The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the wildflower-dotted fields of southern France are begging to be explored…and we are entering Week Three of French lock-down. The government announced an extension until April 15, which means no movement outside the home for a full month, except for taking approved short exercise or a solo trip to the grocery store for essentials. We managed to make it to an apartment we’d rented in the south, where we’ll stay indefinitely until all this blows over. We are beyond thankful to be near old friends and new, practicing French with our host and reuniting with my dear friend Chelsea’s parents at the local grocery store (a 1-meter distance was carefully observed!).
Our sunrise journey through the mountains to the south.
At the home of our host, Marie-Pierre.
Learning French with Marie-Pierre in her jardin.
Living through a tumultuous, historical time while traveling abroad is complicated, unnerving, and sometimes downright uncomfortable. The language barrier takes social distancing to another level. I miss being able to put our dishes in the dishwasher and our clothes in the dryer. I miss luxuriating in a long, hot shower after a hard day. I miss the faces of dear ones back home, our cozy condo, walks around our neighborhood and favorite staples at Trader Joe’s. But I’m learning so much from watching Elissa embrace each new day’s trials and triumphs with boundless enthusiasm. Her joie de vivre is contagious; she is thriving in this new unencumbered life.
Every familiar luxury that we’re now living without reminds me of exactly why I wanted to take this trip in the first place. Sure, I wanted to learn French and buy daily fresh baguettes and visit vineyards and chateaux. But more than that, I wanted to learn a different way of living. I wanted to practice doing without so many American “essentials,” slow the hectic pace of life, and show Elissa that the way we do things is just one of a million different ways of living. Little did I imagine that this trip would take place right in the middle of a global pandemic. Whether we planned to or not, millions of us are now being forced to learn a different way of life. No one knows how long the tests and quarantines and social distancing will last, but I’m convinced that we will emerge from this crisis with new eyes, living a New Normal. And I am hopeful that this Normal will be more substantial, more authentic, more intentional and gratitude-infused than ever before.
Almost overnight, life became quieter and more simple than anything I can remember before. All the extras have been stripped away. There is no schedule to keep, no commitments to rush to, no need to put on makeup, no tasks pulling me in a hundred directions at once. I want to take full advantage of this season of simplicity. Even when most of our normal life choices have been temporarily denied us, we can still choose between drowning out reality in the noise of media, or silencing the clamor of news and entertainment to be fully present with our loved ones. For once in my life I can take some deep breaths and just BE. I can revel in the pure, unbridled joy on the face of my daughter when I play tag with her, help dress her doll, read her a story or color with her. It brings me to tears when I realize that, while much of the world is riddled with fear and anxiety, these are some of the best days of Elissa’s life…because she’s with me. Me! Who cares whether the dishes are done or if I don’t take a single Instagram-worthy photo because I’m too busy playing hide-and-seek? May these historic moments of isolation be opportunities for meditation…on what is meaningful in life, and what new habits we can form now that will redefine us when we all re-emerge one day into a New Normal.
Only in France does “essential shopping” include a walk to the boulangerie for the day’s fresh baguette!
Elissa’s invention: Carrot Soup (she does not recommend it).
The breakfast she made for me: baguette (bread is obviously the highlight of our days), veggies, apricots, pretzels, and a vitamin.