I think I was around 2 when I decided I wanted to be "wrapping paper" when I grew up. I told my Mom I wanted to be "wrapping paper" because people were always happy when they teared it off to discover their presents.

When I was older I started to want to be a teacher. The teaching subject often changed but the teaching part didn't. I'm glad I'm doing it now.

My friend Emi gave me some tea a few weeks ago and I just love it. I knew it reminded me of something but I couldn't quite put my hands on it. But tonight it finally hit me: it reminds me of the oatmeal I used to eat all the time when I was an AuPair in the USA.

It's called cinnamon & spice from Quaker Oatmeal. I wish I could find it here, I loved the taste and that it was in portion which were the right amount I needed to start the day.

Maybe I should buy some plain oatmeal and spice it up myself... I'll probably try that. Yay!

I met the family with whom I would spend 13 months as an AuPair to their child.

I remember that day as if it was yesterday: saying goodbye to all of the AuPairs who became my friends in such a short period of time, taking last souvenir pictures, seeing them going their own way, some being picked up by their family, some going to the airport or to another train.

I remember the card the I. family sent me when I was still in Stamford, CT for the orientation, it was so pretty and the words really encouraged me to be strong and that's when I was sure I was put in a good family.

I remember being in the train, standing up with another girl because our luggages were too big to put them anywhere but next to the doors.

I remember that after that girl left, I went to sit down next to an old man who smiled at me (I'm pretty sure he knew I was nervous).

And then I remember getting out of the train and looking around: I remember that there were so many people, so many. I'd never seen so many people on a platform before. I remember the open parking behind, made of 2 or 3 floors, i remember feeling lost for a little minute.

And all of a sudden, I saw a tall man, not too close, not too far. We saw each other, we recognized each other. He told C. that I was there and I saw her head turn around and I think my heart started racing because I knew I was safe then. They rushed towards me amongst the passengers, I was so happy. I saw that M. had little E. in his arms and this really warmed my heart: she was here too, I was about to meet the little girl I would take care of for 13 months.

I still remember so closely the feelings of that exact moment I recognized the I. family, it's really extraordinary how even though I'd never met these people and only wrote and sent pictures, I could feel a powerful sense of security and love.

That's when I knew the journey in America was a dream come true.

I took my first flight out to the West.

It was she first time I was leaving my family for a long period of time.

It was the first time I took a plane.

It was the first time I was feeling so vulnerable and small and young.

It was my first time in the USA.

10 years ago, my life changed.

Going to the USA for a year was one of the best decisions of my life:

I learned so much, about others, about the importance of a family, about being brave, about living the way you want to, but mostly about me.

I learned that you have to be part of a strong family to be able to survive out there but also that people will help you in any way possible if you're in need.

I learned that you choose your life, nobody else does: you make your own path and you make mistakes you'd be sure not to make again.

I learned that if you really want something, you just go and get it, no matter the circumstances and the difficulties.

I learned that distance relationship are hard but not impossible: I've made the bestest of friends during that period.

I saw clichés about the Americans fall apart, I saw clichés about the Americans make me smile.

I saw how beautiful life can be when you have the freedom of living each day as it comes.

I saw freedom for the first time.

Yes, ten years ago I decided to live my life the way I wanted it to be and there are no regrets.

I stumbled upon this .gif yesterday and it hit me pretty badly.

It's an extract from the movie The Help that I recently saw at the movies and which really made me cry out loud so much and I can't even remember when I last cried that much. Not because it's all sad or not good but because it's beautiful and emotional and filled with love.

Why it really hit me, first in the movie and then again today is because this little girl looks so much like my niece that it makes me miss her all the more again and wanting to hug her and see her and kiss her and just be there for her.

Click through the picture to go on the site where I bought this poster. Unfortunately, they are not selling this piece anymore.

When I found out Steve Jobs passed away, I felt kinda lost for a moment.

But it's not because you don't know someone that it doesn't affect you in a certain way.

When one of my friends' mother died earlier this year, I cried so much even though I've never met her: I cried because my friend was in pain and I could relate to what she was going through and I didn't want to go through this and because she's so dear to me.

Steve Jobs made me realize a few great things over the past years: he was a strong believer of creating your own happiness, he was a genius who changed the life of millions with his creations, he always gave great pieces of advice, he was always looking for something more, something greater, something stronger. He always had meaningful comments and sayings.

He also made me realize how easier life was when you put things into perspective and how you influence your lifestyle with little useful things such as organisation, taking one thing at a time, thinking bigger than the box or the majority.

Thanks to the products he designed, I could really focus on what I love and how I conduct my everyday life. It just made it manageable and uncomplicated. I now use an iMAc and an iPhone and everything is just less demanding: I can set everything together and never forget an appointment or a date or something I really have to do. I can list the books I want to read, the place I want to see, the movies I want to watch in one device and not on thousands of papers (even though I love paper, but I love trees even more!) that I'd lose the next day.

R.I.P. Steve Jobs and thank you for all that you've done for us.

I was at my grand-parents, using the new email address I created with my aunt, Alexandra.

I heard this silence.

I know you can't hear silence but this is the sort of "sound" you don't like to hear.

My aunt and uncle were in front of the TV.

The first tower just got hit.

I remember not asking any questions, just watching as the images flashed past on the TV.

It was horrible, it was surreal.

My first thought was: "how can they let that happen?". It wasn't directed at anyone, I was asking the world.

