France Travel Guide

Oh France. What can I say about you?
I guess I should be straightforward and honest about our experience there, so, I'll just say it... France was not our thing. It had beautiful architecture, good food and wine, and stunning countrysides. But we are very light-hearted and playful and the French are not. They are serious and severe and we found the people (no offense to anyone) typically quite rude. Of course, we had a handful of great encounters with locals and our Airbnb hosts, but widely, we felt like an unwelcome nuisance.

I'm just being honest! I know lots of people have had perfectly pleasant vacations there, but coming from Iceland (where the locals are super nice) and then following it with Italy (where the locals are funny and jovial), caused us to judge the culture on a slightly skewed scale. We certainly didn't go in expecting to fit in or think they should cater to us - quite the contrary - we were very aware that we didn't fit their culture and were in a constant state of simply trying to not stand out. We were hyper aware of being respectful and apologetic when we made little faux-pas, and still they seemed to refuse to help us or teach us. Below I'll make note of some things we observed, but be aware, there weren't a lot of positives! 

Things to note

• The currency of France is the Euro. Cards are widely accepted, but it was helpful to have cash for tolls or other such things.
• The language of France is French. I highly recommend learning several phrases, but I must admit, it was hard to learn, and understanding French is not easy.
• Gas is expensive. We drove from outside Paris to Dijon and up to Beauvais, and it added up.
• Speaking of Beauvais, their airport is horrendous. It's teeny tiny and flights were constantly delayed or we were moved terminals. We had to actually go through security twice because they moved us around so much for one flight.
• Sinks (like much of Europe) had a tendency to be very tiny. As I've never spent time outside the U.S. this was new to me. Bathrooms are marked with a "WC" which stands for Water Closet... and they really mean closet! Some toilets also didn't have seats like American toilets so you had to squat. Just FYI!
• Sidewalks are old and usually quite small. Just an observation - sometimes they're single-file. Very quaint, though!
• Extreme cigarette smoke and heavy perfume. We take fresh air for granted in the U.S. - haha - especially during early pregnancy (I wanted to barf everywhere we went in France and some parts of Italy).

Traffic

• Tolls are pretty pricey! Just be aware.
• Pretty easy to navigate coming from the U.S.
• If you take the tube in Paris, be prepared to get cozy with everyone - they are extremely crowded! Several times we actually had to wait for the next train because no one could fit.
• Do not even attempt to drive in Paris. We almost rented a car there to leave the city, but once we saw how people drove, quickly moved our car reservation outside the city.

Interactions

• No one smiles or laughs in public. So don't be surprised when you smile at someone and they dart their eyes the other way. I think it's viewed as flirtatious, but this was so hard for me to remember because "smiling's my favorite!"
• You constantly play chicken with people on the sidewalks. No one moves!
• Ignore the dogs and cute babies. They treat dogs like dogs there, so there is no petting or showing them any attention. Because of this, they have very well-behaved dogs, but it was killing me. Also, looking admiringly at little ones comes across creepy, so just don't.
• They are easy to offend and not very empathetic. I often couldn't finish my meals (thanks nausea) and would try to explain that I was sorry because I was pregnant (if they spoke English), but they usually just snubbed me and didn't respond. 
• Never expect them to speak English. We always tried French first, but when we made it clear we spoke English, sometimes they'd just refuse to speak English to us, even if they knew how.

Food & Drinks

• Wine is not cheaper, or as cheap, as water. Why do people say that? Haha.. not true at all.
• You pay for water and you are always given the option of flat or sparkling.
• You don't have to tip.
• It's never very clear if you pay at the table or up at a counter, and if you get it wrong, they get annoyed with you. Just when we thought we had it figured out, we would end up wrong!
• If you order a coffee or food to-go, you have to actually GO. To-go or to-stay is taxed differently and we got scolded when Tom got something to-go, and then decided to sit down with me outside (and it was not busy).
• Also, eating while walking is considered odd. I would often get a piece of fruit (one of the few things I could stomach because #pregnant) and walk and eat it, and people would look at me like I was crazy. I finally looked it up and apparently the French culture just really believes in sitting down to enjoy food.
• Sounds cliche, but people carry baguettes around all the time! Haha we got such a kick out of this.

