Christmas Moment #2




While I was with Tracey (my sister) in that cute shop I mentioned previously, she showed me a necklace she'd considered getting me that had the Scripture "for such a time as this" written on it.  She knows I love this verse from the book of Esther in the Bible.

Why do I like this verse and what does it have to do with our Paris dream???

Esther was a young Jewish girl placed in the King's court against her will and then made Queen against her will. When her people's lives were threatened, her uncle sends her this message:

          "And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" 

                                                                                                             Esther 4:14b

I think of that often these days.  Is my life more than just a sequence of events and places?  Has each place I've called home, each person I've called friend, and each church I've called family been in my life "for such a time as this"?    I believe so.

And now Paris awaits...for such a time as this...

       

Christmas Moment #1

As is our holiday habit, we went to Kansas City for Christmas with our extended family.  We always stay on the fabulous Country Club Plaza (that we love!).

It's a fast, fun weekend.  Friday dinner with David's brother, Saturday breakfast with dear cousins and last, but not least, Saturday afternoon (including a little shopping!!) with my sister and an evening with her and her family.

This year, however, I had the opportunity to share our dream with two women along the way.  One while waiting at the airport in Dallas and one in a darling shop in Smithville, Missouri.  Each conversation began with their questions to me, our story (abbreviated!!) and their own adventurous desires and curiosities about the steps needed to accomplish this kind of major lifestyle change. Thank you, ladies, for letting me share our experience.  It's for people like you who wonder about living in another culture for whom I am doing this little journal.

I'm a Midwestern girl married to a man whose dream I share-living in a different culture.  If I can make my dream come true, so can you!

Dare to dream-whatever your dream may be....

Christmas Decorating!

I love Christmas!  Nikki once said our house looked like Christmas had exploded - I decorated the big places and the little nooks and crannies!

This year, however, I had to minimize to keep our small "for sale" townhome looking uncluttered and larger.  I didn't give up decorating the large spaces (the trees) but the nooks and crannies I always loved.

It made me sad - as I thought about it, I realized I felt as though I was giving up a life I loved for a life I didn't yet know.

But the unknown isn't bad, just unknown.  I will make Christmas this year all I can - minimizing the "things" and maximizing the "moments"...time and experiences with the people I love.

And that is Christmas!

Our Visa Interview!!!

Though we were unable to meet with our friends 😢, our trip to Houston was a success.  We woke to snow (yes,snow in Houston!!!) which we thought was a good omen (because we love snow between Thanksgiving and Christmas).  Got to the consulate without a hitch and had to wait only a few minutes before we were called.

We both had expected the interviews to be conducted in private rooms but instead we both sat in front of a glass window with a French woman on the other side.  Not very personal but, hey, it's French!!  She went through all our papers, asked minimal questions (she laughed with us about David putting my birth year as 1952 instead of 1953 saying he could have at least made me younger!), then took our fingerprints.  That was the hardest part for me-it would not accept my prints, and I had to do it over and over and over until finally she had them (whew!!!!).

We had made duplicate copies of everything (as our letter instructed us to do) but we only needed one copy (better too many than too few!).  She took our pictures (not smiling so I'm sure they're very attractive!!!!) and said our files were complete...au revoir!  She had asked earlier when we needed the visa (March 1) and said it can take as little as 10 days (yea!).  So we'll see....we didn't walk away with our visa but we didn't expect to...out of her pay grade probably!!  But she said nothing to make us believe we won't get it.  An easy-peasy procedure that I'm glad I didn't spend any time fretting over!

Visa application - check!

The last big step now is selling the house!

And still we wait.....

December 7, 2017

So, the other big thing that has happened is I'm no longer working.  If you see my Facebook page, you know my doctor has sold his practice (which I knew was coming) and it seemed a good time for me to leave since there will be lots to do in the next few months.  Another step toward the dream!

Today we leave for Houston for our Visa Application interview at the French Consulate in Houston.  David has accumulated all the necessary papers according to the information we were emailed.  We each have a file since we're not certain if they will see us together or separately.

While there is no reason we should not get a visa, it is still a little stressful as our whole dream depends on being able to stay more than 90 days.  That said, I don't feel worried about it since I believe "greater is He that is in me....".  I just hope they don't ask for something unexpectedly that we don't have.

The fun part of this little trip will be seeing good friends from another life.  We lived in Springfield,Missouri, when Courtney was born (a long time ago!!!) and the dear friends we knew there now live in Houston so dinner is planned.  I love reconnecting with friends who touched our family along the way.  It's the blessing of all the moves.

Until after our interview.....

December 5, 2017

Well, in three months we'll be in our perfect apartment in Paris!  Of course, right now we don't know where that apartment is or what it looks like, but we know Karina will find a great place for us to live our Paris life.

