03 . 08 . 2025
About two weeks before I left Chicago someone confidently told me, “you’re coming back.” In fact, that was the only person to say anything but, “this makes sense, you’re not coming back.”
It was an apt display of the tendency some folks have had to tell me who I am rather than to ask – one thing I was happy to leave behind.
But, I digress…
The point is that he said it like he knew me better than I know myself. He contended, “I don’t think it’s going to be what you expect” with the smug confidence that I’d return in a state of disillusioned chagrin.
Why do I tell you this?
He was partially right, it’s not what I expected – it’s way better!
Barring some unforeseen, extreme circumstance, there is nowhere else I’d rather be and I have no intention of moving back.
An embarrassing story…
I had a hole in my tooth.
Like, a gaping hole down to the nerve.
Stay with me, this is going somewhere…
My poor tooth decided to just give up on a chunk of itself when I was in undergrad – I promise, I Do brush my teeth.
Anyway, I didn’t have insurance, so I did what any broke, American twenty-year-old would do, I stopped chewing on that side of my mouth… for about two or so years. As an aside, there’s a world where folks don’t worry about the cost of getting a tooth fixed, but this isn’t about that.
Fast forward to me at about twenty-two. I’ve just booked airfare for my first real vacation – ever. Me and my then boyfriend were going to Florida! While he was looking at which Mustang convertible he wanted to rent to drive across the state (which also led to my first epic sunburn ever), I was reaching out to the dentist.
I’d actually had insurance for a while by then, but still hadn’t handled the issue. I was afraid of the dentist, afraid of the pain, afraid of how they’d judge me… so I’d just gotten used to chewing on the left side.
Outcome: I started chewing on the right side of my mouth again, the benefits of which far outlasted a very satisfying vacation (minus the sunburn).
It was amazing!
I had forgotten what it was like to not spend every meal concentrating on how I was eating rather than enjoying what I was eating.
If you’ve ever had an injury you’ve had to work around, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
The point
My move to France feels much like dealing with that tooth.
In the US, I had become accustomed to negotiating around the discomfort I felt when I inadvertently stepped outside of the limits outlined for me, boundaries I shrank myself to fit within. I listened to those folks who told me who I was or wasn’t.
I was so busy tip-toeing around everyone and everything, playing to external influences, that I’d forgotten what it felt like to live without those unnecessary limitations.
I had forgotten what it’s like to move freely as myself and enjoy my daily life.
Funny thing about my tooth, I don’t look back and beat myself up for not going to the dentist sooner.
It was what it was.
I needed to learn that it’s better to address the uncomfortable circumstances I have the power to change when I have the power to change them… and also, I guess now I can tell you about it and inspire you to go to the dentist.
I feel the same way about being in France.
While there is nowhere else I’d rather be, I don’t look back with regret. I didn’t stay in the States longer than I needed to and no time was wasted… I didn’t get here a moment too late.
So, let me tell you what it feels like to chew on both sides of my mouth – talk about nulle part ailleurs!
I was fortunate enough to have visitors throughout July and we packed in a lot. Below are some of the very high highlights…
This is basically a hike – a pilgrimage, if you will – that crosses France and Spain.
My friend Kate had done the Compostela before (like 500 miles worth). What we (Kate, Chuck, and I) were embarking on was just a five-day amuse-bouche of about fifty or sixty miles.
I’m so grateful to Kate and Chuck for providing me with the opportunity to see so much more of the beauty practically in my back yard. The Pays Basque (Basque country) is just amazing, and now I’ve definitely got the hiking bug!
Note that the French are actually very active, and there is an official circuit of hikes across france called the Grande Randonée (big hike). I plan on taking advantage of it going forward.
Below, a bit about our adventure.
Get your maps out kids!
Bayonne
The plan was to stay the night here so we’d be ready to start first thing in the am.
We were engergized, we were bright-eyed, we weren’t yet sweaty… We jumped on the wrong train.
Sooo, we got into town about three hours later than planned – insert mildly-frowning emoji.
Kate and Chuck took it all in stride and said I’d be lauging about it in an hour. I was Not, but we did get there.
I loved this town, and was able to joke about the bumpy start by our most excellent dinner.
Biarritz > Saint-Jean-De-Luz
Why did I post “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” as the song for this post…?
Because we tested our limits of sunshine love on this trip. Y’all, it was hot for a lot of days – like between 95 and 106. Day 1 of hiking was No exception.
How it started: Relativey flat, breezy, beautful beaches, a leisurely lunch in Biarritz. We took a lot of pictures.
How it ended: Around 7pm in Saint-Jean-De-Luz after putting in about 20 miles, the latter half of which was up and down hills in nearing one-hundred-degree temps.
Saint-Jean De-Luz was lovely, but I barely remember it – note the absense of pics. We each ate a whole pizza for dinner, in addition to our pizza appetizer.
Saint-Jean-De-Luz > Hendaye/Irun
This was a lovely day through rolling countryside and farmland, which made my heart happy for some reason. I guess it reminded me of the feel of summers when I was a kid.
It was shorter day, somewhere between 9 and 12 miles. Kate conveniently did not utter a peep about what the next day would bring.
Hendaye/Irun > Pasaia
You guys.
This day was pretty much all uphill, and then all downhill.
On paper, it was a hellish day – save that the weather broke and the wind felt amazing…
Yes, it was challenging, but that’s part of what made it really special.
The pictures just have to try to express why I was saying “wow” every three minutes.
Pasaia > San Sebastian
I don’t know if it was due to coming off of the high and exhaustion of the day’s hike, but Pasaia was like an oasis. It’s a tiny town in Spain and it reminded of the town Popeye lived in in the (1980) live action movie.
We had one night there, and then almost what felt like a leisurely eight-ish mile hike into San Sebastian.
It rained.
It felt amazing.
San Sebastian and Other Adventures
We got into so much, and just a few days after Kate and Chuck left, I met up with my friend Ali in Paris to see Kendrick Lamar before heading to Bordeaux.
Without detailing everything, I will share that we were pretty surprised at concert culture here. We headed to the show to ideally catch the end of the opener, as you do…
There was No One on the train. There was hardly anyone in line to get in. I was getting nervous that Kendrick was a Paris bust…
Then, we went inside.
Everyone was already in their seats or on the floor – it was PACKED.
Apparently the French do not play when it comes to concerts. And, the energy was off the charts – the audience knew every word and they were hype!
Another friend and collegue, Patricia, also came through for a day and we had a great time touring around. Sharing more pics of our random July Shenanigans below – in no particular order.
Thanks for coming to see me, friends – it was a great month!
à bientôt tout le monde ~
9 Responses
Such a great time! And I’m fascinated by concert culture differences. Empty seats until the main act goes on is definitely the norm here. Kind of cool they show up for the whole thing though.
Right? I felt like a nerd for being so late.
It’s wonderful to hear about your adventures! Cheers to you friend!
Crave your updates! So good.
Awww, what a fun travel log of our adventures 💕 I seriously love how much we got to see and explore and am still feeling sad that we can’t have nice things like high speed trains here 😭
Beautifully written! I love getting to follow along with your adventures and so happy that you’ve had visitors and are exploring your new home. Thanks for sharing Alisha!
Alisha – I’m SO happy you started this blog! I’m loving all the photos, updates, and seeing how different your life is now—it’s amazing. Missing the opener is my go-to (especially when it comes to cheaper tickets), so I’d 100% be in the dog house for that one. We miss you, but so happy to see you so happy.
Got my ticket back for your big day!
YES! Plus, you can pre-game at Brownstone before the Hawks game at 3 pm! Big day ahead ❤️