Currently: March 2026
Well, we’re a week into April before I thought about my March post. Seems about par for the course. March went by in a blur. My school districts split their spring break this year, so it felt like there wasn’t enough time for anything that needed to get done. The end of the school year is rapidly approaching. We’re in a selection year, so my calendar is seemingly in a hold position while I wait to figure out what everything will look like, both for selection process and for the next two years. I spend my time trying to continue to believe in what is good will prevail.
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Travel Planning:
One of our favorite restauranteurs in Paris proposed us going on a trip to Beaujolais with him this summer. The idea would be to start in Lyon and visit a few smaller wine producers for a few days. Not only were we honored that he wanted to invite us a long, but we also enjoyed visiting Lyon this past winter. We are waiting on details so I can fit together the rest of our summer in France itinerary. Unlike previous years, my weeklong pastry class will be in the middle of our trip, so I am working on building around it.
We are also pretty sure that we’ll be spending our anniversary in London this year. I’ve decided to take the WSET, so my course and final exam will be in London over our anniversary. This is something that Tom and I have talked about doing for fun for awhile, but we’ve decided to go ahead and do it.
Beyond that, since our around-the-world trip was cancelled last month, I feel like we need to mix things up and head to a few new places this year. TBD how that will work out.
Eating & Drinking:
We went to another Wine Around the World dinner at Fearing’s in March. These events are truly such a treat. In March, my favorite dish was a scallop crudo with pickled blackberry vinaigrette, Asian pears, watermelon radish, and Marcona almonds. The pastry chef also outside herself with the honey butter bilk bread with saffron vanilla, poached pear, and gorgonzola ice cream. Each part off that dessert was its own delightful experience, but when tasted together, it was on the next level.
We also went back to Urbano Cafe for the first time in a few months. They made a few updates to their menu, and the kale-walnut pesto is a new favorite.
Wearing:
You may remember that in the fall, I sent several of boxes of stuff to TheRealReal for consignment. Most everything that I consigned has sold, including 3 formal gowns that were collecting dust in my closet. I’m pretty happy about it. And, I think I’m going to send the things that weren’t accepted by TheRealReal to Poshmark to finish clearing out my closet. One of my next home projects is going to be redesign my closet so I can truly see what I have and purge what I don’t need anymore.
At this point, with temperatures already soaring above 80 degrees, I’m dreaming of spring colors and prints, and sundresses. I’m pretty sure I have everything I need for summer, but with my stress level this year, my cortisol has been pretty high. My body is changing in ways that do not make me happy, but I know that is a long term fix. (I’ve been working on it through a variety of ways, but it’s not easy. My stress, for a variety of reasons, has been off the charts for months.) I’m hoping to get back to feeling like myself soon.
Photo Editing:
I updated my Bordeaux itinerary about a bike tour that we did with Caz from Bordeaux Wine Pilgrim. Some of you may remember that there was a time when we were going to Bordeaux every few months. We’ve had a lot of wonderful experiences, and Caz is a fantastic guide. It was extraordinarily fun to explore the vineyards on a bike. And, I can’t express how wonderful it truly was to be outside for 12 hours. The kids aren’t wrong when they say we need to touch grass. I also updated my review of the FirstName Hotel in Bordeaux with photos from our sauna suite and dinner at Bada.
I also updated my Hotel du Louvre review post with information about the family suite we stayed in our last trip to Paris. While this wasn’t the “perfect” room for us, we very much appreciated having a suite. The family amenities in the room were very cute and it was a great set up for families that are traveling to Paris with children. (I did take the activity book and colored pencils to our friend’s daughter though!)
Looking Forward:
I really want to finish my post on our trips to Amboise and the Loire Valley. It’s been a work in progress for months. While not always the easiest place to get to and get around, we’ve had some really lovely trips there. I feel remiss for not drawing attention to the people and places we love there. Obviously, I’ve told you a bit about Sebastien and his philosophy of passing a good moment, but there’s so much more to tell.
I’ve been trying to use the analog journal my friend Christina sent me a bit more this month, so hopefully that will help me get reinvigorated for a bit more storytelling, too.