Before Thanksgiving Karina sent us an email with seven apartments that will be available in December and January (really too early for our needs).  We were surprised to receive anything so early but also excited to see what she had found.  We read all the info on each apartment and looked at all the pictures...and immediately eliminated four (we put one back in the possibility list later!).  We were in full agreement in that elimination.

However, when we began prioritizing the remaining three, we realized we're not quite as in sync as we thought!!!  My first choice was David's second, and vice versa!!!  "My" apartment was in a perfect location and under budget.  But it was older and needed a little TLC though the kitchen and bathroom were clean and simple...however, the apartment was smaller than we really want.  The owner was a charming (according to Karina!) lady who was willing to work with us and even hold the apartment til March.  "David's" apartment wasn't quite as well located (though it was in an area we would consider) and was over budget😟.  However, it was larger and very nicely finished out.  You can only imagine the many conversations we had about these apartments!!! The final straw that broke the camel's back (after Adrian said she'd go see both apartments and give us her opinion) was learning "my" apartment didn't have a clothes dryer (or a washer-dryer combination).  Just a washer.  While we are prepared to live with a small dryer that takes fewer items and takes longer to complete, not having a dryer at all isn't something we're ready to live with....unless we absolutely have to! "David's" owner isn't willing to hold that apartment so Karina is back to the search and will begin sending us reasonable apartments in January.

And so we continue to wait...

November 21,2017

Now we wait...each day passes and we can almost forget what lies before us.  We spend time with the kids and friends like we always have.  But we know these days are numbered and while that brings some sadness, it also brings great anticipation of the adventure ahead.

As we wait, we are accumulating all the information we need for our December 8 visa application interview at the French Consulate in Houston.

The house is for sale--our townhome we have loved--and we've learned to be ready to leave quickly for a showing.  Though real estate has slowed and our home appeals to people looking for this lifestyle, we trust God will take care of this as He has other things.

People have said we're brave to make this move that changes our life so much.  Others think we're crazy!  Sometimes I think we're crazy!!!But down deep I'm excited to begin this adventure.  Moving to a new country isn't as easy as I thought it would be and sometimes I have trouble imagining us in Paris, but when I'm in Paris looking at the glistening Eiffel Tower while I drink a chocolat chaud (hot chocolate), I feel right at home.

It never gets old to me!

And the days move forward...

November 20, 2017

Back to our October trip and God's unexpected answers...

Sitting down with Adrian Leeds was an unexpected gift to us.  She was so warm and friendly but also made us aware of the help she could give us in our move to Paris.  We ended our visit with her promise to send us the necessary paperwork to hire her company and my proclamation "you are an answer to prayer". And she was!  We knew walking away God was going to use Adrian Leeds to find us the perfect place to live in our Paris life!

The other God moment was when we needed to get a French bank account.  It's a very difficult thing to do (which we'd read) but Adrian referred us to a bank/banker notifying them of our intentions.  After several days of no response from the bank (we understand this is typical in Paris!), we'd decided to just show up at the bank and wait (I think this was David's idea!!!!).  And then, just in time, the email came with a 3:00 appointment time.  Adrian had told us what papers we'd need and we were ready and then some.

It's never as easy as you think.  A nice, young English-speaking (more or less!) man met with us.  The first item he asked for we didn't have.  He didn't really know what it was or how to explain it to us, and I thought we were done...after all this we were not going to get an account.  But...because it was 3:00 in Paris, it was 8:00 in Dallas and we were able to contact our accountant who emailed the necessary form (a W-2 as it turns out!).  So after a "cafe break" while we waited for the email to be received by the bank, by 5:00 (o so)---we had a French bank account!!!

Our Paris life is beginning to take shape...

 November 19, 2017

A year has passed and our dream is slowly coming together.  We started taking French last summer and are continuing the weekly tutoring.  Slowly we are mastering "un peu" (a little) of the beautiful language.  We realize many in Paris speak English (as people always tell us!), but we also believe it shows our love and respect of their country and language and our desire to share their culture by speaking their language...even a little.

The French has been really tough for me.  I took four years of high school Spanish and was pretty good (if I do say so myself!!!!).  I think of myself as a language person, not a math or science person.  That said, this is killing me!!!!!  David and I are spending considerable time listening to an audio lesson, watching an online video and doing workbook lessons.  Let's just say it's way more French than my 64 yr. old brain can master!!!!  However, on our trip in October we were able to speak some French (and be understood!!!!) and that was pretty exciting! I've decided I'll always sound like an American speaking French!!!!

Also on our October trip we realized the housing situation was more difficult than we realized.  We had been viewing online apartments for months to get an idea of what was out there and prices etc.
While there we spoke with several realtors who were helpful and gave us more information; however, we were unable to see any actual apartments since we won't need one til March.

For months we'd been receiving the online newsletter of Adrian Leeds, the Paris-Nice realtor on House Hunters International.  David contacted her office and we were able to set up a lunch meeting with her.  And, voila, she is working with us to find us the perfect apartment.  More about that next time!!