Where we stayed:

Paris: Hotel District Republique (small, but comfortable)
Dijon: Airbnb (this was our favorite in France - great hosts, very comfortable space)
Chalons-en-Champagne: Airbnb (meh, fine for an overnight)
Beauvais: Airbnb (not bad, not great - awkward layout)

What we saw:

Paris

Literally nothing. We were there for 24 hours and were so jet-lagged and nauseous that we ended up just sleeping! We walked around a bit and went to dinner at night, but honestly, I was so sick from the smells, that we missed out on everything. Sad, I know!

Dijon

I liked Dijon a lot. Old and historic, walkable, not crowded, good food, and very pretty sites. The French made us uncomfortable, so we didn't really go into any shops, but we enjoyed the historic cathedrals, market in the town center, and river-walk area.
Since French food wasn't sounding good, we found this cool little Argentinian place owned by a French guy who lived in Argentina for a couple years and fell in love with it. He spoke Spanish, which I can speak better, and the whole atmosphere was so much more laid back and welcoming. It was definitely a highlight and very tasty! You actually ate with your hands (which you just don't do in France and it was hilarious watching the locals trying to eat their empanadas haha)!

Chalons-en-Champagne

Incredible, massive cathedral near the city center. Very walkable and quaint. Here, we yet again went off the French cuisine and got sushi (with no raw fish for me, of course). We just took in the sights and relaxed and people watched.

Beauvais

Yet again, saw nothing. We were trapped in the airport with all our bags until we could check-in to our Airbnb in the afternoon. We had a few mishaps in planning on our part, so this was one of those wasted days, unfortunately. 

French countryside

We drove through some backroads and took our time between towns, and honestly this was my favorite part of France. They had sunflower fields, and hidden Michelin starred restaurants, and pretty fields of grape vines. The little villages we popped into had much friendlier locals. We even overheard a group of older people speaking English and struck up conversation on the street (because thank goodness - ENGLISH!). They were from the U.K. and so incredibly funny and sweet! The French countryside is where it's AT!

San Francisco, CA

It's been a while since I've had a destination travel post for you all! We've made a few small trips to see family, but not to anywhere new until this past week. I'm going to be brief and simply share the list of places we went, ate, stayed, etc... along with lots of photos, and if you're ever looking for some fun ideas of what to do while hanging around SF, maybe this will be a good place to come back to. As much as a travel itinerary is nice for those of us who are nosey, they can be a little overly detailed for the those who prefer to skim for main things to note. So let's try it the 'skim way' today!

Trip basics:

One week.
Half in San Francisco. Half in San Jose.
This was a business trip for Tom, who had a conference, but we spent the last several days with Tom's oldest brother, wife, and kids - so it was a bonus to see family as well! During Tom's conference I was able to spend a couple days seeing one of my best friends from college in SF, and near where she lives in San Jose.

Where we stayed:

During the conference, Tom needed to be nearer to the downtown area, so we stayed in this incredible Airbnb near Twin Peaks. It was one of the best Airbnbs we've used to date (and we use Airbnb a LOT). If you've never used Airbnb, be sure and sign up using my referral so you save $20 the first time you use it: www.airbnb.com/c/joyj6
The second half, we stayed with our family.

Where we ate:

Near SF:
Delfina (pizza): https://goo.gl/maps/P7cq9yg6WoQ2
The Ice Cream Bar: https://goo.gl/maps/8qV49jyuyT72
Tony's Pizza: https://goo.gl/maps/YZEASjHq3st
Squat & Gobble (brunch): https://goo.gl/maps/Y3YeoC76J6E2
Zazie (brunch): https://goo.gl/maps/Bykn4uXuho52
Ebisu (sushi): https://goo.gl/maps/gBf3f7YWbkG2
Piccino (coffee, pastry): https://goo.gl/maps/3hZfGYccAAM2

Near San Jose:
Opa Authentic Greek Cuisine: https://goo.gl/maps/7bKAAmEqonT2
Maria Elena's (Mexican): https://goo.gl/maps/iPVPiE34b9F2
Philz coffee: https://goo.gl/maps/kYDFoxoCnow

