My Relationship with Matthew
When I sat down to come up with the list of my 10 favorite things about France, this was the first thing that came to my mind. I won't lie, when Matthew and I accepted the opportunity to move to France, I was a little worried about what the stress of living in a foreign country would do to our marriage. We were moving, by far, the furthest I had ever lived from my family and friends. I didn't (still don't!) speak the language. I gave up my job, and was really worried that I would feel like the money we had was now "Matthew's", since he was the only one bringing home a paycheck. I have always heard that finances cause some of the biggest problems in marriages.
There have been some stressful times, but more than anything, this experience has truly shown me what an amazing man I am married to. We have grown so much closer since our move. And for those of you who don't know, Matthew and I were high school sweethearts. We dated for 6 years before getting married, and we had been married for 3 years when we moved to France. So we knew each other pretty well already! But, the time here has given us beaucoup de quality time together and it has taught us to rely (heavily at times!) on only each another.
At our rehearsal dinner the night before our wedding, my uncle Bill gave a toast that, at the time, I had a hard time fully understanding. He told us that his wish for us was that after being married 50 years, he hoped we would look back to our wedding day and realize it was the day we loved each other the least. The least? That seemed like such an odd thing to say for a marriage toast! He went on to explain that he hoped our love for each other would grow everyday. As I sat listening, in my full bridal glow, I didn't think that it was humanly possible to love Matthew anymore than I did in that moment. Later that night, I was still thinking about it, and it made so much sense. You wouldn't want to look back after 50 years of marriage and realize on your wedding day you loved each other the most! That would mean it would be all down hill after the wedding!
Matthew and I will celebrate our 5 year wedding anniversary this June. I can honestly say that I love him more today than the day I married him. I think I owe a lot of that to France. Even with 10+ years of memories, some of my favorites have been made here in France. Strolling through the market on Saturday mornings, with absolutely nothing else on our agenda for the day. Traveling and discovering big cities and little villages together. Taking a blanket and a book to the park on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, and alternate between reading and napping in the sunshine. Simply enjoying each others company, like every evening when Matthew comes home, he stands in the kitchen and we tell each other about our day while I cook dinner. One special memory that comes to mind was the first winter we lived here. We woke up one Saturday morning to snow. We both grew up in the south, so we weren't used to seeing a lot of snow. It had snowed all night, and showed no signs of letting up. We opened up the shades to our bedroom window, and spent all morning cuddled up, warm and snug in our bed, watching the snow fall. I'm not saying that we couldn't have had made the same memory in the US, but here, we seem to do a lot more things like that. This type of thing is the norm, not the exception. The pace of life is so much slower, there is no rush, no yard to mow or weeds to pull, no over-packed social calendar, just time to enjoy each other.
For this, J'aimerais toujours la France.
(et Matthew aussi, bien sûr!)
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
Things I Love About France...#2
New Friendships
I grew up in Six Mile, SC, a very small town about 10 miles from Clemson University. I went to Clemson (where my Dad got his MBA, my sister and Matthew were getting an engineering degree at the time, and where my mom works!). After graduating and getting married, we moved to Greenville, which is only about 45 minutes from Clemson. Not exactly a world traveler! Most of my friends are from the south (with the exception of a few Yankees sprinkled in from college and teaching). To this day, some of my best friends are friends I have had since elementary school. Growing up in a small southern town and going to a university in a small southern town, one does not get to experience a lot of diversity.
One of the things I have appreciated the most since living in France is the exposure to so many different cultures. And not only just being exposed, but creating true friendships with people that have such a different background than me. I love learning about different cultures. For example, did you know that in France, it is tradition to eat a galette des rois in the month of January. Hidden inside the cake is a small figurine, and the person that finds it in their slice becomes king or queen for the day. Or, that it is a tradition in Poland to buy a live trout a few days before Christmas and let it live in the bathtub until Christmas day when he becomes dinner?!?
