Trying to find where I fit in.

My first visit to Europe was in March of 2001 on a visit to Brussels and Amsterdam with my older sister over my college spring break.  I fell in love.  Good public transportation, beautiful architecture, a different pace of life.  I felt like maybe I had been born on the wrong continent.  Subsequent visits to Germany, Great Britain and France only made my suspicion stronger.  After a 5 week summer study abroad in Leipzig, Germany, I returned to the US and vowed to continue traveling and maybe one day live in another country other then the US.  And I haven't even gotten started about the food, but that wasn't really as evident until I started visiting France and learning French pastry in culinary school.

Searching for "the place where I fit in" isn't just about a physical place to live.  Its also about finding work, and a community that feels right.  Its an ever evolving process that has progressed from Columbus, Ohio to Boston, MA and now to Paris, France.  I'm feeling more and more comfortable.

The challenge of Paris is I have my European culture and amazing food, but I'm still struggling with the language.  Thinking about how mentally stressing it was working at Laduree this summer without being fluent in French, and then thinking about how physically taxing the hour and a half commute each way to work would be (to the new Pastry Laboratory in Morangis- far outside of Paris) I have decided at this time not to return to working for them.

I think I've found a happy compromise for now, working in a small chain of English bakeries that are well known here in Paris for offering delicious and refreshing organic foods and simple English/American style pastries.  The commute on some days is just a walk up the street from me; other days a short metro ride to the Marais.  My fellow employees' nationalities vary greatly from French, English, Scottish, Estonian, American, to Japanese, but we all share one or two common langauges: English and French.

 Savory Tart and Salad

 Brunch Menu

I do miss the beauty and complexity of French pastry and that is why I am happy to be teaching some courses for La Cuisine Paris.  Starting in March you can sign up to learn to make Croissants and Macarons with me in the heart of Paris!  Other classes may be coming later.  

Paris is slowly becoming the home and the "place" I've been searching for.   I just need to master the language.