Do you remember how in nineties movies and books, one of THE coolest things that people did was dress up in swanky snow gear (don't forget the reflective neon googles and a look that says I'm better than you) and spend the day on the slopes? Somehow they always found the perfect mountain vista with … Continue reading La Clusaz: French Alps Daydream
One of our first weekends in Paris, some of our new friends invited us to join them for Saturday afternoon jazz at a hip but classically Parisian coffee and wine bar. We loved the music, and it felt like the most Paris thing to do ever, crowded around a few tiny tables, enjoying good company … Continue reading Jazzy Paris
Before the possibility of moving to France was ever a blip on our radar, I fell in love with France. I had long loved the French language, but it wasn't until I dove into reading stories about foreigners experiencing life abroad that I fell in love with all aspects of French culture. If you want … Continue reading All the Books to Dream about Living in France
Alright. I've put it off long enough. I'm one of those people who starts a million different things and then leaves them unfinished because I get excited about something else in the meantime, or I feel overwhelmed that I don't have enough time to do it justice (aka perfectly), so I put it off until … Continue reading paris essentials: a love story
What were you doing in 1570? Oh wait, that was 37 years before your ancestors had possibly even come over on the Mayflower and 200 years before America was officially a country. But since then, for 448 years, Strasbourg has hosted the “Christkindelsmärik," the oldest Christmas market in Europe. Since my parents were with us for … Continue reading strasbourg, the capital of christmas
This year certainly had its ups and downs. Having worked in college ministry, being back in grad school, and then being on a college ministry schedule again, I tend to view each year in terms of the school schedule (i.e., September-June) rather than the calendar year. Until now I haven't really reflected on 2018 as … Continue reading 2018 recap
Located just around the corner from Notre Dame, Sainte Chapelle seems unsuspecting. First of all, it's located in the middle of the block. If you look for it, you can see the gothic spire towering above the government buildings it's surrounded by. If you actually know about it and decide to go in, your first … Continue reading sainte chapelle
There's no treat in Paris as unique, elegant, and ubiquitous as the macaron. You can find hundreds of specimens in practically every corner patisserie. The edges may not be perfectly smooth, but you can find the dessert with the classic fillings - chocolate, coffee, vanilla, raspberry, pistachio - anywhere. Of course, there are the luxury … Continue reading macarons and makeup
If you've ever seen a sunset in Paris, then you understand why Monet devoted his entire life to painting the light in this marvelous city. The way that light reflects from the sea-foam green Seine river to the cream-colored buildings, the way it bounces off pebble paths onto marble statues, is simply dreamy. Standing on … Continue reading sunset in the tuileries
Looks like our weekly updates are going to be more like monthly updates! Here is what's been going on lately... As I had anticipated, having a routine again has been SO nice. The third or fourth day of my French classes (which are every day from 9am-1pm), I realized that the last time I had … Continue reading life lately