Don't get me wrong, there are Americans that we have become friends with here that have become some of our closest friends. These friendships give us a sense of home as we recount (longingly) trips to Target, or dinners in downtown Greenville. And they are our link to sanity when we feel so out of place being "les americains".
Many years from now, the friendships we have made will definitely be one of my favorite things about our time spent in France.
This picture is from Mark's birthday in December. Somewhere during the night, the party became a group karaoke party! Here, we are all singing Billy Joel's "Piano Man"
(Left to Right: Mark (Dutch), me, Silke (Dutch), Matthew, Johann (Dutch), Sylvie (Dutch or German??? I can't remember!), Sabina (Polish), Philip (German), Eric (Sylvie's husband, so not sure Dutch or German...)
This photo cracks me up...an American, a Dutchman, a Frenchman, and a German singing Garth Brook's "I've Got Friends in Low Places". PS- The hats were Mark's...he is a big country fan! :)
Sabina is from Poland. She and I met in French class, and then we realized we had a lot of the same friends. All of the photos in today's post are courtesy of Sabina. Thanks Sabina!
I grew up in Six Mile, SC, a very small town about 10 miles from Clemson University. I went to Clemson (where my Dad got his MBA, my sister and Matthew were getting an engineering degree at the time, and where my mom works!). After graduating and getting married, we moved to Greenville, which is only about 45 minutes from Clemson. Not exactly a world traveler! Most of my friends are from the south (with the exception of a few Yankees sprinkled in from college and teaching). To this day, some of my best friends are friends I have had since elementary school. Growing up in a small southern town and going to a university in a small southern town, one does not get to experience a lot of diversity.
One of the things I have appreciated the most since living in France is the exposure to so many different cultures. And not only just being exposed, but creating true friendships with people that have such a different background than me. I love learning about different cultures. For example, did you know that in France, it is tradition to eat a galette des rois in the month of January. Hidden inside the cake is a small figurine, and the person that finds it in their slice becomes king or queen for the day. Or, that it is a tradition in Poland to buy a live trout a few days before Christmas and let it live in the bathtub until Christmas day when he becomes dinner?!?
Don't get me wrong, there are Americans that we have become friends with here that have become some of our closest friends. These friendships give us a sense of home as we recount (longingly) trips to Target, or dinners in downtown Greenville. And they are our link to sanity when we feel so out of place being "les americains".
Many years from now, the friendships we have made will definitely be one of my favorite things about our time spent in France.
This picture is from Mark's birthday in December. Somewhere during the night, the party became a group karaoke party! Here, we are all singing Billy Joel's "Piano Man"
(Left to Right: Mark (Dutch), me, Silke (Dutch), Matthew, Johann (Dutch), Sylvie (Dutch or German??? I can't remember!), Sabina (Polish), Philip (German), Eric (Sylvie's husband, so not sure Dutch or German...)This photo cracks me up...an American, a Dutchman, a Frenchman, and a German singing Garth Brook's "I've Got Friends in Low Places". PS- The hats were Mark's...he is a big country fan! :)
Sabina is from Poland. She and I met in French class, and then we realized we had a lot of the same friends. All of the photos in today's post are courtesy of Sabina. Thanks Sabina!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Things I Love About France...#3
Developing Relationships with My Family In Lyon
Definitely something I value the most about the time we have spent in France is getting to know the family I have here. My mom's youngest brother, his wife, and my two cousins all live about 2 hours from us. There were a few times when I was young that they would come visit the US, and when I was 15 we came to visit them for 2 weeks. Not exactly a ton of time to build a relationship with!
Last October, just a few weeks after moving here, we went to my uncle's wedding. We were proud to "represent" the stateside family members at the wedding. Since then, we have spent many weekends in Lyon. Matthew and I have really enjoyed getting to know my two cousins, Christopher and Sophie, Sophie's husband- Yan, and Christopher's girlfriend-Elodie. They have also introduced us to a ton of their friends, and there is never a dull moment when we visit! Luckily for me, all of Sophie and Chris' friends speak perfect English. Although sometimes the conversation will veer off into French, but Chris and Sophie always make sure to fill me in on what I don't understand!
