Simply put, I’m a girl from New Jersey who traded in her bagels for baguettes and moved to Paris.  

But of course there’s more to the story.

My husband and I commuted each weekday to New York City, worked long hours, woke up and pressed repeat. We had a plan for our lives that included saving to buy a house in New Jersey where we would permanently fix ourselves.  In fact, the craziest thing we might have considered doing at the time was painting our picket fence something other than white. (Nothing says rebel like neon orange.)

With that in mind, picture this: after three years of marriage we returned from a vacation to France and invited our families over for a wine and cheese night where we announced that we had some news.  No, not the news our mothers hoped to hear.  No house had been bought, there was no baby on the way.  We announced that Michael took an assignment with his company to work in Paris.

If you don’t know me, play along anyway.  Let that jaw drop.

For me, that meant resigning from my job in HR, leaving all my friends and family behind, and embarking on an adventure in a new country.  Did I mention neither of us spoke French, not even un peu?

I have learned and grown a lot through this unexpected change of plans. But some things have stayed the same, and at my core I always have and always will love to travel. I hope this travel blog inspires you to travel, embrace a new culture, and open your mind to new perspectives. And while this move has taken me out of my comfort zone and challenged me in every way, I hope that my tips and advice will ease you into travel, no matter what your level of comfort is today.

Merci for coming on this journey with me!

What’s your story?  Contact me at simplysaratravel@gmail.com.