God sometimes answers in unexpected ways...

November 18, 2017

In November, 2016, we knew.  Did we hear God's audible voice say "Go to Paris"?  No, but He began to give us what our dear pastor friend, Rick, calls "words"--messages from our daily living and Bible readings used to speak to us.

One of the first words was a focal passage from The American Church in Paris, a place we believe God can use us. In their monthly newsletter (which we receive online) we read:

                            "Also seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which

I have carried you into exile.  

Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers,

you too will prosper"  

                                                        Jeremiah 29:7

While we don't consider our move an "exile", it is still a foreign
place away from family and friends and a way of life we have always known.

And so we began praying for Paris.

Slowly, remember this began a dozen or so years ago, we began to see God putting all the pieces together.  And in 2016 we had no idea how many pieces there really were!!!!!!!

But the pieces don't fit yet...

November 17, 2017

So, after leasing for one year (actually less), we decided this was the lifestyle we wanted.  Is it perfect?  Absolutely not!  David misses the pool and I miss the diningroom for big family dinners.  But is it the perfect place for this moment in our lives?  Absolutely yes!!

We bought the townhome in 2015 and pretty immediately began renovating.  All the while, our focus was on being here forever...whatever that meant.

Just a piece of the reno

In between all this, there were more trips--Paris captivating us with each visit.  Prior to our Nice trip in September, 2016, we began toying with the idea of moving to Paris for a year and then two years or so in Nice.  We planned a trip to Nice to check it out for "living" not just "vacationing".

Nice is nice!!

Nice is nice...for vacationing!!!  We made an unexpected 3-day trip to Paris when we realized we couldn't live in Nice.   We walked into the heart of Paris and both of us felt as though we were home.

And the glimmer of a life in Paris began...

November 16, 2017

Then we took a giant step-we decided to sell our house, still not paid off, and lease an apartment at the Shops to experience that "cafe" lifestyle we'd loved.  But the apartments were tiny and not right for our needs😞.  So we went back home a little discouraged.  Several nights later, while with our friends Harold and Martha Harkins, we began sharing our dream and mentioned the townhomes at the Shops we loved...but they were only for sale (or so we thought!) and we weren't ready to make that commitment.  Harold pulled out his computer and, lo and behold, they did have some units for lease!!

The next morning, up early as usual, David got online and found several for lease and we were off!!!  We called Brooke, Harold and Martha's daughter and our realtor and friend, and she met us at the Shops with arms full of information.  And bing, bang, boom we had a new home!!!!!

Our New Home 

Here was our plan--we would rent here for one year.  At the end of that year, we would reevaluate and see how we felt about actually living this lifestyle.  Right now there was still no glimmer of Paris...But we had a new home, a different home and a slightly different lifestyle.

And Paris was still our favorite place to visit....

November 15, 2017

Fast forward to a couple of very independent incidents that occurred in this journey...

The first occurred at a Sunday School party months (I'd guess) later when one of the couples present mentioned the HGTV television show "House Hunters International".  We'd never heard of it-a nightly program featuring people (couples and singles) who were wanting to lease or buy property somewhere abroad.  We were hooked after our first episode!!  Of course, even then, we typically were most interested in Europe.  Watching people leave their settled, comfortable U.S. lifestyles for new places and cultures intrigued and inspired us!
                 

Ah, Venice

                                                 
The second incident was our 2013 trip to Italy, Nice and Paris.  I'd not always been enamored with France or Paris.  However, after this trip, we both realized we loved Paris--the buildings, the cafes, the history--everything.  The whole culture.

The Love Locks Bridge in Paris

 Our vision was beginning to change...                                                     

• 
  

November 14, 2017

The more we talked about our Italy trip, the more we seriously considered a life-style change.  We finally went to The Shops at Legacy, an area in Plano I call pseudo-urban.  It's a community of shops, restaurants, services, hotels, and a small green area with benches for sitting, paths for walking around a small man-made lake with a fountain and tables for working on your computer or having a snack.  In addition, of course, there are multiple apartment buildings and, then, the lovely three-story townhomes we'd always loved.  The sidewalks are cobblestone and tree-lined and, for a moment, it feels like Europe.

                                            Three of the boys and I at our little lake!

But the townhomes were very expensive and we just weren't ready to give up our "nearly paid off" house with the pool and the yard.

So we walked away...

November 13, 2017

Once upon a time...summer of 2006, we traveled to Italy with our daughter, Courtney,  and her husband, Nathan.  It was a beautiful place and a wonderful trip.  What's not to love about sun-filled skies, blue waters and pasta and pizza for every meal!!???

Each night David and I would walk to the piazza for dinner then stroll the ancient cobblestone streets while musicians played, people mingled with one another and warm breezes carried the aromas of fabulous fresh foods.

We didn't realize until we returned home how much we'd enjoyed those evenings and that "cafe" lifestyle.

The seed had been planted....