What we did:

Ghirardelli Square (for free chocolate and bay views)
Walked the SF neighborhoods
Went to Twin Peaks
Went in every bakery and candy store we saw
Visited Testa Rossa Winery (and did a tasting)
Took the Caltrain
Window shopped on West Portal
Walked a LOT
Stopped by a Google building for a little tour
Snuggled a Bernese Mountain Dog that I saw from a mile away
Had great coffee
Ate delicious things
Loved the cool, not humid weather
Had an equal parts relaxing/adventurous trip

Day 1

Checked into our Airbnb, relaxed, had the complimentary cheese plate from our hosts, and later ordered dinner. It took us a few days to go from Eastern Time to Pacific, so our eating/sleeping schedule was wonky for a while there. Stunning views from our Airbnb and truly wonderful hosting.

Day 2

My college bff came over from San Jose to take me around San Francisco. We had brunch at Zazie's, got lost plenty of times, found all the candy shops, had pizza, saw the bay, walked all over, talked forEVER, and laughed a lot.

Day 3

This time, I managed to find my way up to her. I took my first Uber pool to the nearest Caltrain station, and got all the way up to San Jose without a hitch! We spent the day cruising her area, found a winery in Los Gatos, ate yummy Greek food, window shopped, ate some baked deliciousness, and then laid around their apartment and looked at her wedding photos that I had never seen in two years! It was another day filled with laughter and adventure.

Day 4

This was our last full day in SF, so I stuck around at the Airbnb and got some work done and enjoyed the area by myself a little bit (if you watched my Instagram stories, this was the day I walked to and from our Airbnb and nearly died because #hills). That night, Tom and I had a date night and went out for a little sushi and ice cream and Twin Peak touring.

Days 5 - 7 were spent with family,

and I typically don't pull out my devices with family unless there's just some downtime in the evenings. So there's no photos I need to share of those days! We had a wonderful time with our two farthest nephew and niece and their parents. It was the first time we'd seen their latest home in the Bay Area and we went on walks, played at parks, talked, read lots of bedtime stories, and just spent time catching up.

San Francisco and the Bay Area as a whole, are super fun areas to visit and tour around. There's tons to do, it's surrounded by other incredible places to visit, the weather is pretty near perfect, the food is delicious, the sites are beautiful, the public transit is easy, and no one talks to each other in Uber pools... unless you're the wide-eyed, spunky-spirited Midwestern girl who wants to know what everyone else knows. I may or may not have awkwardly brought up the silence of San Franciscans TO the San Franciscans and thankfully was met with laughter and a, "You're right, we ARE too quiet - thanks for livening up our Uber ride!" and then continued to speak with a super sweet young guy about gangs and how cool tech nerds are in SF while our driver got lost finding my Airbnb. Overall, though, it's a place I hope to visit more often and where at the very least, you can find an amazing cup of joe. 

Iceland + Europe | Vacation Announcement

A couple weeks ago, I spilled the beans on our vacation via my Instagram story. If you didn't catch it in the 24 hour window, you wouldn't have heard the news... sooo here's the official announcement:

We're going to Iceland and Europe this fall!

As a little background:
For the last year, Tom and I have been discussing the need for an honest-to-goodness vacation. Of course, it kept getting put on the back-burner over and over (as these things often do) while we dealt with other life circumstances, prioritized family visits, hosted lots of visitors, worked on our renovation, and then moved forward with adding our dog. We kept saying "we'll talk about it in a couple more months" until that couple more months turned into a year or so. Now, it's been over FOUR years since our last vacation... which was our honeymoon. So to say we're excited about fulfilling our dream to visit Europe, would be an understatement.

We've taken a few trips in the last four years, mostly to visit family, or with me as a tag along to Tom on a business trip, or for a super fast overnight to celebrate a birthday or something, and they've been so wonderful... but we've not had what I would call a vacation in all these years.

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About two months ago, I started putting my foot down and being really adamant about prioritizing a vacation for this fall. We've had a rough year and I think life's curves have put enough weight on us to merit an actual need more than a desire for a vacation. We need the respite, the escape, and the adventure without work or reality tapping us on the brain to remind us to pay attention to them. We'll take plenty of photos, but it'll be mostly a time that we can be disconnected from pressures, and just enjoy the time together - uninterrupted.

