The People You Didn’t Know You Needed
I often get the question, why France? And after four years of living on this side of the pond..I still struggle to find exact reasons.
Until today.
For the past three months, I was driving, flying, and catching up with friends and family all over the U.S. Lots of dining out, quick coffee dates, and clever planning to try and squeeze as many people as I could while walking the tight-rope of quality and quantity of time. It’s always a mystifying and equally heart-filing period of catching up with loved ones. However, it’s a tease as you realize that the time to return to France is approaching ever so quickly.
I flew back a week ago and stocked up on basic supplies from a grocery store that soon most Americans will become privy to, Lidl. With preseason starting on Monday, I needed to be ready for a few grueling days of training. We merited a morning off the court (but not the weight-room) and I joyfully realized that today is Thursday.
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday — this is when you can find the market in full swing in the center of Chamalières and when I realized how much I missed the people I didn’t know I needed.
Prior to France, I didn’t have a cheese man, or the fruit selling grannies, or the local farmers that I would see at least once if not twice a week. I missed these faces and our friendly chatter as we talked about summer vacations, the start of my season, and in a couple of weeks la rentrée. I said à bientôt to each one and as I sat down in my kitchen with a piece of a baguette and some bleu d’auvergne, I thought, yes this is what I didn’t know I missed thanks to the people I didn’t know I needed.
