BLOOM WHERE YOU'RE PLANTED 2018

Years ago, as we were making corporate moves with our family for David's job, my mother sent me a little catch phrase, "bloom where you are planted."  As always in my life, she knew I might need a little encouragement in this "roving" lifestyle I found myself in.  I later cross-stitched (yes, I did do that kind of thing periodically!!!!) the phrase and hung it on the wall.  Now you see this phrase everywhere....and coming to Paris brought it back to me in a very real way.

For the past 50+ years The American Church in Paris has hosted an event called "Bloom Where You're Planted" for expats who have just moved to Paris or are planning to move to Paris.  It is an  event to help them thrive, not just survive, in this beautiful city.   The day is filled with various speakers talking about various subjects pertinent to Paris and living here.  Everything from housing, healthcare an necessary documentation to market shopping, cultural differences, schools and language.  We heard about the 2017 event and planned our vacation around it prior to our planned move to Paris.

We registered to attend Bloom 2017 event but then it was cancelled😞.  Though we were disappointed, we had purchased the Bloom book online to help answer the many questions we had. When we began our move, we were able to use this information to make things easier. So, while we were able to make the transition without going to Bloom,   I'm sure the event would have helped us in ways we don't even really know.

This is the 2014 book we have-it's been updated this year for the first time in four years!!

In June the director for Bloom 2018 stepped down,  and we were asked if we'd take over.  Are you kidding me???!!!  It was June,  the event was only four months away AND, as we soon found out, not much had been done!!!!!    I pulled David in knowing how great his organizational skills are and, though he might not claim this,  his computer skills way outdo mine.   So, we jumped in (I jumped, he was pushed!!)!!!

This is the gift bag each participant will receive-luckily,  we had many left over from a previous year-it's a nice bag, I think

Today after four crazy months,  we are just days away from Bloom 2018.  I can't believe it's almost here...which also means it's almost over!!  This has been the biggest job we've ever attempted.  There are 15 or so committee coordinators, paying sponsors, exhibitors....I've said multiple times it's like planning a wedding (actually worse, I think) where you have all these separate pieces that, on the day, somehow all fall together to make the perfect day.  That's what we're  praying for!!!

We've kidded many times that we may need marriage counseling after this....or that we're hoping our marriage can survive working together like this.  While that's, of course, a huge exaggeration, we don't always agree on how things should be handled (surprise! surprise!).  What we've discovered in this effort is David's better at the computer work (I do take care of some of the emails, but they are select ones that require a more personal touch) and managing the "staff" we're working with.  I'm the idea person.  That's not really a surprise to me as in all the church events I've planned (women's events, mother-daughter events, VBS) my role as the leader was setting out the plan and finding the perfect people who knew how to execute my wonderful ideas!!!! lol. Anyway, I guess that makes us a great team...and it didn't destroy our marriage.

I know you may be thinking "how much work can this be?"  Let me tell you, there have been days when we've spent all day working on Bloom, days when we've spent all morning working on Bloom and weeks when many days we've had to meet with this person or that person regarding her responsibilities.  We've met speakers for coffee to discuss their role/topics, recruited speakers (a job that, in my opinion, should have been already done...months ago, in fact), replaced multiple Coordinators when they, for various reasons, dropped out.....and on and on and on.

Our workplace never looked like this!  I should have snapped our dining room table when we were working!!!!

Another important part of the Bloom event is the English language bookstore.  Frequently, we have speakers who have published books,  and we like to have those books available to participants should they want to buy a book.  We also provide a place where our speakers can sign their books.  Acquiring the bookstore was one of our specific responsibilities...no big deal, we thought.   Oh, my gosh.  The bookstore that had previously joined with us changed its management and they stopped doing outside events.  David and I scoured all the English bookstores trying to find someone who would work with us this year......finally, through the reference of a bookstore owner who only sold used books, we found The Red Wheelbarrow and Miss Penelope, its owner.  We were SO excited....!!!  It was almost as if we'd won the lottery (okay, maybe not THAT exciting!!).

So, I'm at the end of my tale waiting with anticipation (and perhaps some apprehension) for Saturday to see how it all falls into place.    I'll let you know how it  goes....keep your fingers crossed!!