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Here's how it happened

After a few months of daydreaming together about potential places, we decided to just start casually looking. We followed a few places around the world for low flight prices, and every now and then something would come up and we'd consider it for the day, only to see the price spike the next. Italy was of particular interest, but when prices went from $400 to $700 in a matter of 12 hours, we thought it was off the table. So we hunted around the Caribbean, and Cabo, and various other locations.

About a week after the realization that we needed to be prepared for spontaneity in purchasing flights, Tom saw something we couldn't pass up...

For less than $900 (total - this price includes BOTH our roundtrip tickets), we could fly into Reykjavik, Iceland - stay for up to a week - and then continue on to Paris.

Tom read me the deal and we stared at each other.
For a long time.
We started to smirk.
Then I asked a few more questions and we decided we'd keep our stay in Iceland brief so we could explore the surrounding areas and countries by France for longer.
"Joy, are we doing this?" he asked.
".... what's our reason not to? The flight price certainly isn't a reason. Tom. Let's do it. I don't see how we could possibly regret doing this. We've dreamed of going to Europe... and ICELAND?! Who goes to Iceland?! Actually, I think we'd kick ourselves for NOT going and passing up such a great deal and experience. Seriously. I'm ALL in. Let's do it!"

Two minutes later, we confirmed our tickets.

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For three full days, we'll bop around Iceland. For another twelve days, we'll land in Paris, and then perhaps mosey into Switzerland and Italy - but we're open to suggestions! We are so insanely excited for this trip! We're really hoping to get to the small Italian winery that makes our favorite wine in the Barolo region.

We've been scouring Airbnb for places to stay, but it's so hard to know where we'll want to spend the most time! Now that we have the flights booked, we'll have a lot of planning to do, but I love planning and organizing, so I'm enjoying it. Plus, it feels SO good just to have something amazing to look forward to, and it's started to motivate us to get in better shape so we can enjoy walking and hiking around as much as possible and not feel like we need to rest a lot. 

Here's where you come in

Have you ever been to Iceland?
How about France, Italy, or other surrounding areas?
LET'S HEAR YOUR TIPS! This will be our first time overseas and if you've got anything that might help some European or Iceland first-timers, leave me a comment or contact me.
What should we pack for Iceland AND Europe? Do you have some favorite luggage or backpacks? Would it be easier to take trains or rent a car? We're not too interested in the tourist attractions - what would you suggest to the back-country travelers? How do you leave room for souvenirs? Do you know some amazing places to stay? Any certain kinds of clothes or shoes you know are great for lengthy travel? What kind of adapters would we need for phone and camera charging? Anything you can think of please share it - I'd love to hear about your experiences! 

Now, if you need me for the next five months, I'll just be listening to The Secret Life of Walter Mitty soundtrack a million times.

Satisfying Your Restlessness (Locally)

We're the restless types. I've mentioned it several times over, now, but it bears repeating.

Read more on restlessness here, here, or here.

Of course we don't all have the time, money, or careful planning skills it takes to create a stellar trip three times a year, so how can we create the illusion of a trip to satiate that desire in between the big, carefully planned trips? Today, I'm going to cover ways to get creative in your own area. Whether at home, or out and about. Sometimes it may take some imagination, but as adults, how often do we exercise that part of our brains anymore? If you have kids, maybe a little more often, but still. Here are a few ideas - some of which I have yet to try - to help satiate your specific wanderlust.

Itching to visit another country?

Try creating your picture of that visit in your own home or city. Italy on the brain? Pretend you're there! Get dressed up, find a non-chain Italian restaurant or pizzeria, order the wine, and enjoy. If you're at home, put on an Italian lute music station, prepare and cook up your favorite Italian dish, open a bottle of Chianti, dance in the kitchen with your spouse, watch an Italian film, grab some gelato, and have fun pretending!
Been wanting something French, but don't live near a French restaurant? Croque-Monsieur sandwiches are easier than you think and soooo yummy. Do this sort of thing with any country and try to make it as authentic as you can. Indian food and a Bollywood film? Yes please!