Looking ahead to the Fall of 2011 (our estimated departure date), and knowing that I won't be seeing Bob, Colette, Sophie, and Chris as often as we do now, definitely makes me sad. Even with the best of intentions, logistically and financially, I know we won't see them much. That thought definitely makes we want to spend as much time as possible in Lyon!
Bob and Colette giving us a tour of Lyon.
A little blurry, but this is Amy, Sophie, and me.
Chris, Amy, and me.
Bob and Colette's wedding (the sun was really bright!)
Sophie and Yan
Definitely something I value the most about the time we have spent in France is getting to know the family I have here. My mom's youngest brother, his wife, and my two cousins all live about 2 hours from us. There were a few times when I was young that they would come visit the US, and when I was 15 we came to visit them for 2 weeks. Not exactly a ton of time to build a relationship with!
Last October, just a few weeks after moving here, we went to my uncle's wedding. We were proud to "represent" the stateside family members at the wedding. Since then, we have spent many weekends in Lyon. Matthew and I have really enjoyed getting to know my two cousins, Christopher and Sophie, Sophie's husband- Yan, and Christopher's girlfriend-Elodie. They have also introduced us to a ton of their friends, and there is never a dull moment when we visit! Luckily for me, all of Sophie and Chris' friends speak perfect English. Although sometimes the conversation will veer off into French, but Chris and Sophie always make sure to fill me in on what I don't understand!
Looking ahead to the Fall of 2011 (our estimated departure date), and knowing that I won't be seeing Bob, Colette, Sophie, and Chris as often as we do now, definitely makes me sad. Even with the best of intentions, logistically and financially, I know we won't see them much. That thought definitely makes we want to spend as much time as possible in Lyon!
Bob and Colette giving us a tour of Lyon.
A little blurry, but this is Amy, Sophie, and me.
Chris, Amy, and me.
Bob and Colette's wedding (the sun was really bright!)
Sophie and Yan
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Things I Love About France...#4
Travel
It still amazes me how quickly we can travel to other places in France, or even to other countries in Europe. Luckily, we live pretty close to the center of France. It is only a 6 hour drive to Italy, a 6 hour drive to Spain, a 4 hour drive to Paris, just over 3 hours to the Mediterranean, 3 hours to Bordeaux, and 4 hours to the Alps. Everything is so well connected by train, it is easy to travel around without even driving (or paying to fly!). Unfortunately the TGV (the high speed train) has not come to Clermont yet...
When Matthew and I agreed to move to France, the number one thing on our list of things we wanted to do was to TRAVEL! We have had some really great trips, and we have several trips lined up for this year that we are really looking forward to!
Paris, France
December 2008
Bordeaux, France
April 2009
Cinque Terre, Italy
May 2009
Nimes, France
June 2009
Pont du Gard, France
June 2009
Gorges du Tarn, France
June 2009
Barcelona, Spain
July 2009
Sete, France
July 2009
Nice, France
July 2009
Corsica
August 2009
Beziers, France
November 2009
Upcoming Trips:
Chamonix, French Alps...next week!
The Netherlands for Mark and Silke's Wedding!...August 2010
It still amazes me how quickly we can travel to other places in France, or even to other countries in Europe. Luckily, we live pretty close to the center of France. It is only a 6 hour drive to Italy, a 6 hour drive to Spain, a 4 hour drive to Paris, just over 3 hours to the Mediterranean, 3 hours to Bordeaux, and 4 hours to the Alps. Everything is so well connected by train, it is easy to travel around without even driving (or paying to fly!). Unfortunately the TGV (the high speed train) has not come to Clermont yet...
When Matthew and I agreed to move to France, the number one thing on our list of things we wanted to do was to TRAVEL! We have had some really great trips, and we have several trips lined up for this year that we are really looking forward to!
