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A Month In Paris: Part 2

A Month In Paris: Part 2

This is Part 2 of a series about my 4 week stay in Paris, with my sister, while we attend a French language immersion class at Alliance Française. In case you missed the first instalment, you can catch up here. After the elation we felt after our first day of class, a few realities hit us hard over the next few days. Cycling back to the very most basic beginning, despite the fact that she had been taking French online…

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A Month in Paris- part 1

A Month in Paris- part 1

After playing ostrich for over a year, I’m back at the blog! Starting the New Year off with a grand adventure, this month will be a chronicle of a stay in Paris to take a French language immersion class at Alliance Française. Once a week or so I’ll update you on the progress in class for both my sister, Patti, and I, and then add a little Paris color, letting you know how we are adapting to our life in…

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How I Became An Expat Here in France!

How I Became An Expat Here in France!

One of my friends here in Nérac, Colin Usher, had the idea of collecting stories from people who had made small decisions that led to big changes in their lives.   If you would like to read more inspirational stories from people who have opened up life possibilities by responding to a Wave in their direction, check out the site Somebody Might Wave Back. And, here is my contribution to that site: The year 2011 was a big one for…

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Even In Idyllic France You Have To Be Responsible

Even In Idyllic France You Have To Be Responsible

I’ve been knee deep in red tape this past week, following up or initiating a number of “official” responsibilities. While this was nothing like what I was faced with when I first moved here, it seems that so much needs to be dealt with all at one time: renewal of my titre de sejoure (my visa), renewal of my California Drivers License, checking my voter registration for the 4th time (can’t be too sure!) and renewal of my US passport….

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Lockdown in Gascony

Lockdown in Gascony

  Here in France, like so many other places in the world, as of noon on Tuesday, the 17th, we are on lockdown/quarantine/shelter-in-place for at least 15 days, needing an Attestation De Déplacement Dérogatoire (a form) stating who we are, where we live, and our purpose for being out.  Luckily for me, my friend Luke decided to come here last week from Switzerland rather than going back to his home in Italy,, which was already experiencing a mass quarantine, and…

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Finding My Place

Finding My Place

I just spent a wonderful week in Tuscany with family, a week full of music in the kitchen while we cooked, great explorations out into the countryside, uncounted bottles of wine, some moments of high drama, and lots of laughs.  We managed the extreme heat by plunging into the pool, and then enjoyed the cooler air and the light show of a Tuscan storm on our last night here as we grilled steaks over an open fire under the shelter…

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