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round trip travel and lifestyle blog

When Traditions Fail Us

December 7, 2016
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Some things never change.  The tree always goes up the day after Thanksgiving while Frosty, Frosty Returns and A Charlie Brown play in the background.  Christmas Eve is always with Mom’s side of the family.  I can’t remember a Christmas morning without pancakes doused in maple syrup complemented by a glass of grape juice.  Even beyond the holidays, traditions run our lives whether we acknowledge it or not.  Did I even go to Starbucks if I didn’t snap a pic for My Story?  And if Abby and I are watching FRIENDS, there will be spoons of peanut butter.  (Don’t ask me why because I couldn’t really tell you a rhyme or reason.)

Traditions provide familiarity and fondness, but at times, they constrict and confine.  This past Thanksgiving, many things were the same: turkey, mashed potatoes, bread rolls, stuffing, brownies and cheesy “what are you thankful for?”s.  But this year, our family spiced it up, and I’m not talking about the pumpkin spiced caramel corn.  Instead, we had two international students from China join us for our Thursday traditions along with extended family.  thanksgiving-day-round-trip-travel

I thought it’d be weird.  Every family has a rhythm when it comes to nightly bedtime routines all the way to who opens presents first on Christmas morning.  Having two people who I’ve never met before (and whose first language isn’t English) isn’t a regular occurrence for family gatherings.  But this experience was entirely enjoyable, and I’d be down to host other international students in the following years because yes, I’m serious: it was enjoyable.  Here are several reasons why:

We’re not really all that different.

Believe me: I didn’t see this one coming.  Maybe 20 minutes into meeting these two students, I found out one student’s favorite artist was Taylor Swift.  And you should’ve seen his face when I told him I went to her 1989 concert.  And that I dressed up as her several Halloweens ago.  My sisters and I bubbled on about 1989 and our favorite songs from the album.  It was in that moment, although seemingly superficial, that I began to understand he may come from a country thousands of miles away and have an entirely different worldview, but we both are people with interests and hopes.  As we were moseying down the buffet line for lunch, one of the students noted the stuffing, saying he’d read about stuffing in his middle school English textbook.  Although I don’t know a lick of any Chinese dialect, I remember many a time learning about different French traditions in my freshman year textbook.  Our typical breakfasts and neighborhoods may look like polar opposites, but hey, we’re from the same planet.

You’re an expert, they’re an expert… learn from each other.

Give yourself some credit.  You’ve probably lived in the same country your entire life, and this international student has grown up in a completely different country for a number of years, too.  Just by simply living, you’ve been studying since you’ve been born.  While politics tend to be taboo at family gatherings (err, that’s what most would prefer), the Thanksgiving table bubbled with the contrasting political processes in America versus China in a respectful fashion.  Even schooling systems in different countries take on extremely different appearances.  One of the students even asked my sisters and me what the difference between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  You learn so much more from a person than a textbook about what it’s actually like to live it.  Yes, we’re all people, but these conversations opened my mind to a completely different culture that approaches life in an alternate manner.  And FYI I learned fortune cookies have literally nothing to do with China, so there’s that…Montmartre Paris France Round Trip Travel.jpg

Some things are universal.

Somebody cue “Kumbaya.”  We’ve walked through the beauty of similarity and contrast, but at then end of the day, some things are just the same ole, same ole.  Our family watched ping pong videos, and they dished on Chinese heartthrob athletes.  And it wouldn’t be a holiday gathering without photos.  And it is the 21st century, so, of course, this will include a selfie stick.  The night ended with many selfies (partly because gma was cut out of some on accident—whoops!) and “if you’re ever in the neighborhood…in China, drop a line!”  One of the students asked if we listened to a certain radio station, and we said yes.  He then proceeded to ask us if we’ve heard “Closer” by the Chainsmokers and Halsey.  My, oh, my… I don’t think I’ve been to a social gathering in the past few months without hearing that song.

Traditions can be a strong aspect of our heritage, but at times, they limit our awareness and experience.  It would’ve been easier to host a bonus gathering for just these international students so as not to “interrupt” our Thanksgiving traditions, but that’s not the point.  Cultural awareness comes from living life together.  And because cultures often divide themselves by borders and bridges, it’s hard to sample the global buffet.  Traditions aren’t bad, but they fail us when we’re too stuck in our ways to rearrange the schedule when need arises.  Don’t let your mind dwell on what if it’s uncomfy or what are we even going to talk about.  Giving an international student a place to be on a holiday or even just cultivating cultural awareness are worth the effort.

Bises,

Kristin

{Have you switched up any traditions recently?}

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Hi, I'm Kristin. I'm a content creator teaching English in southern France. I'm all about exploring new places, practicing my French and sharing blogging tips. Allez-viens!
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About

Hi, I'm Kristin. I'm a content creator teaching English in southern France. I'm all about exploring new places, practicing my French and sharing blogging tips. Allez-viens!
learn more about my story

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Hi, it's been a minute, and I'd love to reintroduc Hi, it's been a minute, and I'd love to reintroduce myself👋

🇺🇸I'm a Missouri girl living in southern France where I teach English to French kiddos and update my blog, Round Trip. I moved here in the height of Covid last fall, and boy, do I have some STORIES that I dish in my brand new magazine (keep scrolling for the dirty deets)

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📖This week I launched Round Trip: The Magazine, a 20-page print + digital experience. It’s jam-packed with articles about how I moved to France during a pandemic, the best French villages to add to your bucket list and how I saved $7,000 to move abroad. I spill the tea on how travel and life abroad has taught me the best lessons about insecurity and confidence, heartbreak and love👀

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(giveaway) What's a magazine launch week without a (giveaway) What's a magazine launch week without a giveaway?!💥 I recently announced my latest project, Round Trip: The Magazine. This 20-page physical + digital magazine is jam-packed with articles on how I made the move to France during a pandemic, the best French villages to visit, how I saved thousands of dollars to travel and the lessons I've learned through travel. And lots, lots more!