Paris, France
December 2008
Bordeaux, France
April 2009
Cinque Terre, Italy
May 2009
Nimes, France
June 2009
Pont du Gard, France
June 2009
Gorges du Tarn, France
June 2009
Barcelona, Spain
July 2009
Sete, France
July 2009
Nice, France
July 2009
Corsica
August 2009
Beziers, France
November 2009
Upcoming Trips:
Chamonix, French Alps...next week!
The Netherlands for Mark and Silke's Wedding!...August 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Things I Love About France...#5
Open-Air Markets
The town we live in has an open-air market every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday morning. Matthew and I love to go to the market on Saturday mornings. In Chamalieres, there are usually the same vendors each week. There are even some vendors that seem to remember us from week to week (it is probably my horrible French that they remember!). Even though the vendors are usually the same, there is always something new on display to try. The produce is so fresh and beautiful!
And the flowers! They are so beautiful, and usually pretty inexpensive.
Our market isn't a very big one, but there is a bigger one on Sunday mornings in a nearby town, Aubiere. They have a lady that makes this gigantic pot of paella every Sunday morning, and it is delicious!
One thing to remember if you ever find yourself at a French market: always let the vendor pick out your produce for you. Matthew has a colleague who actually had his hand slapped when he started to squeeze peaches to find ones that were ripe. This is a big no-no! You can tell the vendor when you want to eat the item, and they will pick out the perfect fruit or vegetables for you.
The town we live in has an open-air market every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday morning. Matthew and I love to go to the market on Saturday mornings. In Chamalieres, there are usually the same vendors each week. There are even some vendors that seem to remember us from week to week (it is probably my horrible French that they remember!). Even though the vendors are usually the same, there is always something new on display to try. The produce is so fresh and beautiful!
And the flowers! They are so beautiful, and usually pretty inexpensive.
Our market isn't a very big one, but there is a bigger one on Sunday mornings in a nearby town, Aubiere. They have a lady that makes this gigantic pot of paella every Sunday morning, and it is delicious!
One thing to remember if you ever find yourself at a French market: always let the vendor pick out your produce for you. Matthew has a colleague who actually had his hand slapped when he started to squeeze peaches to find ones that were ripe. This is a big no-no! You can tell the vendor when you want to eat the item, and they will pick out the perfect fruit or vegetables for you.
Monday, February 1, 2010
10 Things I Love About France...#6
Vacation Time
Cinque Terre, Italy
I never realized how little vacation time Matthew got in the US...until we moved to France! French people have got this vacation time thing down! In the US, Matthew took one week off in the summer and one week off at Christmas (2 weeks at Christmas if we were lucky and Christmas Eve, Christmas day, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day were all on week days). Now that we live in France, he gets the 5 standard weeks of vacation, plus 3 more weeks of vacation because his work week is listed as a 39 hour work week (instead of the legal 35 hour work week)! 8 weeks of vacation! (plus all of the French National holidays) It sounds absurd even to write it! Now, granted, some of the weeks are mandated when you can take them. For example, this year, Matthew has to take off the first 3 weeks of August. Still, nothing to complain about!
Vacation is a very appropriate topic to be writing about, especially since we are leaving on Sunday for a week long trip to the French Alps. In the US, I could never imagine Matthew being able to take off a week in the middle of February for vacation! There are so many places we want to visit in Europe during our time here, it is a good thing Matthew has lots of vacation time!
Cinque Terre, ItalyI never realized how little vacation time Matthew got in the US...until we moved to France! French people have got this vacation time thing down! In the US, Matthew took one week off in the summer and one week off at Christmas (2 weeks at Christmas if we were lucky and Christmas Eve, Christmas day, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day were all on week days). Now that we live in France, he gets the 5 standard weeks of vacation, plus 3 more weeks of vacation because his work week is listed as a 39 hour work week (instead of the legal 35 hour work week)! 8 weeks of vacation! (plus all of the French National holidays) It sounds absurd even to write it! Now, granted, some of the weeks are mandated when you can take them. For example, this year, Matthew has to take off the first 3 weeks of August. Still, nothing to complain about!
