MERCI À VOUS

Translation - THANK YOU. How to begin to thank the people in my life that have chipped in to help over the last few months, pre eurojules, in big and small ways, thank you. Mom and Dad drove up and helped me pack the remainder of my things and move all of my belongings into a storage unit (friend to friend, get the bigger size. You're gonna need it and if you don't all the better, but go bigger.) Friends that have been saving boxes for me for the last six months, love that you all have shopping problems similar to mine so thank you for buying large items and giving me the boxes to pack a wild amount of belongings into.

Thank you to all the friends that have gone to bar crawls, going away parties and just dinners and drinks here and there the last few months to send me off with so much love, thank you. To all the friends near and far that have reached out to check on how I'm doing with things - mentally, emotionally, etc. I feel like I've been nothing but a spaz for the last few weeks, even month or two just trying to get everything on my to do list taken care of and your "hey checking in, how are you, love you" texts mean the world and go so incredibly far.

Thank you to the friends that have offered to help me do things like pack and such and I never took you up on it because I don't know how to ask for/accept help - something I'm working on but very much a "no worries I can handle it myself" kind of gal but then realize I'm spreading myself so thin and should've accepted the help to begin with. Thank you for popping by for last-minute hugs and goodbyes, and for sending sweet travel gifts to take along with me.

Lastly a very special call out to my freshman year roommate at UD, and best friend of nine years - Carls. Thank you so much for asking me a few months ago who was driving me to the airport - to which I cried and said I didn't know, and sprung into action and said she'd drive down from Cincinnati and drive me to the airport herself. She was the perfect person for the job, who has been around for all the highs and lows of "adult" life and was a power house and kept up with my incomplete sentences and knew what was next in the final packing and prepping days on American soil. Made fun of me, hit me with tough love and a bunch of I'm so proud of you's and I love you's, held my hand as I let go of the city I've built my home and heart in over the last five years and hugged me every time she knew I needed it. I love you so big Cthie, Marycrest 597 forever.

I love y’all so much

Hard to sum up into words what Nashville has meant to me but it is truly the most home I've ever felt with the most amazing people in the world. It's been an honor, a pleasure, a damn fun ride. Yee freakin haw Nash, until next time.

cheers, eurojules

Euro Who? EUROJULES!

Hi y’all! It’s been a dang minute. I started my website, specifically my blog in college to detail and keep record of my shenanigans studying abroad, affectionately known as #eurojules. I wanted to not only keep friends and family in the loop if they were curious what we were getting into, but now six years later I’m so glad I did for my own sake to look back and read the challenges and triumphs navigating foreign countries as a 21 year old.

There are endless jokes of “that person that studied abroad once” and how they never shut up about the pastries they ate or the people they met, and I am that gal. Better than the original eurojules ever could have dreamed of though, I’m going back across the pond to eat a million more pastries, and meet new people (and hoping/welcoming familiar faces to visit too!)

Selling all my furniture, endless trips to goodwill purging things, putting the rest in storage and off she goes. I won’t be on vacation, I will be working full time which I’m most looking forward to living and experiencing the cities as an “adult” (adult is strongly in air quotes because I always joke that I’m only posing as an adult.) Definitely more adult-like not being in college and going to classes every day, but working that Dolly Parton way (if you didn’t sing 9 to 5 I’m disappointed.)

If you’re new here - these posts are written like I think and text, a million tabs open individual rapid fire texts with movie and song quotes referenced left and right. Keep up, would ya?

What’s the plan?? I laugh at this only because if you know me, I’m a planner. Always have been - thinking ahead, color coated google calendar invites and coordinating down to the last detail. The other half of me likes to roll with it, fly by the seat of my pants and “figure it out” as I go. I truly dig change, which most people find a little nutty.

How long are you going? Where are you going? Are you coming back? The plan right now is to change location every month for the first four months with Remote Year, starting in Cape Town South Africa, Valencia Spain, Lisbon Portugal, and Split Croatia. After that, I plan to rock around Europe and visit some places I didn't make it to my first time around. The timeline is TBD, and eventually, I plan to make it back to the states.

Would love any recommendations you have my friends for podcasts, downloadable movies, and TV shows for my long travel days to get across the pond and down to South Africa. Also if you want a postcard, make sure I have your updated address!

Beyond thrilled for this next chapter - stay tuned (if you’re so inclined) for all the adventures to come.

