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Why The Blonde Outsider?
Have you ever walked into a room and instantly realised you don't quite belong?
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Feeling like an Outsider Abroad: Why it’s Not a Bad Thing
I had a really interesting conversation the other day with some other foreign ladies who live in and around Aix en Provence. We were in a restaurant talking about how it feels to be an outsider in a Country that is not your own. After we had finished talking, I realized that for a long time, I thought being an outsider was a flaw that needed fixing. I thought I had to blend in, sound the same, and somehow fit neatly into a mould I didn’t like the shape of. But the longer I’ve lived abroad, the more I’ve realized that being an outsider isn’t a weakness — it’s a…
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10 Fun Things to Do Around Aix-en-Provence with Kids
(Because Provence isn’t just for rosé drinkers) Whether you’re visiting Provence with little ones in tow or you live here full-time, there’s no shortage of things to do with kids around Aix-en-Provence. From zoos to beaches, tree-top adventures to old-fashioned train rides, the region has plenty to keep the whole family happy — and maybe even a little tired by bedtime. On a side note, my kids, who are 10 and 13 years old, have really enjoyed exploring the many activities here and loved contributing to this article. 1. Go to one of the many theme parksProvence is surprisingly rich in kid-friendly theme parks — and many of them are…
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10 Cool Things to Do in Aix-en-Provence
Living near Aix-en-Provence feels a bit like living inside a painting — one that smells faintly of lavender and espresso. It’s elegant, sunlit, and endlessly walkable, yet always full of surprises.
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Sunday Mornings in France
One of the first things you notice when you move to France is that, in most places, Sundays are still sacred. Not in a religious sense, necessarily — though you’ll still hear church bells echoing through the villages — but in the sense of slowing down, of pausing.
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A Year in Provence: Expectations vs. Reality
About a year ago, my family decided to move from a quiet rural village in northern France to Provence — specifically, to a village just outside Aix-en-Provence — so that my children could attend a bilingual school. It turns out, it was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made.
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What I Miss Most (and Least) About Home
I last lived in my home country, the UK, when I was twenty-one. Things have changed hugely since then — new slang, new politics, new prices — but the things I miss always seem to stay the same.
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French Bureaucracy and the Art of Staying Calm
There’s a moment every foreigner in France faces — the day you realise that your most valuable life skill isn’t language, or charm, or even patience. It’s persistence.
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10 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Moving to France
(Because it’s not all croissants and châteaux — but it’s close)
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Cultural and Linguistic Fails I Can Now Laugh About
From accidental insults to culinary crimes, here are a few of the many ways I’ve managed to confuse, amuse, and horrify people across Europe — and what I learned from laughing at myself.
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What Belonging Means to Me
Belonging isn’t always about fitting in — sometimes it’s about finding comfort in your own little bubble until the world around you starts to make space. Here’s what belonging means to me.
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How to Find your tribe abroad
Moving abroad is exciting — until the loneliness sets in. Finding your people in a new country isn’t always easy, but it can change everything. Here’s how to build your tribe — one awkward coffee at a time.
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The Day I Realised I Wasn’t a Tourist Anymore
It happened a long time ago, when I was still a child growing up in Germany.My family had just moved from the UK — not all of us kids (the older ones stayed behind). It was just my Mum, Dad and me — and suddenly everything around us was new: a new house, a new school, a new language, a new life. Before moving, my parents and I had all taken German lessons, but inevitably, they forgot things I remembered. I was only eleven, and my mind was still fresh — a sponge soaking up every word and phrase. Before long, I’d become the family’s emergency translator — the one…
Life Abroad, Unfiltered
