The good, the bad and the beautiful…

Things I have learned in my one week living in France.

You really have to be patient here. With everything I’ve now tried three times to get a cell phone. First time I couldn’t because I don’t have a French bank account — and since I’m not sure where I’ll be settling yet, I didn’t want to open one in the wrong city.

Next attempt: I went to Free Mobile, thinking it would be easier. But unless you have a European passport, you have to buy the phone outright. I hadn’t planned on doing that, so I had to rethink.

Then today… I go back, feeling optimistic. I bring my Apple Pay, my card number, my IBAN. I spend an hour getting everything set up. Thought I was finally there — only to have Free charge my card three times, take the money, and somehow… it doesn’t show up on their end. So now I’m out $1,200, no phone, and it’ll take seven days for the money to come back.

That’s the bad.

The Good. The market? The market saves me. Peonies are in season. Last week I got a deep ruby red peony. I have never seen anything like it — I’ve never seen anything like it. I took a photo every day just to watch it change. Today I got white ones. Can’t wait to see what they become.

Also: I left Copper home alone today for the first time while I ran errands — and she did so well. She’s been really struggling with the move, so when she has little wins like this, we celebrate them. We went on three walks today. On our second walk, we found a little path near the apartment I hadn’t seen before — and honestly, it was the first time this week I took a full, deep breath. I think that little trail might become my lifeline while we’re in Lyon.

Summer plans are starting to take shape. Dijon and Strasbourg are booked. Next up: maybe Valence and Aix-en-Provence.

We’ll see where this all leads. For now, I’m just trying to take it one flower, one walk, one breath at a time.