Well, I’ve made it to France and had a lovely first day with my mom and dad! I made it from Orly airport to their home in Saint-Germain-en-laye no problem, and both my flights were great! I had an empty seat next to me the whole trip over. Watched a couple movies, napped a bit, and listened to some music. It really couldn’t have been easier. Leaving Boulder was bitter sweet though. On the one hand, I’m so excited about the adventure ahead of me, but on the other hand, there is a lot that I will miss about home!

My first few days have have been full and fun! I’ve been to the local market in St. Germain-en-laye a couple of times now and have taken walks in the nearby forest almost every morning. I can’t believe that I have only been here for 5 days!! I also took a trip into Paris one day where we explored a fancy mall called the Bon Marché and walked around the beautiful Luxembourg Garden. Springtime here is absolutely beautiful and the flowers are out in full force. I’ve been slowly practicing my French, but it doesn’t come easy. I just need to try and speak as much as possible even though it feels scary and vulnerable.

The food here! Oh man… The food here is so good! Damn dude! I’ve been eating well for sure. Fresh bread, raw cheese, incredible produce! Life is good here!

I’m now sitting in the car on the way to Annecy, a cute village on a lake in the French Alps. They call it the Venice of France and it is a place that my mom has always wanted to visit. I think we have 3 nights there before we head to Chamonix for a couple nights, then to northern Italy for 4 more nights. I’m really excited about this trip even though we are expecting snow and a high of 21 degrees one day. I thought maybe I had escaped snow for the rest of the season, but maybe not. We will see… Either way, this is going to be an excellent vacation! Looking forward to posting some pictures!!

Thanks for reading! I am hoping to post some more regular updates as the trip continues! Also, for those of you wanting more tea focused posts, I’m sorry! Right now I’m in full “traveling” mode and have had less time for “gaiwan”. I’ll get there!