Oui, un peu. That was my typical response to someone asking if I speak French until this week. Now, day by day, I can feel myself turning into a French language master! This week I started an intensive French course at Alliance Française, a language school in the heart of the city. I was lucky…
Tag: France
And the Winner is…
Toulouse, France! We’re staying! After a very long, nearly two weeks of limbo, we finally got the word that we can stay here until after our baby is born (though not without some last minute talk of Germany or even Florida—but that’s another story). Though the prospect of Doha was exciting, the ability to stay…
29 Weeks and Limbo
I currently feel like I am stuck in a movie. One where the hero and heroine have faced and overcome some incredible, life-changing obstacles and are starting to walk off into their golden sunset when, suddenly, the storm clouds roll in and a dark villainous voice mocks them saying, “not so fast, my pretties, not…
On the Move Again: Frankfurt, Germany
Last week I mentioned an impending move to Germany. Over the weekend, that move happened. For the next month and a half, we will be living in Frankfurt am Main (or Frankfurt on the Main River). Life has a funny way of working out. As I’ve mentioned before, I studied German in high school and…
Six Tips for Traveling during Pregnancy
This week marks the halfway point in my pregnancy—just 20 more weeks to go! What a better time, then, to write a post on pregnancy travel tips? Even as I sit here typing, though, I know I may have to do a follow-up article on moving during pregnancy. Yep, moving. Remember back in November when…
A Day Trip to Lourdes
Matt and I travel a lot. We were discussing just how much the other day and realized that, since January 2015 alone, we’ve traveled to a different state or—starting at the end of May—a different country every month. Granted, some of that has been dictated by work, but I think we also get a little…
Five Must-See Châteaux in the Loire Valley
Today I’m going to flash back to a trip we took in November. We spent a long weekend exploring north central and northwest France, including Mont-Saint-Michel and Normandy. The final part of our trip about which I have not yet written was a jaunt through the Loire Valley to tour some of the châteaux (or…
Expecting Expat: Pregnant in France
I feel I should start this post with a bit of a disclaimer. I am making observations as a first-time mother living temporarily in France. Comparisons I make between the U.S. and France are merely based on my observations and personal experiences, as well as from anecdotes from friends, family and those ever-addicting pregnancy message…
2016-The Year of the Baby!
Happy New Year! I hope all of you had wonderful holidays and got to spend plenty of quality time with family and friends. We were blessed to be able to celebrate Christmas in Paris. Christmas Eve, Matt and I attended Midnight Mass at a heavily guarded Notre Dame. Temporary fences provided a wide perimeter around…
A Tale of Three European Christmas Markets
I think I’ve dreamt about visiting a German Christmas market since I was in high school learning German and studying the country’s customs and cultures. Visions of stalls piled high with sweets and festive treats filled my head. The image of lights twinkling and decorated trees towering over snowy streets beckoned me from afar. Once…
Eat, Drink, Move (Repeat) 