Cheers y’all,
Jules

Marché Artisan Foods

Good afternoon y'all, happy Sunday! When writing this post, I was sitting in the warmth of the hustle and bustle that is Marché, a little french cafe (yes, a #eurojules style favorite) in the heart of East Nashville off of Gallatin and Main. Marble and wood tables of all shapes and sizes fill the cafe, with the cutest waitress staff I have ever seen. They are all dressed in cozy apparel, and every single one while delivering food or wrapping silverware is singing whatever song is softly playing over the speakers.

I can't say I make a habit of going to a restaurant and eating by myself - it's sort of a taboo right? Eating by yourself deems that you are lonely, sad and have no friends or something silly like that. I have to say that it is WONDERFUL - not that grabbing breakfast with a friend isn't at the top of my fun list (I begged Amy to go to brunch with me the other day) but it can be sort of refreshing to sit alone and take in your surroundings. Judge away, bystanders. I am digging the solo restaurant life. 

They press their own juice in house for all you avid juice lovers, but the juice press needs an update because the noise it makes is slightly atrocious (and on going the entire hour I spent here.) For breakfast I ordered the American Breakfast which had eggs, bacon and potatoes. They make their own hot sauce and I must say it was delightful - I never used to be a hot sauce gal but in recent years I am on board for a little kick and anything to add flavor. Cool that they make it in house right?

There's tiny tables and windows all around the cafe, which is really lovely with all the natural light and baked good scent with the Norah Jones soundtrack kind of vibe. It's slightly over priced in my opinion, but the friendly staff and the food was decent, although I ordered a pretty basic entrée. They have some fun menu items, and their baked goods and crepes looked down right delicious. I went for breakfast when I visited, and I am a no-sweets-in-the-morning kind of girl. Salty only in the AM for me - guess I'll have to go back and give a full report on the sweet menu items..

Marché gets a 6.4 on the jkrometer scale - the atmosphere rocked but the prices we're a little too high for the quality of the offering. Pop in for a baked good and cup of coffee though, and I don't think you'll be disappointed. 

cheers, Jules

The Stillery

*I started writing this post ages ago and I didn't finish it.. so here we go friends!*

No one is surprised, but I am behind on posts and sitting in Ugly Mugs (snagged my favorite table, and it's currently 70 degrees and gorgeous in Nashville so it's a great day.) Today's review - the Stillery! I've now been twice, both in the company of mama Kate. She has been in town for the last two weeks with a lot of business, but still manages to treat me for dinner after her long days at conferences and in meetings.

I was looking up places to eat in the Midtown area because mom and her friend Nicole were staying close to downtown, and there are a ton of fun spots in the Midtown area (parking is a total mare though, keep that in mind as you're planning your night. Might recco an Uber!) The Stillery has two locations, one downtown on 3rd, and one in Midtown. I'm laughing now because parking on 3rd would be the true nightmare, but Midtown is always poppin' as well so either location you choose just Uber and save yourself the possibility of getting a boot on your tire (we saw it happen, no joke.)

Okay enough about parking - let's get down to the nitty gritty (said like Nacho Libre.) The grub is incredible - on our first visit I had the Sonoran burger with fries, it had a little kick but was huge and so well crafted. As you can see, I was a little hungry and totally forgot I need to be on the ball to take photos to entice the crap out of you people to stop by and grab a burger. Mom piped up and reminded me about my blogging endeavors and how I should snap a few pics - what would we do without her? The french fries had the perfect seasoning and of course I asked for a side of ranch and it passed the test of homemade deliciousness for all my ranch lovers out there. 

In addition to their tasty eats, they have a fantastic list of mason jar cocktails. Mom had the Dreamsicle, and I had the Southern Peach (cocktail list in the photos to the left and below- get crafty at home!) The Southern Peach tastes like peach iced tea, perfectly refreshing and go-to choice of mine on a daily basis so adding a little liquor was fun twist.

For dinner mom made her own burger and went for the pretzel bun (it was delicious, she sent me home with leftovers. Still feeding me for days in my post-grad life!) with a side of mac and cheese. Easily the creamiest and tastiest mac and cheese I've ever had. They also have a mac and cheese entree with hot chicken on top, and I imagine it's pretty delightful.  

Needless to say, the Stillery gets a high mark on the jkrometer scale, an overall 9.7 for atmosphere, service, amazing food and craft cocktails. It's a new go to for me!

cheers, Jules