Vacation is a very appropriate topic to be writing about, especially since we are leaving on Sunday for a week long trip to the French Alps. In the US, I could never imagine Matthew being able to take off a week in the middle of February for vacation! There are so many places we want to visit in Europe during our time here, it is a good thing Matthew has lots of vacation time!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
10 Things I Love About France...#7
Walking
If you asked me a year and a half ago if the #7 item on a list of 10 things I love most about a place would be 'walking', I would say you were crazy! I walked only when necessary. Even though Matthew and I lived in a neighborhood that was right across the street from a Bi-Lo, the thought never crossed my mind to actually walk there. How would I carry my week's worth of groceries? All of the American-sized products? The case of Mountain Dew for Matthew? The buy 1 get 2 free jumbo jars of Duke's mayonaise (because I had a Paula Dean recipe to make after all!)? Get a rolling cart? Absurd!
Fast forward to my current life in France. Every week, at least twice a week, I get out my little pull-along rolling cart and head out to the grocery store. This week, as snow flurries swirl around in the air, it is probably not the best time to be talking about how much I enjoy walking to the grocery store. But it is true! There is nothing better on one of those perfect Spring or Fall days to set out to grocery shop, and not have to get into a car to do it!
It is not just the grocery store that I enjoy walking to in France. When Matthew and I go to friends' houses or out to dinner in the downtown area, we always walk. It is so refreshing after a big French dinner to have a twenty minute walk home. Quite healthy as well. The first few months after living here, I had already dropped over 15 pounds...and this was while still enjoying the bread, cheese, and wine (see #9!).
The topic of how French women stay so thin has many a time been the topic of conversation between American women here. With a mouth-watering boulangerie and patisserie on every corner, it astounds us that these women stay so slender (and might I add, this is after having 3 or 4 or even 5 children!). Our number one reason for this is all of the walking they do.
A little over 2 years ago I was in a car accident, after which I was in a wheel chair for 3 months, with a broken ankle and not able to walk. When we first moved here, I still walked with quite a noticeable limp. Matthew and I both agree that moving to France was probably the best physical therapy I could have asked for. I think this is why, even on these blustery cold days, that I truly appreciate (and even enjoy) the ability to walk and walk and walk...
If you asked me a year and a half ago if the #7 item on a list of 10 things I love most about a place would be 'walking', I would say you were crazy! I walked only when necessary. Even though Matthew and I lived in a neighborhood that was right across the street from a Bi-Lo, the thought never crossed my mind to actually walk there. How would I carry my week's worth of groceries? All of the American-sized products? The case of Mountain Dew for Matthew? The buy 1 get 2 free jumbo jars of Duke's mayonaise (because I had a Paula Dean recipe to make after all!)? Get a rolling cart? Absurd!
Fast forward to my current life in France. Every week, at least twice a week, I get out my little pull-along rolling cart and head out to the grocery store. This week, as snow flurries swirl around in the air, it is probably not the best time to be talking about how much I enjoy walking to the grocery store. But it is true! There is nothing better on one of those perfect Spring or Fall days to set out to grocery shop, and not have to get into a car to do it!
It is not just the grocery store that I enjoy walking to in France. When Matthew and I go to friends' houses or out to dinner in the downtown area, we always walk. It is so refreshing after a big French dinner to have a twenty minute walk home. Quite healthy as well. The first few months after living here, I had already dropped over 15 pounds...and this was while still enjoying the bread, cheese, and wine (see #9!).
The topic of how French women stay so thin has many a time been the topic of conversation between American women here. With a mouth-watering boulangerie and patisserie on every corner, it astounds us that these women stay so slender (and might I add, this is after having 3 or 4 or even 5 children!). Our number one reason for this is all of the walking they do.
A little over 2 years ago I was in a car accident, after which I was in a wheel chair for 3 months, with a broken ankle and not able to walk. When we first moved here, I still walked with quite a noticeable limp. Matthew and I both agree that moving to France was probably the best physical therapy I could have asked for. I think this is why, even on these blustery cold days, that I truly appreciate (and even enjoy) the ability to walk and walk and walk...
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