I’ve got my visa, a year’s supply of my favorite deodorant, and a one-way ticket to France. The countdown to my departure began when I returned to Texas from France four months ago, but I’m still struggling to fathom how those 120 days are now in the single digits. 

Last year, I worked as an English teaching assistant in this quaint town on the south side of the country. This year, I’m returning to the same program, the same lodging situation, and the same community I grew to love. It’s crazy to think that this time last year, I was preparing to live in a city where I didn’t know a soul! 

Round two of working in France has a lot fewer questions on the outset, or at least the questions have changed form. 

“Where will I live?” has become, “What will it look like to live with different people in the same place?” 

“How will I teach?” has become, “How will I serve my new co-workers and students?”

“Who will my community be?” has become, “How will my relationships grow in the months ahead?”

Now being more accustomed to the different language, culture, and daily rhythms of living abroad, I have noticed that my goals have also moved from the category of surviving to thriving. Last year, I learned how to get around using public transportation and my own two feet. This year, my goal is to trade in my US driver’s license for a French driver’s permit. Last year, I learned what a month’s worth of expenses could look like in France. This year, my goal is to live in awareness of my budget instead of relying on additional savings to pick up my slack. Last year, my goal was to keep my head above water and this year, I want to be a well of reassurance and knowledge for the new language assistants coming to my town from around the world.

So now that I’ve talked through the theoretical, let me share a bit of the practical. Here is my to-do list one week before I (re)move to France. 

• Fill out as much of the paperwork as possible for my request for CAF lodging assistance
• Purchase a professional translation of my driver’s license and driving record
• Send in my rolls of film from this summer to be developed and returned to me digitally 
• Buy a pair of jeans; mine are wearing out and there is nothing quite like American jeans
• Finish one of the books I’m reading so I don’t have to travel with it; books weigh more than you think
• Make a final trip to the pharmacy to stock up on my American medical needs
• Buy a train ticket from Paris to Lyon
• Plan my arrival
• Start packing 

Knowing it will be a minute before I see my friends and family on this side of the world again, the logistics are balanced by the weighty work of being present to my community.  I’ve made plans with friends for our final lunch and dinner dates of 2025. Just the other day, I realized that my mom has never been to my favorite park, which is a 20-minute drive from her home. Naturally, we’ve chosen an evening to go together before I hop the pond. Making time for these shared moments is something I know I won’t regret down the line when being together in the flesh is simply not an option. Prioritizing relationships this month has meant pulling back from work projects and letting go of goals I had for this season stateside, but I’m learning that is okay. Choosing personal well-being over professional security, dare I say, even feels a little French. 

Starting a new chapter inevitably means finishing another, and so in this moment of turning the page, I’m also choosing to take the time to reflect. What have I learned from this time in the States? What am I grateful for? What do I want to take with me? What do I want to leave behind? These questions stand up against the metaphorical and the physical. Remember, packing is still on my to-do list. Though sometimes I wish my mind and heart had no luggage fee or weight limit, the reality is they do. The more I process and let go of here, the lighter I will go into the season that awaits me. And as I preach to my fellow travelers, and often stand in need of a reminder myself, “The lighter you are, the happier you will be.”

Cheers to taking flight and traveling light.

Photo from my last flight over France.

Did you enjoy this article? TAIP is 100% reader-supported through tipping. If you want to leave us a tip of any amount it would be highly appreciated.  These tips help support our efforts to keep TAIP an ad-free environment. Just like at a cafe, the tips are split evenly among the team.