Ça fait longtemps. It's been a while.

It's been nearly two weeks since my fingers have danced across these keys, and it is oh so nice to be back. I felt very prepared going into 2018. I had my word of the year picked out (more on this in a bit). I had my 12 dreams for doing decided. It's not that I've lost sight of those things, but more that I have been slower to settle into this new year than I originally envisioned. I don't know about you, but I fall into the category of people who hit January 1st and are ready to take the world by storm! This made it very difficult for me to wrap my head around the fact that at the start of the year, I needed something very different. 

At first I couldn't put my finger on it, and I honestly felt a little bummed that I didn't feel the momentum that I wanted to feel. The more I sat with it and listened to the world around me, the more I realized that what I felt was completely normal. 

I was reading Modern Mrs. Darcy's 10 Things I Learned in 2017 post, and Anne put what I was going through into words better than I could myself: "I cannot function without a margin." The second half of 2017 was incredibly productive for me: I started teaching a new grade level, I started taking classes towards my degree en français, I got back into my art and tinkered with opening an Etsy store, I started this blog. I also had some amazing life changes - I got engaged!!! A lot of incredible things were going on. A lot. On the outside it may have looked like I was the girl who could do everything. Just as Anne discovered about herself, "it wasn't my favorite way to operate. I felt like a poorly calibrated machine, where the gears are jammed together too tightly for anything to actually move. It works, technically, but it's a grind." 

And this grind caused me to lose sight of the magic of it all. As Rebecca of Every Day Parisian recently wrote, "I am looking forward to finding the magic that was lost, once again." I put the Etsy shop on vacation, I chose to take one course instead of two, I stepped back from the blog for a moment, and I took time to enjoy my engagement. What felt like a loss of momentum was really a much needed reset. 

I turned 27 last Friday. I can't explain why, but the start of my 27th year seemed to mark a shift in my energy. Things feel less "jammed." I can think and see more clearly, and the start of this chapter feels most auspicious. I know there will be difficulties as I continue to journey through the various seasons of life, but I have become increasingly mindful of my need for space, that margin that Anne described. If I can make some very conscious decisions to avoid that grind, I believe I can find the balance I need to continue to cultivate my most contented life. 

On the note of creating space, I started this year with a one word theme, an idea inspired by Gretchen Rubin's Happier podcast. My word is the ultimate embodiment of space: F R E E .

The word itself evokes a feeling of spaciousness for me. Say it aloud. It just floats on indefinitely, creating a sense of openness. For me, F R E E represents many things:

*free of clutter (physical and mental)
*free of a jam packed schedule 
*free of anxiety and worry
*free to follow what calls to me/open to any opportunities that may arrive

I'm stepping into 27 restored, and I am giddy with excitement as I consider all of the wonderful possibilities. My growing vision for the blog is still taking shape, but I'm excited for the things I have in mind! 

How has your 2018 been so far? If you've picked a word of the year, I would love to know what word you chose in the comments below! 

It's so good to "see" you. 
Warm wishes from me to you,

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Le Bien Être: Noticing What Brings You Joy

Today on the blog I launch a new series: Le Bien Être. This will be a collection of posts surrounding all things wellness (and often times there will be a little French flair, bien sûr!).

I recently enjoyed an episode of the Simple Sophisticate podcast featuring francophile author Jamie Cat Callan and her latest book, Parisian Charm School. Though I have not read any of Jamie's books, I am familiar with her first book, Bonjour Happiness. After hearing Jamie's interview, I look forward diving in! 

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As I listened, I was particularly struck by Shannon and Jamie's conversation about happiness. They discussed the American idea that happiness is something to be pursued, a context that makes happiness seem just out of reach, something we must chase. Jamie explained that the French use another expression: chercher le bonheur. This means to seek happiness, suggesting that happiness already exists as long as you take the opportunities to notice it. I am always so fascinated by how these nuances in language can completely shift the way one sees the world. These are such similar concepts, yet expressed in different ways that demonstrate quite different mindsets. 

In the episode, Jamie shared some beautiful advice. She explained that we must release guilt when it comes to enjoying what we love, what makes us truly happy. Often we can have the sense that there is something "more important" we should be attending to, but Jamie reminds us that the things which bring us joy are not trivial, and we should pay close attention to these things. She talked about noticing activities and visual images in our every days that cause "a thrum in our hearts". I decided to spend this week taking extra notice of that which makes my heart thrum. Here are a few of my discoveries: 

*Clean, bright spaces
I am so inspired by Rebecca of Every Day Parisian's apartment. Click here for images. I have a hope of being free of clutter in 2018 (more to come on this in a future post) and spaces like these have me inspired to breathe new life into our space. 

*Reading my favorite blogs 
You can find a list of my favorite blogs here. This week I discovered Mode and the City and am loving the opportunity to read about things I am passionate about en français.