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😳Here’s a little secret for you: I was terrif 😳Here’s a little secret for you: I was terrified I would fall flat on my face. Now I’m happy and loving every second of life in France, but let’s rewind the clock back to one year ago, shall we?

⏰I was a mess. Last spring, it’d already been several months since I submitted my application to teach English in France. My heart was set on living abroad. And it was shattered as headlines and exclamation points littered the world with this virus called Covid.

🙈Between March and August, I might as well have had the words “I don’t know” tattooed on my forehead. My heart was constantly in flux: do I keep fighting for a dream that exists only in abstract? Or do I give up my dream to move abroad because life is too complicated or rather it’s just not possible?

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⏩Fast forward to today: I’ve been living in France for six months, and although it’s not always perfect, I’m in love with my life here. Sincerely. I take walks around my neighborhood, look around and constantly say to myself, “Is this seriously my life?”

❓I get a lot of questions about my life in France. And for this reason along with the journey to get here, I decided to create something. This week, I'm launching Round Trip: The Magazine. It’s a 20+ page magazine (digital or physical — you pick!) filled with stories, travel tips, language learning ideas, bucket list destinations and beyond. Plus, a password-protected online portal with bonus content.

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(big news!) ☎️Travel called — it wants you b (big news!) ☎️Travel called — it wants you back. The cabin fever is real as we’ve been cooped up in our homes for the past however many months. Whether you’re booking a flight ASAP or wanting to play it safe for a while, many of us have been daydreaming about travel. We miss the thrill of takeoff, the exhilaration of exploration, the elation of discovery.

✈️That's why TODAY I’m launching Round Trip: The Magazine, a 20+ page physical + digital experience. It’s jam-packed with articles about how I moved to France during a pandemic, the best French villages to add to your bucket list and how I saved $7,000 to move abroad.

❤️My heart in creating this magazine is to provide a more immersive, intimate experience than my blog posts and Instagram stories. 

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Sometimes I just don’t believe my life🙈 Toda Sometimes I just don’t believe my life🙈

Today we took a casual 20ish minute boat ride to a nearby island I can see from my backyard. We hiked up to the ancient fort and danced to music mere feet from ruins — all with views of the Mediterranean Sea and Marseille in all her sunny glory.

I think back to a year ago when my life felt heavy and full of question marks. I think of all the hoops I jumped through and all the doors God opened for me to be here. I think of the daily prayers for answers, long walks to let out the stress and the anxious tears.

And friends, it was all worth it. What a beautiful thing reflection is! What an amazing thing it is to see the pain that was and the joy that is! 

The months leading up to moving to France were absolute mayhem, but oh, I am so beyond glad I didn’t quit when it was hard. Because I am in absolute love with my life in southern France☀️
Been kinda quiet on the socials as of late👀I've Been kinda quiet on the socials as of late👀I've been soaking up the Marseille sunshine with long walks, picnics and the not-so occasional ice cream😋

💪I've also been hard at work. For the past two months, I've been creating my latest project, Round Trip: The Magazine. I've sent out surveys, edited and workshopped this piece for hours upon hours. And I am delighted to say I am all set to launch in APRIL!!

🤔What is this so-called magazine, and why should I care? Alas, in September, I moved to France to teach English — yes, in the middle of a pandemic. It's been quite the wild ride, and along the way, I've been getting lots of questions about my journey here.

I also wanted to take my blog to the next level. As much as I love sharing my travel tips + life abroad peeks on my blog and social channels, I longed to provide a more immersive, intimate experience. Ya know, like a coffee date with your best gal pal?☕

Given that I have a degree in magazine editing, I thought it only fitting to answer the questions, share my stories and dish all the dirty deets in magazine format. And I am sooo stoked for next month's launch!! Want to be first to hear when this magazine drops and to get the pre-sale price? Comment with ⭐and I'll add you to my insiders list.

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🍷😋Best eats + sips in BORDEAUX: 🍦@glace 🍷😋Best eats + sips in BORDEAUX: 

🍦@glaceriedumas_bordeaux Tori and I stayed in Bordeaux for two nights, and we visited Glacerie Dumas twice. Long story short: it was delightful. The first night I ordered ice cream macaron sandwiches. And the second night I ordered their chocolate ice cream topped with chantilly. 

🍜@padang8padang I am always in search of a good bowl of pad thai, and this fit just the bill. My pad thai packed flavor, and I was so bummed that my tummy wasn’t big enough to finish the whole bowl. Reasonably priced and steps away from a darling square. 

🍔@cafekokomo Located in a bubbly square, Café Kokomo serves up burgers, fries, lemonade and more of your American favorites. The best part of all (okay, close) is that they handed out those gummy Krabby Patty candies with our order. AMAZE.

🍇L’Oenothèque: Tor and I decided to make our wine tasting at our Airbnb. We found a wine shop right across from Église Notre Dame de Bordeaux. The kind shopkeeper helped us pick out a selection of regional wines for our charcuterie night, and she even pointed to where they came from on her map of Bordeaux. The shop isn't super active online, so here's the address: 1 Place du Chapelet

What are you craving for your trip to Bordeaux? Save this post for your next trip to southwestern France. Link in bio has more Bordeaux food + activity recs❗

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