Back to France

Our last few weeks in the US were so lovely, with even more time with friends and family; click here to read my Home for the Holidays post. We enjoyed our family Christmas Eve tradition of watching Polar Express and opening gifts with our daughter and son-in-law. They prepared an amazingly delicious meal of braised short ribs, Tartiflette, and a delicious salad. The ribs were so tender and delicious; they tempted even my vegetarian preferences.

The next morning we gathered again for a delicious and festive Christmas brunch.

Next came more time with Tim and Lisa, then back to Seattle with stops along the way to see even more family and friends. We went to Woodland Park Zoo to see the Wild Lanterns exhibit with dear friends Dave and Rosanne.

We got to see our young nephew score a goal for his soccer team, and enjoyed a very festive, neighborhood New Year’s Eve party with my sister, brother-in-law, niece, and nephew.

We ended our trip in style thanks to the Alaska Airlines Frequent Flyer Program, by flying to London in first class on British Airways. That was a treat and nice finish to our US adventure.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in the US. Being with loved ones and familiarity, warmed our hearts. In the 31 days we spent in the US, we enjoyed time with 27 family members and 24 friends, all so welcoming and anxious to hear about our expat life in France. It was lovely but also conflicting to be there; I love being near family and friends, but I love France too.

I was texting with my sister as we were waiting to board our flight to London. She shared that she had driven her daughter to school that day along with some other kids. They were all sharing the highlights of their school break, and my niece said that the highlight for her was seeing her aunt and uncle. That brought me to tears.

As my dear friend Jack says; I’m processing. Another dear friend, Shirley, who has lived in many countries around the globe, completely gets my conflicting emotions. I texted her on our last night in Seattle and she shared this with me:

Dear Tricia – life is a process, and there are no rules about choosing to live in one place (France) where you can enjoy lots of experiences and see lots of wonderful things which is great. And then the processing continues as you make your way back to where people and not places are most important. Both are good and part of your journey. Happy processing dear friend, you’ll head in the direction both of your hearts tell you to go.

Such wise words; thank you Shirley.

As I’m writing this theTravelsketcher and I are on the Eurostar heading back to France, which at the moment is home for us. It seems odd to call France home; I have always considered myself a Pacific Northwesterner through and through. But at this point in our lives, France is where we hang our hats. We will return to the Pacific Northwest one day, perhaps as soon as next year, but for now, France is home.

There are things I like about both countries, and in actuality, I prefer France to the US; it’s safer, there’s no gun violence, everyone has health insurance, and the cost of living is much less than the US. Then there are the charming villages, and interesting history. And we can’t forget about the wine, cheese, delicious baguettes, and pastries. If I could move all my loved ones here, it would be perfectly idyllic.

The train just popped up out of the Chunnel into France and the sun has filled the train car rousing the travelers from their early morning drowsiness. The gentle slopping, verdant hills of Normandie lie in the distance; it looks like home.

In the words of Henri de Bornier – Tout homme a deux pays, le sien et puis la France, every man has two countries – his own and France.

All the best,

Tricia