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Away We Go We Go follows the journey of Sophie & Jordan Epton, an American couple who moved to France with their 10-month old twins, and the crazy adventure that follows. We dive deep into what it's really like moving and living abroad as expats, interview others who have taken the road less traveled, provide travel tips, discuss how you can do hard things to change your own life, and everything in between.
A year and a half ago, we risked it all and moved to France. We'll be sharing about our life abroad, how people could do hard things to transform their own lives, and everything in between. This is Sophie and Jordan Epton. Welcome to the Away We Go We Go podcast. Hello, and welcome back to another episode of the Away We Go We Go podcast.
Speaker 2:Welcome back.
Speaker 1:It is officially Bastille Day in France, so it's, like
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah.
Speaker 1:Their fourth of July. Nothing is open. Jordan desperately needs coffee.
Speaker 2:Not just desperately, but desperately.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Yeah. How are we doing?
Speaker 2:We're gonna make it work. We're we're feeling okay. I think, you know, we are coming out of just a really treacherous three weeks.
Speaker 1:I would say one of the most intense periods of my entire life, for sure.
Speaker 2:So, you know, how are we doing? We're feeling... I'm feeling pretty good that we're sitting here doing this because this actually feels normal, and I've been longing for normal.
Speaker 1:Yes. Yes. A lot of you have been asking for an update on Luca, so we'll just kind of talk about, you know, we'll just kinda start... We'll start from the top, just talking a little bit about the last week. So a week ago today, my...
Speaker 1:So my best friend, our best friend, Wyla, who was instrumental in us, like, helping us move here. We've talked about her on the podcast. She ended up coming out back to us. We hadn't had her we hadn't had her out here in two years. And so she came back just to be here for Luca.
Speaker 1:And I think we were all shocked because she came over Monday morning, and I started to get texts from you that you thought Luca might be released, like, that day.
Speaker 2:And it was crazy because his surgery was the Wednesday before. So this is math, but five days later?
Speaker 1:Yeah. Five days later.
Speaker 2:To me, that was can't think of the the word for this is kinda blowing my mind.
Speaker 1:Well, it's miraculous,
Speaker 2:It's unbelievable that, you know, Luca had a major chest, heart, lung surgery, and five days later, they're like, yeah, if these little scans look good, you guys can go home.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Wish I didn't believe you. I just was kind of like...
Speaker 2:I didn't believe me.
Speaker 1:Yeah. I was like, let's just see how everything goes. And then, we were in the middle of... We had just ordered lunch. London was...
Speaker 1:It was like a total girls day with the three of us. And then, I get the text, and I'm like, oh my god. Like, it's time to go pick up our boy.
Speaker 2:And I was still in disbelief a little bit. I'm like, are these people making me lie to my wife? Because that's not cool, man. Because I'm just like, until they're actually like, okay, bye, I just wasn't sure because, you know, the the last time Luca had a major surgery like this, there was so much... I mean, obviously, he was like brand new, but there was just so much monitoring on all these different levels of things, and they had all the same tools, all the same stuff that they were using here that they were in The US.
Speaker 2:It was just because he was such a fresh baby that they were like, now we gotta make sure that all these levels are really good for when you bring him home, versus this time, he's almost three, and they're like, look, this is normal for toddlers. They bounce back really fast, and if everything looks fine, which it did, they're like, yeah, you're you're good, and we'll give you the the care plan for afterwards. So, I got to message Sophie and be like, come get us out of here.
Speaker 1:We were so ready. And we we kind of... We didn't take our sweet time. We just had to, like, you know...
Speaker 2:So like you took your sweet time.
Speaker 1:I know, but we had to... We had just sat down for lunch, so we had to eat lunch. We were all starving. I'm And then, you know, getting London out of the house is a, you know... Anyone who has toddlers knows it's an ordeal.
Speaker 1:And then we ran into traffic because it was getting close to rush hour.
Speaker 2:Yeah. I think we got the go ahead around 11:30, and you got there close to 01:30 to two, which honestly, it was fine. He was chilling. We were chilling. We were playing a bunch and just relaxing, and, you know, watching some stuff, and got a chance to eat a little bit, and and it was really exciting, because when you came to pick us up, you never know with, you know, an an almost three year old, like, to what degree they're comprehending anything.