How people can be so cruel, how can they just destroy so many lives? What about the people on top of the buildings? Where is the military?

Those questions still filled my mind when four days later, I went to Paris to get my interview to spend a year in the USA as an au pair.

10 years.

I still can't believe how bad this was. How terrible and devastating it's still is for lots of people. How it affects everyone who can remember 9/11.

The images still haunt me, they're strong, fixed in my mind.

When I arrived in New York City six months later, the only thought I had was of the people who were still living there and seeing the scenery everyday. I was wondering how they did.

We went on a round trip in the city and went to see where the Twin Towers used to be. The bus went silent and everybody was looking at the fences where thousands of notes, drawings and pictures were hanging.

Some took pictures. I don't remember if I did. I just knew this was a moment where this same silence was haunting me again.

Elle s'appelle Gabrielle, et qu'est-ce qu'elle est belle!

Parce que maintenant Gilles est là, alors on peut attendre le Père Noël. Mais quand même, c'est pas pareil, tout le monde est triste, Maman pleure encore beaucoup. Elle sourit un peu mais on voit qu'elle a mal. Quand je serai grande j'inventerai le pansement du coeur comme ça ma Maman elle ne pleurera plus.
J'ai eu plein de cadeau, c'est super! J'ai eu un joli chapeau noir, Nathalie me dit qu'il me va bien. Elle me dit aussi qu'il y avait un autre cadeau pour moi, mais qu'il s'est perdu dans l'accident de voiture. Est-ce à ce moment là que je n'ai plus cru au Père Noël? Pourtant je m'y accroche encore! Je ne sais pas si je vais encore aimer Noël... Si Maman elle n'aime plus, alors moi non plus.

Papa est mort...

J'aime pas quand Maman a hurlé si fort, j'ai eu peur, mais j'ai tout de suite compris: il se passe quelque chose. Barbara me prend dans ses bras quand je lui demande ce qui se passe et elle me dit que Papa est mort. Alors je pleure, Martial et Justine sont là aussi, mais ils ne pleurent pas, je ne comprends pas pourquoi ils ne pleurent pas.
Je monte dans le bureau de Papi: Alex est avec France et Emerick et ils pleurent tous... J'aime pas quand on pleure. Ça me fait mal au coeur.
Je veux voir Maman mais Maman ne va pas bien, elle est toute molle, elle ne tient pas debout toute seule. Ça aussi ça me fait peur, j'ai peur pour ma Maman. Elle pleure tout le temps, elle a les yeux rouge et la figure toute bouffie. Les larmes coulent tout le temps sur ses joues. J'aime pas voir ma Maman comme ça.
Aujourd'hui c'est Noël, mais Hélène et Papi et Mamie et Nathalie ont dit qu'on ne fera pas Noël tout de suite. Peut-être que le Pére Noël est avec Gilles. Pour le réconforter parce qu'il est tout seul maintenant. Il était avec Papa dans la voiture mais Papi et Maman vont aller le chercher parce que sinon il est tout seul.

Je voulais trop une petite soeur parce que j'en ai une grande mais pas une petite. Et puis les garçons, j'en ai marre, ils sont tout le temps en train de jouer à la bagarre ou aux petites voitures.
Alors ce matin Papa est venu nous réveiller très tôt pour nous dire qu'on avait une nouvelle petite soeur qui s'appelle Justine. Maman est encore à la maternité, on ira la voir cette après-midi avec Papa.
Mais d'abord on doit aller à l'école parce qu'aujourd'hui c'est samedi et il y a école. J'aime bien l'école le samedi parce qu'on fait des activités. Peut-être qu'on va faire les trous dans les dessins encore. J'aime bien faire les trous dans les dessins. Je demanderais à la maîtresse.

J'ai presque 5 ans et je vais avoir un nouveau petit frère. Mais comme Maman a beaucoup de choses à faire en plus de s'occuper de nous, elle m'a envoyé chez Mamie et Papi pour quelques mois.
Je vais dans une nouvelle école: je l'aime bien. J'ai des nouvelles copines et des nouveaux copains. La maîtresse est gentille, elle m'a présentée le premier jour où je suis arrivée.
Hier on a fait la photo d'école, c'était bien, j'aime bien les photos.
Aujourd'hui mon oncle Jojo est venu me chercher avec Chouchou, ma tante préférée: Jojo m'a prise sur ses épaules, c'était drôle parce que je pouvais toucher le haut des portes. Après on est allé acheter une glace, j'ai pris ma préférée: à la vanille!
Avec Mamie on va à l'école à pieds, j'aime bien parce qu'on parle tout le temps: quand on arrive à la cour de récréation, je lui fais un bisou et je vais voir mes copines au pneu au milieu de la cour. On joue tout le temps dans le pneu et des fois on arrive même à se cacher. Mais mon jeu préféré c'est 1 2 3 soleil. C'est trop rigolo. Des fois on va parler avec les grands de l'autre côté de la grille et on dit des blagues. Mais des fois ils sont méchants et disent des gros mots.
J'aime bien être chez Mamie, c'est comme des vacances sauf que je vais à l'école. Mais c'est pas mon école alors c'est pas pareil.
Bientôt je vais aller voir mon petit frère parce qu'il est né. Peut être qu'il pourra me faire des bisous. Moi je lui raconterais comment c'est chez Mamie, comme ça il n'aura pas peur.

Mamie m'a dit que mon petit frère s'appelle Martial et qu'il a plein de cheveux hihi