It all started with … a book … and a film.
Before reading my story / my journey with la langue français, let me give you the moral to my story … your greatest journey can start with just a simple idea, that grows into a dream, that with time can become one of the biggest joys of your life. Follow that spark … follow that dream … let’s see where it will take you!!
It was Christmas 2011, and a dear friend gave me the book, The French Cat by Rachael Hale. As I looked through the pages, I fell in love with the cobble stone streets of France, and the French kitties, of course. Then, I saw the movie The DaVinci Code. Seeing the Louvre at night sparked my interest to see the pyramid. At the time, I wasn’t all that interested in seeing the art … just the pyramid.
During 2012, my dream grew, and a colleague (a world traveler herself) encouraged me to go to Paris. How could I possibly do that? I didn’t speak the language. I had no idea how to travel to France … but, … I had a passport … hmmmm … can I do this?
In November 2012, I mentioned to my husband, Gary, that I wanted to see the pyramid for our 30th wedding anniversary in September 2013. I remember his exact words, “Well, that’s going to be cheap.” Not the resounding “yes” that I had hoped for.
I continued to dream about a rendez-vous à Paris. On Valentine’s Day 2013, I made a reservation at a French restaurant. Over dinner, I said, “Let’s do it. Let’s go to France in September!” Still not receiving the resounding “yes” I had hoped for, I at least got an “okay” … That was enough for me!!! We were going to Paris in September!!!
As I continued to think about our upcoming adventure, I thought it would be fun to “eavesdrop a bit” on what les français were saying … why not take a French class? … you have always been a good student … you can do this. So, I signed up for my first French class to begin April 2, 2013 … this is going to be so much fun!! I had less than zero experience with la langue française … I had not taken French in school.
Well, my hopes were dashed when it was so hard for me. I had great teachers, I devoted lots of time studying, I tried so hard …. but I couldn’t remember anything, and I certainly couldn’t understand anything. “What’s wrong with me? I used to be such a good student.” It finally dawned on me that even though I mastered calculus in college (well, sort of mastered it), all of the instruction was in English … I didn’t have to learn English while learning calculus. Learning French was totally different … I was learning every letter, every sound, every word … so much harder than learning calculus in English. I was un petit bébé with la langue française. Over the first two years of classes, there were many tears, and I almost gave up so many times … BUT I DIDN’T … “You have to keep going … you love this so much,” I would tell myself as I wiped away the tears.
So my classes started, and I tried so hard, I was dedicated.
In September 2013 we took our first trip to Paris. It was a dream … we did all the things that my world traveler friend suggested … go to the Louvre, see the art, take a bateau mouche ride at sunset, go to the top of the Eiffel Tour at sunset, go to Giverney, go to Versailles, go to Chartres, take the TGV anywhere (we went to Amboise, Dijon, Reims and Rennes), go to the champagne country (Reims), go to Mont Saint Michel (Rennes). I had said to my friend, “But I really don’t want to do a lot of ‘touristy’ things.” My friend said, “Debbie, they are ‘touristy’ for a reason … go, do the things, see everything!!” … and WE DID!!
I was determined to live as closely to the Parisian life as we could. No English speaking hotels for me. I wanted to stay in a neighborhood, in one of the tiny Parisian apartments, in one of the Haussmann style buildings … and WE DID!! It was great!! NO FEAR … but keep in mind that I really couldn’t understand anything other than “Bonjour,” and I was too shy and self-conscious to try to practice what French I knew … lots of fear … and Gary literally knew only the words, “Bonjour. Merci beaucoup. L’addition, s’il vous plaît.” We were quite the pair, but the good news was that many Parisians could speak a little English, and being as polite as we always are, they were more than willing to help us.
It was a fantastic trip, and a fantastic two weeks! As we were getting on the plane to come back to Colorado, I turned to Gary and said, “This will not be my only trip to France, I love it so much!” Little did he know that we would be traveling many times to France in the coming years.
When we returned to Colorado, I continued my French lessons every week. It was a labor of love and it was really hard for me, but I persisted … “I’m doing this … It’s a process … You are doing this!!!“
In 2014, we took a bicycle trip through the Loire Valley. We had never seen anything like that. So many châteaux, so little time, so beautiful.
In 2015, I made my first trip to France alone for an immersive experience in Provence. I was terrified … all of the “what ifs” were almost the end of me. The trip was phenomenal, I saw a different side of France … the countryside. The beauty, the fresh food … I was IN LOVE. The only sad part was that Gary wasn’t with me to experience all of this beauty … never again. If I’m going to France, he’s coming with me!!!
In 2016, I wanted to go to Québec City, Canada for immersive French study. Again, I was terrified … all of the “what ifs” were almost the end of me… again. I told myself that if something happened, at least I was on the same continent. Gary stayed behind during my first two weeks there and then he joined me for a bicycle adventure through the countryside. The immersive experience was great, and the bicycling trip was so much fun!!!
In 2017, it was back to Paris for us. During our three visits to Paris we saw all the museums, ate a lot of great food and really had the opportunity to learn and understand how the Métro works … if you know where you want to go, just look for the closest Métro line, take note of the beginning and ending station for the particular line, and you are on your way. And using the Navigo was so convenient.
In 2018, it was back to Provence for me for another two week immersive experience. The countryside, the openness, the slower pace is so inviting. My immersive experience was wonderful. Gary joined me for a week at the end for a bicycling trip around Provence, oh là là, it was sooooo hard, so many hills. You would think that coming from Colorado at 6400 ft of elevation would have helped … nope, it was so hard, but we finished the tour. It was beautiful, it was fun, it was hard.
Since 2019, Gary and I have traveled to Provence (with the exception of stupid Covid) each year. I’m always taking an immersive French lesson, and Gary is relaxing into the slower pace and beauty. I believe our hearts are there. For me, it feels like “going home.” We love it!!
To tie up my story, after 21 years and 3 months in the library world as a mentor and Learning & Development Liaison to my colleagues, it was time to embark on a new adventure … an adventure doing what I absolutely love … sharing my love of the French language, my love of the French culture and making French pastries!!! I remember years ago a colleague saying to me, “Do you know that your face absolutely lights up when you talk about traveling to France and learning the French language?” Hmmmm …. I had aucune idée … but my heart did. Learning French, going to France, and sharing my passion has been the joy of my life … this is what I have always been meant to do!
If any of my adventure seems daunting to you, never fear … you can do it too!!! I never imagined that a book about cats on the cobble stone streets of France or seeing the pyramid would bring me to this place in my life. That is truly were it all started (an idea), and I’m not finished yet.
If you are interested in starting your journey, or joining me on mine, it would be my delight to meet you. Learn a little French, bake a pastry or two … this can be where your journey begins … Allons-y!!!
Follow that spark … follow that dream … let’s see where it will take you!!
Jusqu’à la prochaine aventure !!
Debbie en français