A French Twist on Fresh Starts

How Living in France Has Shaped My View of New Beginnings, Plus Lyon, a Groovy River Town Less Than Two Hours from Paris

Bonjour les amis et Bonne Année !

Welcome one and all and thank you for being here. Your energy and kindness mean everything to me.

Since it’s January, I promise to refrain from using that soul-crushing phrase, “New Year, New You,” but a part of it is true—isn’t it?

I know I can’t help but be seduced by this break between the “old” year and the one that is just unfolding. By all the possibilities that lie before us. By the dreams that await our activation just on the other side of a calendar date, and by the chance for redemption if we didn’t “finish” something by December 31 of last year.

But really, each moment is a new start, and everything can change in an instant. I mean, look at me. I was 54 and single, just spending a few weeks in Paris in the middle of the pandemic in 2021 when my whole life changed. Now I’m married, a French resident, and a French business owner. Anything is possible, any old time.

Still, that doesn’t stem the stress that comes with a new year.

As for Me in Early 2025…

I’m feeling un peu de tout (a bit of everything). I’m always grateful, and am always attracted to the new year just the way I am intrigued by a fresh page in my journal—there are so many things I could do with it. But as I approach my third anniversary of living in France, I’m hoping to find a stronger footing here work-wise, and I’m trying to overcome some self-bullying.

You know, that’s where I tell me that tu dois faire ça et ça (you should do this and that) and I ask myself, pourquoi t’as pas fait ça et ça ? (why didn’t you do this and that?)

I’m also sad about a few things that feel too personal to say here for the moment, but I wanted to share the fact of my sadness, just in case anyone else is feeling less-than-jacked-up for optimum success in 2025. I do anticipate at least some success, but tu sais quoi ? (you know what?) A year contains multitudes.

If you want to see the multitudes I am hoping for this year, go ahead and scroll down. I put it at the bottom of this post along with an upcoming invitation to something fun later this month.

Do You Dream of Moving to France One Day?

I get a lot of wonderful feedback and questions about life in France, and a significant amount of it is geared toward the “how” to make that big move to France. But I think there is a more interesting angle before all the logistics, because logistics are just puzzles to solve. The more important issue is whether a huge relocation to a foreign country is really what you’re searching for.

Don’t get me wrong. The answer may be a resounding OUI ! But a deeper personal exploration should take place before (or at least alongside) the visa research and the selling of homes, because it’s possible that, as brilliantly chronicled by Elizabeth in her piece, escaping to another country may not be the solution.

But it also might be just what you need, despite the challenges, if you’re willing to deal with them! I love this post by Russel Max Simon who lives in Spain and argues that indeed, Europe might just fix you. If you’re dreaming of a move to France, I made a little video about some first steps and ways to think about it here. I hope it’s helpful!

Yes, I am wearing my beautiful burgundy wool beret, purchased at La Cerise Sur le Chapeau, one of Paris’ most charming hat shops. I am a proud beret-wearer and am taking back the beret from the party poopers. Point barre (end of story).

Place Bellecour in Lyon, France

Les Fêtes en France (Winter Holidays in France)

Monsieur B and I left Paris for about a week to visit Lyon juste avant Noël (just before Christmas). The TGV train takes just under two hours from Paris and deposits you right in the center of some very nice things.

A month earlier I’d tagged along for another quick stopover there when Monsieur B had to attend an expo, and I’d rediscovered how much I love both the medieval city (Le Vieux Lyon) and the Renaissance city on the presqu’île. Its Roman ruins, its fantastic design sensibility, and its mix of marvelous restaurants and markets, whether gastronomiques et très élégants or bustling and à la bonne franquette (down-to-earth and friendly).

I do not, however, agree that Lyon could be the Pittsburgh of France, even though I really liked this article making that argument by

Jason Silverman

and even though I acknowledge that topographically there are some similarities.

For me, Lyon is a funky, diverse and fascinating, deeply historical city. I mean, no offense to Pittsburgh, but umm, Lyon was the seat of the Roman empire in Gaul from about 43BC to somewhere around 300AD, and (according to Monsieur B, my personal French historien) was also le berceau (the birthplace) of Christianity in Gaul.

