Way back in 2005 Tim and I took a trip to France. We were young, childless, eager for adventure, and for two weeks we traveled the country with nothing but what we could carry in our backpacks. The trip had a few hiccups, as all trips do, but when I look back I am overwhelmed by how beautiful and fantastic our time was.
France is a beautiful place, as everyone knows, but the French way of life was the real revelation for me. The appreciation of good food and drink. Taking time to linger over every meal. Walking more, and spending time outdoors in public spaces. Even the language, which I had loved and studied since girlhood, had a grace that seemed to be missing in our American version of English. It all left a lasting impression and defined many of my ideas about quality of day-to-day life and the beauty that can be found in little things.
We haven't been back to France since those magical weeks in the spring of 2005, but from
time to time I dream about
our next visit. And, I still get a thrill from looking over the photos from our last trip. They are painfully inadequate to capture such a beautiful experience, but they are the photos of a couple of 25 year olds having the time of their life, and there is a special beauty in that :) Here are a few of my favorites. xoxo
