Rituals

Travel For One

Hi Friends

How are you? 

How is your summer (or winter, hello to my mates in the southern hemisphere!) going? 

Wherever you are I hope today, this moment, is a nice one for you. 

I’ve been quiet here on substack as I have been trying to find balance between writing and sharing the things I am discovering, and love, while traveling and being alarmed and distressed about the state of the world. 

At the same time, I continue to work through health issues and worrying about the state of the world most definitely contributes to those physical and mental issues. 

It can be a lot. 

But life is multidimensional and all of these things exist at the same time. 

Joy and sorrow. Wonder and fear. Hope and despair. Beauty and ugliness. 

I remind myself it has always been this way. For better or for worse. And it likely always will. 

So, I remind myself to lean into joy, beauty, hope, and wonder as much as possible, not to take anything for granted, and to also let go. 

I am trying. 

Right now, I am still in Paris and embracing this moment in time. 

Paris has been delightfully overcast, breezy, and even chilly at times over these last few weeks and I have loved every minute of this city in this weather. 

Everyday Life

In the last two weeks, I had a couple of days of health stuff that left me exhausted and I decided one day I needed a midday nap. 

I set my alarm for 90 minutes, laid down, and quickly fell asleep (I wish this happened at night more often!). Before the alarm went off, I woke to thunder rumbling, first distantly and then much louder. The thunder was in my dream and I wasn’t sure, as I came awake, what was real and what was dream? As I fully woke, I looked around my darkened bedroom to see the white curtains billowing wildly, the open window bringing lush scents of orange blossoms, and hearing the rain ping off of the tin roof across the alley of the back courtyard and the word that came to mind was: DELICIOUS. 

Everything was delicious: the nap, the dreams, the thunder, the smells and sounds….all of it. 

As I lay there my alarm went off and it seemed as though I had been sleeping much longer and I felt refreshed. What had started as a warmer day was now slightly chilly with just a kiss of the promise of autumn (my favorite season) and I knew I had to get outside. I laced up my runners, threw a denim shirt over my tee, and headed to my favorite: Lac Daumesnil. 

As I wound my way through the park, many birds, people, and dogs enjoyed the cool temps alongside me. 

And as blue skies emerged and the storm blew away, I found comfort that while I am solo in my travels I am never alone. 

Rituals Creating Community

Today is market day in my neighborhood in the 12th arrondissement. On Thursdays and Sundays, I look forward to my now favorite vendors and the ritual I have created: first, an early morning walk at the park with my return path taking me through the market to do food shopping for the days ahead. For the last 2-3 weeks I’ve been greeted with familiarity and warmth by my favorite fish monger, the lovely family at my fruit & veg stand and my rotisserie chicken people. 

And I love it. 

My French, at least for our brief exchanges and orders, is a little more fluid after 2 months and we all now slip back and forth between English and French together. 

Following the market, I go a bit further up the road to my boulangerie (which is exceptional) and get my market day “treat” - an absolutely fluffy and decadent Pain au Chocolat. Can you believe I had never had one in my life until France? I might have tried something similar in the US and written it off as not for me (I was not a pastry person until I was 53 and spent my first winter in Italy) so I am SO glad I tried one here. They are delicious. I’m obsessed. 

I was so early today that I was the only person in the boulangerie. This was the only time this had ever happened to me and I visit several times per week. Usually, there is a queue out the door. This morning all 3 of the ladies behind the counter were ones that I have interacted with many times and they all greeted me with such familiar enthusiasm I felt like a true local. 

It is impossible for me to describe here how good this makes me feel: especially with a language barrier. As I have written here before, my “French” is mangled but I give it my best go. I can see it is appreciated. 

I take my Pain au Chocolat and we call “Bonne Journée” to each other as I leave. 

As I exit the boulangerie I turn right and I see Max, who runs the wine shop next door, and he gives me a huge wave through the window. I wave back with an ever-widening smile on my face and head home to make coffee, eat my pastry and do some work. 

These rituals bring me so much comfort joy and calm. They also create community for me, and I am so grateful for the ritual and for the people who I call neighbors. 

So, that’s what I have and where I am. Just a “bon jour” and some storytelling from a day in the life of travel life for one. 

Sending you much love and joy wherever you are until next time. 

Bonne Journée.