*Coffee shop time to read, write, and think

*Getting lost in a wonderful fiction story. Currently reading:

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*Surrounding myself with the French language 

I just started a 7-day free trial of the French bouquet through Sling. I watched a cooking show and already felt my vocabulary expanding!

*Le Yoga

After far too long away from the mat, I'm starting to get back into a regular yoga routine. The mental and physical benefits leave me feeling more equipped to bring my best to each day. 

What brings you true joy and makes your heart thrum? Try taking a week to pay these things a little extra attention, and then remember that nothing that brings you happiness is too trivial. Making space for these things in our every days is an important part of living lives we truly love. 

I would love to know about what makes your heart thrum in the comments below! 

Tomorrow I will be preparing for a trip to Chicago with Tony. This is an early celebration of mon anniversaire (January 19) and the weekend we have planned is packed with French flair. I will definitely share more here on the blog. :)

Have a wonderful rest of your week noticing that which brings you joy.

Warm wishes from me to you,

The Good Life in 2018: Inspiration from My Good Life in France

It's your year.

Today is the beginning of anything you want.

As we rang in 2018, many messages like these appeared on my Instagram feed. A new year brings the promise of possibility, the feeling that you have the power to bring about any change your heart desires. It's easy to feel inspired by these words, to feel fired up and ready to take on the world. But just as quickly as you're energized, you can also feel stuck. What does it really look like to make a year "your year"? How do you actually achieve the good life you seek this year and in all of the years to come? It all feels so big. 

It was quite serendipitous that I chose to read Janine Marsh's My Good Life in France as 2017 went on it's way and 2018 was welcomed. Janine's story of expat life in France where no one waits in lines, the time on the invitation is never truly the time you're expected, and you can say goodbye to lunch hour errands (all of the shops will be closed) beautifully illustrates what it means to live life in the moment and move in the direction of your dreams. Like you and me, Janine doesn't have all of the answers. She does, however, possess the courage to listen to her heart and take leaps of faith that, while scary, are also very right. Here are some tips I learned from My Good Life in France that I plan to consider as I seek my good life in 2018. Enjoy!

It might not always be logical. It might even seem completely insane, but sometimes you just feel it. 

When Janine arrived at the rundown barn in rural northern France that would eventually become her home, she simply had a feeling. Was it logical to leave her successful job in England with a promotion approaching? To leave family and friends and start a life in a country that is famous for it's incredibly complicated bureaucratic processes? No logic here. But sometimes the right decision lies beyond logic and reason, and Janine's story is a beautiful example. 

When the opportunity comes and you feel the pull, don't let it pass you by. 

"As I mulled over the options I had, I knew what mum would say, that sometimes you have to go with your heart, you have to give a different life a chance before it was too late." 

Today I was reminded of the quote "someday is not a day of the week". It's easy to have a dream or goal, whatever it may be, and push it off to someday. But how long will we push it off, and if we continue to do this will we ultimately let the dream pass us by? The words of wisdom imparted by Janine's mother are words I plan to consider this year as I continue the process of creating my most contented life.

Work/life balance is key.

The French get this and I love them for it. In one scene in her book, Janine quotes the proprietor at a local bar who says "there is more to life than all métro-boulot-dodo." Metro. Work. Sleep. I love this phrase en français. It is so easy to get caught up in the rhythm of the day to day, to blame a lack of time as the cause of an unfollowed dream. This year I want to continue to work on finding balance and keeping things in perspective. 

The good life you seek might be closer than you think.

"Here in the countryside, people may not be wealthy or live in swish posh houses, but in so many ways the good life is all around if you take the time to find it." 

In one of my favorite posts of 2017 (read it here) I describe living the good life right where you are. While some dreams take longer to come to fruition, theres no reason you can't experience the good life in other ways right here in the present moment. 

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Janine's book was a delightful read and I only scratched the surface here. I didn't want to reveal too much as I hope you add it to your 2018 reading list! You can read more from Janine on her blog, The Good Life France. I have been referencing this a lot as I research cities and regions in France other than Paris. This is another reason I loved this book - I got to know northern France a little bit better. :) 

You can also listen to an interview with Janine on The Simple Sophisticate podcast, episode 167. While you're over on The Simply Luxurious Life blog, you might also want to check out Shannon's post 2018: Finding the Courage to Make it Amazing for more inspiration as you kick off 2018. 

Here's to our good lives in 2018 and beyond.

Warm wishes from me to you,

PS: We're kicking off the new year with a little Fleur de St. Louis milestone. This is the 100th post! Thank you so much to those of you have been here since the beginning, and those of you who have discovered the blog along the way. This project is a big part of my good life, and the community that surrounds it truly makes it what it is. Merci beaucoup!