When we first arrived in France, the cheese aisle stopped us cold. Dozens of types, textures, and names we’d never seen — and smells we definitely weren’t prepared for. It was overwhelming in the best and most confusing way. So I did what I always do when something new feels like too much: I bought a book.

Can you get over-the-counter medications here? Short answer — yes! But the experience is very different from what most Americans are used to. Here’s what you need to know. Pharmacies Are the Only Game in Town In France, a pharmacy is the only place legally allowed to sell medication — even over-the-counter stuff. You won’t […]

French Sundays have a rhythm I fell in love with almost immediately — relaxed, unhurried, built around cooking, family, long walks, and lingering conversation. Restorative in the truest sense. But last Sunday, I nearly turned one into a full-blown Christmas dinner production. Let me explain.

When we decided to move to France, one of my quiet anxieties was the unknown. Back in Texas, I know the drill — wild boars, venomous spiders, scorpions, snakes, tornadoes, hurricanes. I’ve got a playbook for all of it. But France? What hazards might be lurking here that I wouldn’t even think to Google?

Last week, I got my answer. And naturally, I’m passing it straight on to you.