I’m a planner but there are plenty of things that are beyond my control—I accept that. The transition to France hasn’t been flawless but I’m trying to adjust and adapt. The Airbnb I booked is much louder than expected so I found another place for the next two months…but Airbnb put the apartment back on the market even though I plan to keep living here since I paid for this month in advance. Lots of back and forth…but I think it will work out. One of the guides I found on YouTube is meeting me tomorrow for a walking tour of Tours and some general advice on moving here. I’m keeping my options open. I found a law firm website that outlines *in detail* what I need to qualify for an artist visa. It’s a lot…I had most of the materials ready last week but when I got to the appointment, the young clerk said I needed a job offer or invitation. And the law firm says the same thing: even self-employed artists need a job offer or proof of collaboration. So I tried reaching out to the office of cultural affairs but their contact form didn’t work for me—it could be that French keyboards are different. Not sure, but I will hire a translator if necessary and figure out whether a long-term future is possible here.

Right now I have a 90-day tourist visa and then I have to leave not just France but the EU. I think I could go to the Channel Islands or the UK…or back to the US or Canada…before re-entering the EU for another 90 days. I’d be following in the footsteps of my Huguenot ancestors! And I’m still working on the Ireland novel, so I could pop over there, too. For now, I’m trying to be present instead of dreaming about someplace else. I reached out to all the international schools in France to see if they might like an author visit. I’ve queried a couple of French foreign rights agents to see if they might want to meet. I’ve opened an online account with a French print-on-demand platform so I can self-publish the picture book about Tours. I emailed the local art school to see if I could post a job notice for their students. Not sure how else I’ll find a local illustrator, though I’ve also joined a Facebook expat group. I’m trying! I call this my “throw everything at the wall” mode…

I’ve got too much luggage and shipped a box of books to myself before leaving Chicago. That’s the trouble with trying to prepare for any and every eventuality! Sometimes you wind up over-prepared and overpacked…getting my giant suitcases up 2 flights of winding, narrow stairs was almost impossible so my next place is on the ground floor. I’m learning…and granting myself some grace each time I fail or fall short. Today’s rainy and grey but I still went for a run. Now I’m listening to Xmas music and getting ready to revise my Tours story, though a nap may happen first…