That being said, I would be a terrible history tour guide. I was once almost fired from a job writing marketing columns for a San Diego newspaper because I got a little too “inventive” with the “facts,” even when describing a local shopping mall. What can I say?

I Am Not A French History Expert.

If you want a French history expert who delightfully translates “everyday” dispatches and letters via Versailles from kings and such, here you go. As for me, I’m already out of my depth and kind of terrified to have just cited Gaul in the above paragraphs, so just let me tell you—the vibe in Lyon est super sympa (it’s really great)! C’est à la fois (It’s at once) modern and old, working class and fancy. Lots of artisanal shops—I spotted at least three custom parfumeries (perfume shops) dans le 2ème arrondissement alone.

Also I have a highly cool American friend who is married to a French pompier (fireman!) and she created a fantastic yoga school in le Vieux Lyon before building a whole Zen Yoga Chalet in the mountains of Le Grand Bornand, where she does retreats. If you’re in Lyon, take a class and ask for Sydney.

I have another American friend, a brilliant young woman whom I met at WineParis—which au fait (by the way) if you’re going en fevrier (in February), let me know! She moved to Lyon last year from the American Northwest and may be preparing to take over the wine world.

After all, Lyon is a centrally located (between Beaujolais, Burgundy and the Rhone, people!) cosmopolitan (and legendary gastronomic) hub for those who really want to experience France outside of Paris.

Does this look like Pittsburgh to you? Je dis ça, je dis rien (just sayin’).

Christmas in Lyon: Things to Do

Below you’ll see that I organized a knife-making workshop in Lyon for Monsieur B et moi. But just as a point of French culture, please be aware that if in France you give anyone you like or love a knife, you must ask them for money in return. It doesn’t have to be a lot—my dear husband gave me one euro—but there needs to be an exchange of money. Otherwise you risk “cutting” the relation.

For Monsieur B's Christmas Gift, I lined up un atelier de coutellerie (a knife-making workshop). He loves wood carving and knives, so I knew it would be something special. From left you can see the raw materials and over two hours, we fashioned beautiful knives out of juniper wood. We had them engraved with "New York" (for him) and "Paris" (for me) and we used them for dinner that night at Buchon Tupin !

This time for lodging in Lyon, we took a sweet little apartment in an old building designed by Soufflot, the architect of (among other things) le Panthéon. It was such a happy surprise to find an Airbnb that was comfortable but that also had a personality and reflected the style and true graciousness of the host, whose own apartment I really wanted to visit after catching a glance of some gorgeous and intriguing giant bookcases when they opened the door to greet us.

Here are some happy moments from our trip.

Scenes from Lyon at Christmas, including my favorite (surprise) meal which was an impromptu lunch at Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse on Christmas Eve where we ate des cuisses de grenouilles (frogs' legs), pictured in the skillet. I didn't want to try them, but they looked so good and they were incredible! The lesson: you have to try new things in life, especially when you're married to a French gourmand. Do you see the photo of the bed? This is actually from a hotel in Germany, where we spent Christmas night on our way to visit family. Have you noticed the key to happiness? There are two individual comforters, folded neatly, so no one has to share! #genius

An Incomplete and Evolving List of My 2025 Wishes…and an Invitation to Come Soon!

1. Celebrate precious friendships

2. Focus on the sweetness of life and squeezing every bit of it out, with gratitude

3. Finish the book I’m writing (don’t tell my literary agent—I want to surprise her!)

4. Earn my certificate in Français des Affaires (business French). Always learning!

5. Connect with you through online gatherings to support this creative community and help us all work toward realizing our dreams (an invitation will find its way to you soon!)

6. Plan a fantastic in-person women’s event to take place in France

7. Heal and strengthen my leg and continue running and racing

8. Have a lot of fun with my marvelous husband

9. Realize my 2024 Christmas wish and join an amateur band in Paris where I can fully live my Stevie Nicks era once a month or so. As I’ve said before, if you know anyone in Paris who needs a completely unqualified but enthusiastic singer with an aspirational Stevie Nicks’ vocal range and a desire to wear costumes, please advise 😆

10. If #9 doesn’t work out, buy a karaoke machine and sing with Monsieur B

“Life is short. Order a dessert.” Rumi didn’t say it, but he probably would have.

OK les amis, je vous souhaite une belle et heureuse année 2025 !

Bisous,

Karen