Getting Started
My last few weeks in the US were jam packed with a crazy work schedule, last minute things to take care of and spending as much time as possible with my kiddos. On that Saturday morning, I was ready, all the tasks were done, everything was packed into 3 large suitcases and even Paolo was ready to find out what all the fuss was about.
I arrived at the airport early after reading plenty of online horror stories about checking in with a pet and was happy to find that my check in agent was more concerned about my bags and getting them weighed. He glanced at Paolo laying down already in his carrier and focused on the luggage, charging me for the extra weight and within a few minutes boarding passes in hand we headed back outside to let Paolo out of the bag and to walk around for a bit longer before going through security.
Once through security we made our way to our gate which luckily enough was right next to the pet comfort room behind security. About 10 minutes before we started to board, we headed into that room and let Paolo out one final time before our first flight.
Once tucked back in his bag, we boarded, and he settled under the seat in front of me. He whined a bit during take-off, but I stuck my hand into the bag, and he settled right down and was soon fast asleep. He slept the entire way to Atlanta. Thankfully once in Atlanta we found another pet comfort room right near the gate we landed at, so he was able to easily use that to potty then I let him walk on his leash as we made our way to the international terminal and our flight to Nice.
While he was not happy about going back into his bag, once in there he laid back down and settled quickly. Again, needing comfort during take-off but then going to sleep thanks to some sedative provided by his vet for this long trip. Paolo slept the entire way to Nice.
I couldn’t believe it, once we got off the plane in Nice it took us just a minute or two to find ourselves in the immigration hall and the officer directing traffic saw that I had a pet and said for me to follow her. I couldn’t believe it; she took me to the front of the EU line and right to an officer. The officer looked at Paolo’s rabies shot record and health check certification from the USDA then opened my passport, looked at my visa, stamped my passport and said “Bon Journee”. Have a good day!
I walked into the baggage area and found a trolley leaving Paolo still in his bag until we could get outside. When I walked with the trolley over to our baggage claim belt it started up and my three suitcases were the first ones out. Saying an immediate “thank you” to my travel angels, I piled them onto the trolley and put Paolo’s bag with him in it on the top while keeping my hand on it for security and we headed toward the exit.
Less than 10 minutes from the time I got off the plane and we were through immigration, we had our bags and we were outside meeting the man who was delivering the car that I had purchased just a few days earlier.
Once the bags were loaded into the car, I got Paolo out of his bag and onto a leash only to look down and see that he was anointing the back tire of our car. Frankly, I was grateful, I had an hour and a half drive in front of me and while I felt great now, I knew that at some point I would run out of steam.
Taking a few minutes to connect my phone to the car, set up navigation and familiarize myself with how the basics worked I pulled out of the parking spot in Nice. I knew for this trip there would be no music, no distractions, I needed to bring as much presence to this effort as possible. I knew that I would need to reorient myself with French road signs and get used to the entry and exit of the millions of traffic circles that we would encounter.
At that moment I was grateful that I had watched a few videos on driving in France and reviewed the common road signs. While I have driven in France a few times, it had been 4 years, so a refresher seemed like a good thing to do. I am glad that I had taken the time.
My first week in Carqueiranne was a blur, while we settled in easily enough my jet lag hit just as Paolo woke up from the long journey and had more energy than Exxon not to mention his schedule was now turned entirely around as was mine. And I had done what I typically always do and had not taken any time off work. ☹ If you are ever moving like this, don’t do this! We ended up being up most of the night and sleeping most of the day that first week, I just had to give into it all and when Paolo slept, I slept. I was never so grateful to see that Labor Day weekend comes with an extra day off. My only goal that whole weekend was to get us turned around.
We powered through our days with long walks and no naps falling into bed exhausted at the end of the day but by the end of that first weekend I felt human again and Paulo and I seemed to be finding the semblance of a routine.
In those initial days I immediately noticed that because my schedule was so off, I was missing everything in the village. By the time I was up and out in the mid-day, the boulangerie was already closed having sold out for the day. Our initial walks were around an empty village. I knew that the rhythm to my day needed to synchronize with the rhythm of the village or I would never see anyone.
After a few days I started to get close: seeing people out and bustling around in the mid-morning and again in the late afternoon. In that first week no one said anything to me which I knew was normal. Interestingly in the second week I could feel something change. When Paolo and I would go out for a walk we would get the occasional nod, as if to say “oh, you’re still here.”
By the third week, we were being stopped on the street, asked for directions, questions about Paolo, how old he was, etc. All in French. No one here speaks English. In those first conversations I would always start out by saying “I am sorry, I am just learning French” and then I would go on and try to complete whatever conversation they were looking to have. With each attempt I have gotten better.
Just the other day Paolo and I were in the park and a couple approached us and asked directions to the beach, I knew how to get to the beach and was pretty sure that I could navigate those words in French and so I did. I was so excited as they walked away, I could have shrieked.
In that same park, Paolo and I met a couple who also have an Italian Greyhound. There are actually two of them in this village, but they have never seen one with Paolo’s tri-color markings, so they wanted to take pictures. He has become a bit of a village celebrity. I am very grateful he is with me on this journey, he keeps me going out and is an easy magnet for engaging with others.
As my time in this first village wraps up, I can easily say that I am going to miss it here. I have really come to love this village, I found its rhythm, its 9,000 people moving in almost constant synchronicity each day comforting. The Thursday market that comes to the village that feels like a party breaks out each week. All the people that regularly stop me and talk to me about Paolo or about how I have moved here from the US. I will miss all of it, but I have learned so much in this first month.
I have learned that this size village is lovely for me, I wasn’t sure after being a big city girl for so long. I have learned that I find a sense of tranquility in following the rhythms of this place. I have learned that if I just park myself somewhere over time, I will build community naturally without having to strive for it. These lessons are going to serve me greatly over this next year as I try a few places in France and determine where I would like to plant deeper roots.
I hope that you will enjoy coming along with me on this exploration.
Here are a few questions for you to take to your favorite journal, walk in nature or morning shower.
- What did you learn about yourself today?
- Do you have a rhythm to your day? Are you present with that rhythm?
- If you take a walk in nature and don’t take your phone with you, what do you notice? How much of your surroundings can you bring into your consciousness without any technical distractions?
I blog because I love the process of pondering my experiences, questioning myself, uncovering new layers, identifying the lessons along the way even in the struggles. If you want to question yourself, then subscribing to my email list will ensure you have an opportunity to do that. I blog about once a month so you will not receive a ton of emails from me, only what I hope to be the best questions that we can ask ourselves to move our life toward our dreams each day.
In love,
Renée
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