My French Adventure - Summer, 2015

About a year and a half ago, my sister Megan called and invited me to join her... for a week... in France. She would pay for my lodging and airfare. 

I was thinking what you probably are: "IS THIS REAL LIFE?!?!?!" 

Believe it or not, I wasn't sold on the idea. I would be gone for ten days, which was a looooong time to leave the kids and Jeremy. It was very far to travel, and the thought of being an ocean away from the kids should something terrible happen scared me. And... well, there had been terror attacks in France. That German pilot flew a plane into a mountain. So I was definitely scared, but opportunities like this don't come often (and, in hindsight, I feel a lot better about going in the Summer of '15 than I would have this summer).

So obviously, I accepted... how could I not? Jeremy took the week I was gone off of work, and in late June, I was on a jet plane to Paris! 

(Side note: I flew business class. PINCH ME, because that on its own was insanely luxurious. That said, I wish there was a hidden video camera to capture the pure comedy that was me trying to figure out all the buttons that worked my seat. The struggle was real. I'm so glad my neighbor was asleep most of the time.) 

And now, I will be unflinchingly honest: I took this trip over a year ago. I think part of why it has taken me so long to post about it, aside from the busy-ness of daily life, is that I felt pressured to chronicle every single detail. However, the more I think about it... I'm just going to show pictures. That's it. Because you know what? So much of what made this trip so amazing is that it was all mine. That sounds selfish, sure. But it was a heavenly time to breathe in some beauty and enjoy some stillness, and to take care of just myself. In that spirit... now we'll go as wordless as possible. Breathe in some beauty! Enjoy these pictures! 

Part 1: Paris

Part 2: Gordes/Luberon Valley

Really, I think all you need to know about my trip can be summed up by this picture of my view... from the pool... at the beautiful home where we stayed in Gordes:

Feet propped up, overlooking other worldly beauty, while resting.

Simply stated, this was the trip of a lifetime. I cannot thank Megan and Chris enough for their generosity and for sharing part of their vacation with me. This worn out mama needed the rest of her body, mind, and soul more than I ever realized.