An American Weekend

We’re coming up on three months in Paris, and life here is starting to find its groove. It’s a far cry from Houston! While we miss many things from back home, we’ve found plenty to enjoy here as well. Of course, there are still ups and downs—we miss family, friends, and even the small interactions we once took for granted in America—but we’re gradually meshing into the French way of life.

To start, I’d be remiss not to mention that the tragic events in America last week had a big effect on us, though I won’t get into that here. All I can hope is that the atmosphere back home calms and that, as Americans, we can come together.

Now, working backward, we just had a very American weekend. Yesterday (Saturday) we spent a full day at Disneyland. While it was busy, it never felt overwhelming. We hit the kids’ favorite rides in the morning and then enjoyed a more casual afternoon. We wrapped up the day at Bella Notte Pizzeria, eating outside during the 5:30 p.m. parade. Afterward we hopped on the teacups and explored the Alice in Wonderland maze before heading to Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor. Just as we finished the maze, the rain arrived, so we donned raincoats and ran. We ate our ice cream in the hall and then made a mad dash to the Metro for a cool ride home. It was a great day—and a fun change from our usual Saturday bike excursions (which we also love).

Today we did another very American thing: a Costco run. I rented a car this morning, not realizing Costco here closes at noon, so we scrambled to get out the door. What a treat it was! Costco Paris is huge, and it was fun to see so many familiar items we haven’t seen in three months. We didn’t buy much—we’re still trying to stick with European foods—but we did stock up on essentials like a year’s supply of toilet paper. We ended the day with a Costco rotisserie chicken and a movie.

The rest of our week was filled with the usual: work for me, school for Emery, and plenty of afternoon play for Hailey and Fischer. Hailey and Fischer have been busy with French lessons, grocery runs, and countless trips to the park.

Our favorite weekend activity now is loading up the bikes and roaming around Paris. On four occasions we’ve biked for 4–7 hours, stopping at parks along the way. Our longest ride so far took us 45 minutes from home!

My mom arrives this week, which we’re excited about. She’s bringing some U.S. treats like Propel and a few Amazon orders. We’re planning some touristy outings as well as another trip to Ouistreham. It should be a great visit!

I’m sure there are other little updates I’m forgetting, but those are the big ones.

I’ve also been asked what work is like here. Other than the usual day-to-day meetings with people across the globe—which keep things packed and interesting—it’s pretty standard. But I’ll share two highlights: the commute and the food. I bike to work every day, even in light rain. It’s refreshing, a great way to start the morning, and the perfect way to decompress on the ride home.

Now for the food. Our office is unique in that it has a cafeteria downstairs—not just any cafeteria, but a genuinely nice restaurant. Lunch is a three-course affair: appetizers to start, then a choice of three mains (usually a meat, a fish, and a vegetarian option) with sides, and finally dessert. The desserts are excellent, and I’ve occasionally treated myself to two! There’s also a fruit selection by the coffee machine on each floor, and I usually grab a piece or two for breakfast. All in all, it’s a fantastic place to work, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have an office in historic Paris.