A photo that I posted a while back made me think I should share some of my strategies for learning French. Although I haven’t been entirely diligent about studying, I have been actively engaged in learning French for over two years now, most seriously for the past 10 months. I sort of expected to learn … Continue reading How to learn French (for free!)
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Saint Louis Blues
Allez les bleus! Wait, that was last year. Let me try that again. Let's go Blues!! I'm not saying the Saint Louis Blues won the Stanley Cup just because Colin and I moved here, but we do seem to be good luck for Blues/Bleus championships. I'm only sorry we can't hop on a plane right … Continue reading Saint Louis Blues
The problem with living in your old hometown
The weather in St. Louis is something else. In the last week alone, we've had a tornado warning that sent me fleeing to the basement, a flash flood that knocked over our recycling bin, and temps hotter than tickets to the Stanley Cup final (let's go Blues!). After more than a decade of living in … Continue reading The problem with living in your old hometown
Reluctant self-improvement: or, trying to parler français in St. Louis
Shout out to this blog for holding me accountable! Remember when I told you I'd definitely keep up my French lessons à Saint Louis, if for no other reason than providing entertaining blog fodder? Well, I arrived, and I looked into affordable options, and I found exactly one—a meet-up group that gets together for two … Continue reading Reluctant self-improvement: or, trying to parler français in St. Louis
Stray observations: St. Louis edition
It's been almost three months since I've been back in the U.S. When we first arrived, I couldn't bear to switch my home address in Google Maps from our Paris apartment. Finally, after months of having to type it in every time I wanted directions, I ripped off the band-aid and updated it today. So … Continue reading Stray observations: St. Louis edition
Lily of the Valley Day
Bonjour à tous! Do you know what day it is? It's Fête du Muguet! My favorite French holiday, when everyone gives little bouquets of lily of the valley to their friends and family. (It's also French Labor Day, when everyone protests. The two holidays aren't related.) In any case, I'm trying to ease back into … Continue reading Lily of the Valley Day
To Notre Dame, with love
Yesterday was a horrible day—the day that 850 years of history and art and architecture went up in flames, as Notre Dame burned. When you live in a place as old and beautiful as Paris, these landmarks quietly integrate themselves into your life almost without you noticing. Every time I ran along the Seine, it … Continue reading To Notre Dame, with love
Scene around town
I took so many photos last year that I couldn't possibly share them all, but in looking back at my photo library, I realized that I have some real favorites that never made it into a post. Paris is just an unbelievably beautiful city, and I miss how much of daily life happens outside. Here, … Continue reading Scene around town
Re-entry
Re-entry seems like an appropriate term to describe the process of re-adjusting to life in the US. Most days, I feel like an astronaut plummeting to the ocean with only a tiny parachute to slow the impact: Everything looks familiar, but the perspective is all wrong. Everyone speaks my language, but bars and restaurants are … Continue reading Re-entry
France vs. America
I follow enough French accounts on social media that the targeted ads I see are often in French, even now that I'm back in the US. Normally I don't give the ads much thought, but the fine print of this one caught my eye: Pour votre santé, évitez de grignoter entre les repas. For your … Continue reading France vs. America
Practice Makes Parfait 