Two Weeks in France

This weekend marks two weeks of living in France. It feels more like a month—at least. I thought I’d do a little re-cap, mostly to remind myself how far I’ve come in such a short time. There’s still a long road ahead, but I’m no longer waking up in the middle of the night with panic attacks, and Copper is starting to settle in. I can leave her alone for 3–4 hours now, which feels like a huge win. She’s become my little lifeline here.

That first week, I honestly thought bringing her was the biggest mistake of my life. But now? She’s adjusting. I’m adjusting. I’ve stopped dragging her into overly crowded places, and we’re figuring things out—together.

The sun has been out for a few days and wow, when it’s out, it’s beautiful. This weekend, I went to Les Halles, the indoor market, had some baked oysters for lunch, and stocked up on market goodies for what I thought would last the week. Spoiler: I’ll be out of most of it in a couple of days. I bought a €36 roasted chicken. I mean… does it lay eggs too? But to be fair, it’s delicious and will get me through several meals, so I guess it evens out.

Across the street from Les Halles Lyon

I was talking with my friend Nicole today, and she asked such a good question: “What are your top three favorite things you’ve discovered so far—and your top three challenges?” I blanked in the moment (except for the rose garden/river walk by my place), but while out walking tonight, I had time to think.

Top 3 Favorite Things in Lyon (ish…):

1. The rose garden/river walk I take Copper on three times a day. It’s become our little ritual.

   
   

   

   
   

2. Marché Saint-Antoine, the weekend market with around 144 vendors—produce, flowers, prepared food—you name it.

   
   

   

   
   

3. The beauty I didn’t see at first. When I arrived, my first thought was “Yikes. This city is ugly. So much graffiti.” But now, with a little time and exploration, I’ve started to see the charm. (Still leaving, but I can appreciate it.)

   
   

   

   
   

4. (Yes, I said three, but…) The kindness of the people. Truly. From expat connections to people I’ve met while walking Copper, people here have been warm and generous in a way I didn’t expect. That might be the hardest thing to leave.

5. (Sorry, one more.) Les Puces du Canal, the flea market. I already did a full post on it, so I’ll keep it short—love. I will absolutely make return trips to Lyon just for this.

Top 3 Challenges:

1. Not speaking the language. Visiting is very different from moving somewhere and not speaking the language. hen you’re on vacation, you’re not thinking about cell phones, doctor appointments, or where to buy dog food. You’re not trying to find your market, your pharmacy, your footing. So the conversations you have—and the people you meet—are completely different. (typically.)

   
   

   But living in another country, even for just two weeks, changes all of that. You notice every time you can’t say the simplest thing. And that can feel frustrating… but it’s also my biggest motivation. I want to be able to communicate.

   
   

   I’m so grateful for the people who’ve spoken English when I really needed it, and for the strangers who’ve taken a moment to explain a word or phrase in French. The other day, my Uber driver said something that really stuck: “Make mistakes. That’s how you learn. Don’t worry about being confident—French isn’t your mother tongue. Who cares if you mess it up? That’s how you get better.”

   
   

2. THE COTTONWOOD TREES. They are my nemesis. I’m sneezing, my throat’s doing weird things, and I’ve practically scratched my eyes out. I’ve knocked myself out with Benadryl twice now. I told the pharmacist I didn’t need the stronger stuff (why?!) and now I’m spending my Sunday in a foggy haze, waiting until tomorrow to get the better meds. Because of course, everything’s closed on Sunday in France.

   
   

3. Ordering things online. Finding the things I’m used to—or figuring out what the French version even is—has definitely taken more effort than I thought it would. A lot of what I rely on from Amazon doesn’t ship here. This is just all stuff I will adjust to over time.

   
   

There’s more: Where I’m staying is far from everything, so Uber is a near-daily cost. Even with Uber, I’m still walking 4–8 miles a day. My baby toenail (removed in February) is not loving it. The sofa in this apartment is hands-down the worst I’ve ever sat on. The mosquitos. The bank account bureaucracy (can’t open one without a permanent address). The list goes on.

But here’s what I realized on today’s walk with Copper: Every time we go out, something good happens. Every. Time. So I keep going. Because things are getting better. I’m adjusting. I’ll find my place. I’ll learn French—or at least enough to get by. I’ll figure out how much salami and bread I can consume in a day and still call it balance. And I’ll remember that here, mixed greens don’t last three days. Eat them immediately.

I’ve got two weeks left in Lyon. I made a little list of places to go, see, eat, and explore before I head out on the 31st. My hope? Less “to-do’s,” more wandering. More joy.

Stay tuned. 💛