Are you in need of a warm escape from the winter blues?

Find an indoor waterpark and spend an overnight there. How about a botanical gardens or zoo? These places need warmth for both plant and animal life to survive winter and can offer you that sweet escape, even if only for a day. You could even try a fitness center with a pool, hot tub, or sauna. Have a cool, beachy drink... even sneak one in, if you have to ;) Do you have a fireplace? Sounds cheesy, but desperate times could lead you to firing that baby up, laying out near it in a bathing suit, putting a continuous beach scene video on the TV, and enjoying a fruity drink all in your own home! Hey. Don't knock it till you've tried it. If anything, it'll give you a much needed chuckle!

Looking to get outside and take in some views?

Look up some nearby places for a hike and leave your phone behind. Are there some scenic wineries nearby? Who doesn't love some views with a nice drink? Are there any national or state parks within a short drive? Historic sites? I grew up in small town Iowa, and even there, the Native American history was very common and fascinating. Lakes, rivers, waterfalls, deserts, etc... Try to go for places you've ignored for a while or were too lazy to drive to before. Go camping in your own town!
Another cheese-ball one: can you make a fire in the backyard? Or deck-out your porch or patio into a little garden escape? Fit a tent our some sleeping bags out there and take in the view of the night sky? In a little apartment I once had, my roommate and I had part of a rooftop to use, and Tom would come visit and pull all the cushions off my couch and create an outdoor bed/couch. He'd grab some beer, and we'd talk until late into the night. Throw in some lanterns or outdoor lights if you want to make it romanic-y. Sometimes we'd even walk to the nearest grocery store and pick up some ice cream for dessert.

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Create your own challenges

Have you ever wondered where the best Mexican food is in your town? Spend the week trying a new place every other day and just split things to save money.
Or in one day, make it a challenge to go to different places and areas of town for different pieces: a yummy drink, a lunch to share, a place for entertainment, something sweet to eat, a scenic view, a physical activity, a place to rest for little bit, another drink stop, a place to buy a new hat, etc... make your own day, but creatively piece every little part of it together over hours and hours. It makes it almost like a scavenger hunt, but not rushed and not to win a prize. Just to be silly!

Find the open houses and estate sales

Sometimes we dream of a different house or style of home, but we wouldn't actually pursue it. So sometimes we like to just crash an open house and pretend. Or wander through an estate sale just to be nosey. Bonus points if you can actually find an item worth buying.

Go on a drive

A drive in itself probably won't help your wanderlust, but it very well may take you somewhere you wouldn't have expected. On one of my restless drives (with Tom) we ended up at a harbor almost two hours away from home late at night. We walked the dark paths along the docks and listened to the boats lapping air and water on the waves. We saw the shops of the main street only lit by the streetlights, and tried to picture them in the daylight. It gave us a little sense of wonder and a break from the mundane. And obviously we stopped for ice cream so...

Start planning a trip

This sounds like it would make things worse, but truly. Just the act of planning a trip can satiate some of that desire to "go." It can get you in that dreamy state, but also quench a little of the desire once you look at the prices and all the little details.

What else would you add?

Travel Playlist + Wishlist

Since you've heard me talk about restlessness, as well as ways to remedy this without constantly jumping ship, I thought I'd give you a playlist and a dreamy little wishlist of places to visit. Whether by plane, train, roadway, or boat, here are some places I hope to get to in the next century. 

But first, some music to set the tone:

(Be aware, I'm big on indie, folksie music with a small smattering of pop. I really held myself back and somehow only included one Coldplay track)

Now for the travel wishlist:

•  Greece

This has always been my number one. I just feel like the culture, food, views, and history would suit my interests more than anywhere else. Photos of Santorini give me all the heart eyes.

• The Italian, French, and UK countrysides

Sure, Rome, Paris, and London would be neat, but I have so much more fascination for the true culture of these places. I picture those larger cities as the equivalent of people visiting New York City and saying they've been to the U.S. They missed the plains, the mountain ranges, desert climates, etc... So if I visit these places, I want to see the real deal.

