It’s February, and tres cold!

It’s February now. Time for a little update on life in Paris.

On the surface, what could be better?
A life abroad. A trip of a lifetime. An opportunity you don’t pass up.

But when you dig a little deeper, life as an American in Paris has been difficult and isolating. And I say that as someone who has an office full of colleagues, plenty of work, and meetings in English, work in general has been engaging and stimulating. 

So one can image that for the families who join along on the expat journey, this can be a long road to “normalcy”. They get dropped into the middle of a country where the language isn’t natural, the government systems aren’t always clear, and the social and legal rules are unfamiliar. That leads to a very difficult season, one that can feel like a pressure cooker. And that is where we are now, in the depths of winter, life abroad is not as glamorous as what you see on Emily in Paris.

But we are making our way through it, and my hope is that we will come out of this stronger as a family and as individuals, with experiences we will never, ever forget.

The journey to get here? There have been ups and downs. Tough conversations. Heavy moments. Quiet frustrations. But also trips of a lifetime, new experiences, learning about each other, and growth. So we persevere and I am incredibly proud of the way Hailey and the kids have tackled the challenge. 

Now with that, here is a little update on us. We have really filled our weekends so far, exploring the city, checking out museums, and eating at new boulangeries. Unfortunately, we also had some issues with Emery’s school and made the decision to withdraw her, and we’re now looking at opportunities for next year.

That may mean a new school, a move across the city, a new change, and more chaos in our lives.

But together, Hailey and I feel a little more hopeful. A little more aligned. And excited for the next phase in Paris.

So what does that mean for us now?

We are managing our expat life as best as we can. We try to make every opportunity as good as we can.

Hailey  is currently homeschooling Emery, and the passion she brings to it is honestly inspiring. Emery and Fischer wake up excited to learn. Hailey has daily activities, learning, and even field trips for them both. I’m so proud of them. We have also been packing as much as we can into the weekends as a family, including a visit to the Louvre, bikes around the city, Costco run, and Disneyland! 

And what does this mean for the future? 

We take advantage of being in Europe. We don’t waste the time we have here. Like our upcoming trip to Florence, Italy. Adventures in the city. A train to London. Croissants on the weekends. 

This isn’t easy. But we are living life to the fullest.

And for now that’s enough.