Sunday, April 20, 2014

Dreaming of France -- Pre-France Preparation


Please join this weekly meme. Grab a copy of the photo above and link back to An Accidental Blog. Share with the rest of us your passion for France. Did you read a good book set in France? See a movie? Take a photo? Have an adventure? Eat a fabulous meal or even a pastry? Or if  you're in France now, go ahead and lord it over the rest of us. We can take it.
I dream about moving to France a lot.
For a while it seemed really far away, but now, with my youngest graduating high school and going off to college in the fall, it feels closer.
And I'm buying into the philosophy that you should start living your life the way you want it to be.
It's gotten to the point where anything I buy, I stop to think, would I move this with me to France.
I'm running short of dish cloths for washing dishes, but I haven't bought any new ones, thinking of all those beautiful cloths I can buy in France.
For my birthday, I got some stackable espresso cups. They were plain white and kind of squat rather than
 shot glass shaped. They were sensible, but they weren't something I would take when I moved to France. So I returned them and bought two cups in shades of blue and white.
They are definitely something I would wrap in thick paper and pack in a box to go overseas to my new home in France. I can even picture myself sitting on a balcony sipping espresso in these little cups while I gaze at the view of rolling hills that leads down to a village with a stone church, the spire stretching above the rest of the town.
I'd add a sugar cube, the kind you can find in France, wrapped in paper. And I'd use a tiny metal spoon to stir up the sugar until it dissolved as I watched the sun sink in the sky and I kept my refuge under the shade of a a gnarled olive tree.
Now I get to dream of France every day. Whenever I think I need to buy something new, I ask myself, "Would I take this to France?"
What belonging would you take if you moved to France?

9 comments:

Louise said...

What an amazing post Paulita. I didn't know that you had such concrete dreams/plans. Mine are not nearly so advanced- I've thought of living a year in France, and occasionally dreamed of moving there, but all in the distant future- my son is still in high school, I still have a mortgage, all those dreadful impediments to dreams. I've been reading stuff about decluttering in our papers this week, on famous Japanese declutterrer said to ask "does this object bring me joy", it's a step beyond to say "would I take this to Paris".

Jackie McGuinness said...

Having downsized in the last year so that we can travel more, I'm not sure that I would need to take a lot of stuff with me. My camera, laptop so I always have my photos. Some collectibles from our travels.
We did another declutter this week.

Sim Carter said...

I loved reading that post, I was sitting next to you and stirring that coffee along with you. I can't wait to get a postcard from you a few years from now:)
I would bring only a very few things, books mostly. We've downsized and decluttered here now that our son is out of high school; I think it would be fun to buy most things there. Where do you have your heart set on living; are you already searching French real estate online?

Paulita said...

Thanks guys for your support. We haven't chosen a specific location but are leaning toward the south of France, some place within walking distance of a village. That gives us plenty of leeway to find the perfect house.

Leovi said...

Yes, I love those mugs, and as stacked, very beautiful!

Linda said...

I buy dish towels in the States when I come back because I don't like the French ones. I buy quite a few things in the States. There will be things you will miss I bet.

grammajudyb said...

I think it is so exciting that you are truly going to fulfill your dream. I would have to do a ton of downsizing before I could move anywhere. The physical act of moving in daunting.

Adria said...

Great post! I hope you will follow your dreams and move to France... It will give your family and friends a lovely place to visit. :) The idea of a big move can be daunting, but the reward is so great.

Vicki Lesage said...

In the nine years I've lived in France I've moved to more apartments than I can count (I think 8?). I already had to downsize when moving overseas and downsized a little more with each move. So I'm totally on board with your way of thinking! Now hurry up and move over here :)

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