• Alaskan cruise

Honestly, I have no desire to go on any other cruise. I've just heard the Alaskan cruises are phenomenal. They're the only ones I've never heard negative reviews on. Plus, I feel like the fish would be really delicious onboard.

• India

Since moving to Atlanta, Tom and I have met a lot of people from India (and we've also fallen in love with their food). Since college, I have wanted to learn more about Indian culture, and we both decided a trip to India would be incredible. On one condition: we'd have to go with Indian friends who could show us real India. We would feel so lost and nervous without a guide of some sort (language barriers, etc..) so having a trusted person there to show us their home country would be fun. Probably for them too!

• Australia and New Zealand

My mom was born in Australia so seeing that area would be really amazing. New Zealand, I gotta admit, because I'm a total nerd and I want to see all the Lord of Rings stuff. HAHA. Okay, and it looks so breathtaking. 

• The East coast of the U.S.

Now that we live near the East coast, I'm hoping we can roadtrip it all the way up through Maine one of these days! There are only about a thousand stops I'd want to make, but I think it would be such a memorable trip. Especially with that playlist!

• Finland

I am half Finnish, and I have intense pride about it. Suomalainen sisu! This was a phrase my grandma taught us that is loosely translated into "Finnish guts" or "Finnish perseverance" and I love saying it :) I think the Finnish language is so beautiful and I can always tell when I hear a Finnish accent, because my grandma had one. Here's a video of some guy speaking in Finnish (I believe he's listing 101 reasons why being Finnish is great... but I could be wrong).

• The Seychelles Islands

There are numerous beach destinations around the world, but The Seychelles have always drawn me in. It's definitely not the cheapest option, but I can imagine the views would be worth it!

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I could add hundreds of other places, so maybe I'll have to release my destination wishlist in volumes. What about you? Where would you most like to travel?

How Travel Encourages Simple Living

Sometimes when you think of simple living or minimalism, you may picture stark white rooms with tons of hidden storage and spotless surfaces. This is a common myth on the topic. If you think I'm bluffing read my review of the book, The More of Less. There, you'll hopefully understand that simple living looks different for everyone. The whole idea is to remove all the excess that weighs you down and keeps you from truly living the life you're called to live. For some, that may look like a stark white, extremely minimal home, while others may own more - yet both are living an equally satisfying, purpose-filled life. Free of excess. 

* I should also note that I sometimes use the phrase "simple living" and "minimalism" interchangeably. Some could argue differences, but I try to practice them equally. As in, I try to practice minimalism as part of my simple living efforts.

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When you travel, regardless of why, you're expanding your horizons and your experience base. No, not the kind of experiences you put on a resume (though, maybe you're traveling for work - which really could add to your career experiences), but experiences of the heart and soul.

When you travel, you see and hear and taste and touch, the beauty of God's creation. Whether that be in the form of rising hills, mountains and forests, or in sweeping skies across oceans, fields, and plains. Even if your travels are nothing more than a flight, a jammed packed weekend, and another flight home, you're experiencing the richness of a full life. One of blessings (or maybe trials) of all measures.

When you travel, you are reminded that the things in this life that we hold dear are not things at all, but instead people, places, moments, and memories. They are the words that your friend offers that you never forget, because it was their words that helped lift the fog from your grieving heart. They are the loving kisses experienced overlooking seaside views or snowy nights. They are the reverberating sounds of laughter over delicious meals shared among family and friends. They are in the sweet intoxication of a memory revisited through the smells of a familiar place or the taste of an age-old recipe.

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When you travel, you 'look up' from the technology that ensnares us and instead grasp the wonder of a tangible world. Of bright sun and cooling winds. Of warm hugs and breathtaking sunsets. You catch the glances and smirks and amazement on the faces of those dearest to your heart.

When you travel, your troubles and worries fade. Because sometimes it only takes the simple act of a deep breath of fresh air, coupled with God's reminders of His plans for you, to clear your heavy heart or mind.

When you travel, and you can travel every day if you'd like, you're reminded of what defines "enough." That you're enough, and that your life is filled to the brim. All you have to do is notice. And if you ask me, noticing is a pretty simple act.