We've landed! We've now been back in the US for ten days, but those ten days have been chock-full with visiting family and driving all our earthly possessions from Maine to Missouri. Most of our things have been boxed up in a storage unit for the past year, and it was overwhelming to see it—I … Continue reading Begin again
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One sentence per day
While we're traveling/en route back to the US, I've scheduled a couple posts summing up our year in Paris. Today: excerpts from my daily journal. One of the ways I documented this year was through “one sentence per day” journaling. (Disclaimers: (1) The idea only occurred to me in September, so I don’t have sentences describing … Continue reading One sentence per day
Getting to know the Paris arrondissements
While we're traveling/en route back to the US, I've scheduled a couple posts summing up our year in Paris. Today: the Paris arrondissements. This year, Colin and I took on a number of different challenges in an effort to get to know Paris better. The big one was our To Do For Fun list (I'm due for an … Continue reading Getting to know the Paris arrondissements
Le fin, part 1
Well, here we are at le fin—the end. I’m calling this Le Fin Part 1, though, because those two extra words make it seem less final. It’s just the beginning of the end, not the end of the end! Part 2 is yet to come! As Ernest Hemingway once wrote, "If you are lucky enough … Continue reading Le fin, part 1
A tale of two parties
It was the best of weekends, it was the French-est of weekends. It started with a simple plan to eat dinner one night with Colin's researcher friends Anthony and Anne-Claire (who have since moved out of the apartment with the toilet that traumatized me), but it ended up being the most social weekend we've had … Continue reading A tale of two parties
Through the seasons
Writing about last week’s snowstorm reminded me that I wanted to share some “through the seasons” photos I’ve taken this year. I wasn’t particularly disciplined about the project, but it was a good excuse to revisit some of my favorite spots in Paris every few months. I picked three places: Notre Dame, the Coulée Verte … Continue reading Through the seasons
A little white lie
In a strangely comforting full-circle moment, it snowed in Paris yesterday. It almost never snows in Paris, according to our French friends. Certainly not enough to accumulate. We were inclined to believe them, seeing as how it's now late January and the grass is still green and our window boxes are still as colorful as … Continue reading A little white lie
Quel dommage
The first thing to go in a foreign language is your sense of humor. When I speak French, if I manage to speak French, everything is 100% literal. Teasing, telling jokes, sarcasm—c'est pas possible. Occasionally people laugh at the things I say (see: my photographer/writer/economist spy persona), but it's usually a happy accident. But this … Continue reading Quel dommage
Le retour
After yesterday's teaser, I figured it was time for a more substantive Life Update. I've been avoiding the topic of our return as long as possible, but now that 2019 is upon us, it’s time to face the fact that Colin and I will be back in the U.S. next month. I'm not thrilled about … Continue reading Le retour
What we ate for Christmas dinner
At French class last week, Laurine asked each of us about our plans for Christmas, specifically what we’d be eating. (The French really love food.) She started with me. I told her I’d be staying in Paris and eating Christmas dinner with some French and Belgian friends. I said that we’d decided to eat all … Continue reading What we ate for Christmas dinner
Practice Makes Parfait 