (one was on a motorcycle!). I ate the most incredible ravioli I’ve ever had in my life. I bought Quality Street chocolates and legit Kinder Eggs to later gorge on. I saw a boxing match. It helped me avoid the tedium that is my work schedule in February. I enjoyed it so much, in fact, that I’m going to the continent again in just about a week and a half!
Should you find yourself also itching to visit Europe, check out the article on a few tiny bits of advice for getting there. During your downtime (perhaps while on a plane!), you can read not one, not two, but THREE fiction pieces in the Refuge. They are chapter six of Sometime Last Week, part two of Celia, and a standalone partially inspired by the bit of snow we received a few weeks ago. You can also read about Rory’s dreams, my take on the newest Star Wars film, The Force Awakens, and about the experiences of Sifton Anipare, a former Hyogo JET.
For a couple days while my dad and I were in the Riviera, we rented a car so we could visit two small towns in Italy. They were well worth it, though I was extremely frustrated by the citrus festival that was being held in Menton and expressed this by cursing its name. Driving takes time, but helps you reach places you couldn’t otherwise. Life is short. Make sure you take the time to see what really matters to you. Always.
Brittany Teodorski
