Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Shanes! We are wrapping up our week in the Maldivian sun and will return to France to ring in the New Year. We hope everyone got to spend time with family, whether in person or virtually. Here’s to hoping 2021 will bring more time with friends and … Continue reading Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Our Christmas vacation has officially commenced! We decided not to go home this year but knew we wanted to get out of Lyon. Initially, our plan was a white Christmas ski vacation, but France and a few other countries kept resorts closed until after the new year. Our next option was to go back to … Continue reading Dreaming of a White Christmas Vacation
Last week, I wrote that Christmas had been canceled. So, we decided to venture out and see if we could find the Christmas spirit in Lyon. Here's what we found. On Saturday, Jordan and I went to go pick up a package. As you know, it's relatively difficult for us to receive packages in Lyon. The package … Continue reading Christmas Spirit in Lyon
According to Jordan, "it's not Christmas until Hans Gruber falls from Nakatomi plaza." So to officially kick off the Christmas season in the Shane household, we watched the movie Die Hard. If you aren't familiar with the thirty-two-year-old movie, let's break it down. The story follows John McClane, a police officer who decides to visit his wife … Continue reading A COVID Christmas Season
It's Thanksgiving in France, which means it's just another ordinary day. That is if there are any ordinary days while in confinement. It was a comfortable 55-degrees outside, and we enjoyed all the sunshine we could during the one-hour allotment at lunch. I had the day off work and "enjoyed" listening to Jordan on his long conference … Continue reading Our First Thanksgiving in France
It's been three weeks since France implemented a second lockdown. Not that I'm counting. The lockdown is planned to end on December 1, but all indicators point that this will not actually happen. We initially mentioned how we planned to spend our time in the second lockdown. What we are actually doing may surprise you. Read all … Continue reading How We Spend Our Time in the Second Lockdown
If you look up the definition of a trip planner in the dictionary, you'll see Jordan's picture next to it. We are textbook planners, sometimes planning our longer trips down to the hour. But COVID has brought out a sort of whimsy in both of us. We don't have the luxury to plan in advance … Continue reading Fondue for Two: Our Spontaneous Switzerland Trip
The time is here. Election season. The most contentious time of year. And as Americans, we have the right to vote, even if we live halfway around the world. While we cannot physically be at the polls, there are still options to allow us to vote while living abroad. It's easier than you think. When we … Continue reading How We Voted While Living Abroad
It happened. After months of President Macron repeating that France will avoid a lockdown at all costs, we are back to this point. The second lockdown begins today. On Wednesday night, we tuned in with the rest of France to learn our fate. Macron was planning to speak to the nation on the current COVID … Continue reading Déjà vu? France is Back in Lockdown
We are becoming quite the weekend warriors. Some locals have told us we will know France better than they do by the end of our expat journey. On Fridays, after Jordan finishes work, we depart for our next destination. With the new curfew in Lyon starting that weekend, it made the decision easy to leave. … Continue reading Venice of the Alps
