WHAT’S IN A DREAM?
Once upon a time – when I was about 17 years old – I had a dream of living in France for a year. I knew then that I would do it, I just didn’t know how. I grew up in a time when it was okay to dream big. Judy Collins sang her dream: “My father always promised us that we would live in France. . . . ” I felt I had a sister in desire; perhaps our fathers were brothers in their wishes for their daughters. I confess that I’ve often found it difficult to untangle my dreams from my father’s wishes, but I’ve never gone wrong in following them, tangled or not.
Now I will go to France, with Ken my partner, to make my home in Aix-en-Provence for a year. Through the years I have visited Provence many times, walking in the hills and forests, and living for a time in the small town of Roussillon. While Paris thrills me, and Brittany washes me in wind and the deeps of history, it is Provence and that calls me home.
I want to dream in the french language. I want to paint in the colors of poppies and lavender. I want to hear ancient music played in the ruins of old castles. I want to smell the pines and the sea. I want to delight in the generosity and warmth of new french friends. Already the dream is taking life as we plan and ready ourselves for travel and exploration. I think that writing will help make our experiences more real, and maintain connections with our friends and family in the U.S. and with our own process of creating a new life in France. Thanks for sharing with us.
