adventures of an american housewife in the south of france

What France Taught Me

On Tuesday afternoon we took a break from packing and went for one last walk down to the River Lez. We brought with us a small token to take part in a tradition that couples have been doing for years on the Pont des Artes in Paris and has recently started here in Montpellier - locking up our love for each other and this adventure. Living abroad here in France has been everything I could have ever hoped for. This...

Countdown: 2 Weeks

On Monday I looked around our apartment, at the stacks of built but empty boxes, the piles of things we want to get rid of, and stacks of books and clothes that needed to be packed, and I started to freak out.  It all seemed really overwhelming.  Also, 2 strange men had been in my apartment for the last 5 days repairing the damage caused by a flood in my upstairs neighbor's kitchen that happened a year ago....

Countdown: 4 Weeks

Holy shit, we're moving in a month. For the last few weeks we've been stuck in this weird place where we know we're moving, but it's just a little too early to start packing things up.  However, we're starting to realize that we need to Start Doing Things.  And oh my, is there a lot to do.  We've started selling off our furniture to friends and Michael's co-workers and we have boxes upon boxes of things to...

Countdown: 6 Weeks

Thank you all for your well wishes!  It's really happening.  We really only have 6 weeks left until we move back to the U.S.  When I think about it in those terms, it feels overwhelming.  How will we pack up all of our stuff, tie up all our loose ends, and squeeze in a few more trips, in just 6 short weeks?  I'm not sure, but somehow it will get done.  Oh, and flying across the world with a baby and a dog and...

Busy Day, Busy Bed Beard

I should start off this post by telling you all that I woke up at 6am today and immediately spent the next 10 hours enduring some very frustrating French bureaucracy.  So suffice it to say,  I'm pretty tired and cranky right now. Since Michael leaves for another long trip to L.A. again tomorrow (wah!!) we really needed to begin the process of getting our carte de séjour, or French residency card, before our...

An Eggy, Woody, Winey Weekend

Things we did this weekend: Finished unpacking (we are so close to being done!) Set up our music station (currently listening to some Parliament as I type) Cleaned our balcony windows after getting egged. (are we still in middle school?) Saw Minuit à Paris in VO (super cute and we loved, but as far as modern day Woody Allen, I prefer Melinda and Melinda or Vicky Cristina Barcelona) Drank way...

Moving Weekend, Moving Bed Beard

Well it's finally here - Moving Weekend!  This afternoon while Michael was on a train from Paris to Montpellier, I went to the apartment, signed the lease and picked up the keys.  And I have to be honest, I'm really overwhelmed.  Before this new place becomes our home, the whole apartment needs to be cleaned, every single piece of furniture needs to be purchased and assembled, we need to learn how to work all the...

The End Of The Road

We made it.  We are in Montpellier!  Although it was not without its challenges, most of the trip went smoothly.  But before I get into how we got to France, I want to tell you a little bit about the rest of our road trip across the good old U.S. of A. First, we spent 2 days in Wisconsin visiting with our adorable nephew, Dylan, eating my father-in-law’s incredible homemade pizza, and visiting with family and...

The Almost End of an Epic Road Trip

After four straight days of driving, we finally made it to our first extended stop in Wisconsin.  The road trip was looooong and at times, painful, but we really lucked out with weather and traffic.  No problems!  We got a late start leaving San Francisco on Thursday and didn't get to our hotel in Salt Lake City until 6am.  Ouch.  Lots of 5 hour energy was consumed and I did my best to stay up all night with...

Leaving (a piece of) My Heart in San Francisco

Dear San Francisco, How did six years go by in the blink of an eye?  It seems like only yesterday I arrived - hardened and slightly bitter from my two years on the east coast.  It was my second time moving to a city sight unseen and, unlike my first attempt, I instantly fell madly, head over heels, hopelessly in love with you.  With your majestic cliff sides, sparkling bay, countless parks…you were like...

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