Speaker 2:And so, with the back and forth, you were like, hey, I think it's just gonna be easier if if you can grab all your stuff. Just grab everything, grab him, come down, and we'll be in the car waiting, which you were, and when we walked out, he first saw Twila, and he hadn't seen Twila in, again, in two years when he was a baby, and he'd seen photos and everything, but we were like prepping them like, hey, aunt Twila's gonna be here, And, he saw Twilight standing outside of the car and got really happy on his face, and was like, Twilight. And, then as we were walking up to the car, I'm like pointing into the car. I'm like, look, It's mommy in London. And he like shrieked so loud and like started like screaming and laughing, and then I saw London do the same thing, and they were like, so happy to see each other.
Speaker 2:Was amazing. They
Speaker 1:were like, that was some of the happiest I'd ever seen them, and it definitely made both of us tear up. Was just so cool. Yeah.
Speaker 2:And, I was just so exhausted because I had just done six nights at the hospital with minimal sleep and dealing with him. Because, you know, we talked about switching, and I think just the switching seemed way more chaotic than not because...
Speaker 1:It was easier for me to do like some of the days with it.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And I was just thinking like, if I go home tonight, I gotta either bring whatever I have that I need here, there, and then you have to bring your stuff, and then we're like swapping. I was like,
Speaker 1:this is Well, and when... Like, because the day before, we had switched for the day, and I had Luke all day, and you had London all day, and I think you realized you were, like, actually, it might be, like, not emotionally, but, like, physically easier to be at the hospital because you realized, like, how much stuff you had to do as a single parent at home.
Speaker 2:Yeah. It was not... The the... I think the intention was, let me give you some relief so you can get out of the hospital and breathe some fresh air. I was like, honestly, this was not relieving at all.
Speaker 2:The the greatest thing that came out of it was just him having you there instead of only me the whole time, like, during these long stretches. Yeah. But, yeah, I mean, I was, like, physically nonstop, and you know, it's not like you were on a vacation while I was in there. Oh. No, no.
Speaker 2:You were working. You were with London. You were doing all of the stuff we needed around the house. So, obviously, still emotionally and and very much physically draining versus my situation. It was a lot of sitting around, and then very, very intense, like, emotional situations, like, just anytime somebody's messing with him,
Speaker 1:second you something up to him. Second you walked in that hospital room, it was a lot of emotion. Yep. I was so ready to get him out. So busted out our little dude
Speaker 2:He did
Speaker 1:so Jordan, and then just kind of spent the next few days having twilight in tow. And it was wild because I think we had all expected that she would just be at the hospital with us helping, and that was the plan. And then we ended up being able to like, you know, there was one night where our
Speaker 2:Family days.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Family days. And then our new new, actually, the last night, she was able to... You know, we put them essentially almost to bed, and then she took over, and then we were able to go out to a nice dinner, and it felt so good just to fill our cups and have a moment because, I mean, we realized we're like, we haven't been, like, home as a family together with any normalcy like this for close to three weeks. And those three weeks felt like three years because they were so intense with the travel and going straight into the hospital.
Speaker 1:Like, I never ever thought that was going to be the story of how it went down. But here we are, and we're on the other side of it.
Speaker 2:Here we are.
Speaker 1:You know, of of that whole situation, and Luca is seriously getting better every day. So he has a nurse that comes every two days to clean and re bandage, you know, all of his little
Speaker 2:Like, the scars and all the Scars and the healing. Points, I guess.
Speaker 1:And points through his neck and his chest and his groin. But, I mean, you would honestly... Like, he came home, and he just was so excited and jumping around. And, like, he couldn't wait to play with his sister. So, of course, there's things that were, you know, a little scary for me.
Speaker 1:Jordan's like, you just gotta let him play. You gotta let... You know, he'll figure out his own limits. I'm like, okay.
Speaker 2:Well, I mean, yeah. I I'm obviously very careful, but at the same time, there's just certain things that he wants to do. Like, even washing his hands at the sink, because there's some limitations. We can't lift him up under the arms. So, you know, we'll bring his little chair over, and he'll get up on it.
Speaker 2:And the first time he went to go wash his hands, he put one hand under the water where he was kinda, like, leaning where, like, the side of his chest was touching the counter, and then he went to go reach with his left hand. And because both hands were, like, reaching forward, he pressed his chest up against the counter, and then, like, quickly pulled back. And he was like, no, don't like that. And so, it's stuff like that where it's like, he's gonna know if he can or can't do something. We just honestly thought he was gonna be way more fragile than he is, and he can can run around and play and and do a bunch of stuff.
Speaker 2:He just, you know, can't launch him and throw him around or do anything like that right now, which is lame, because I love doing that stuff. I know. But we'll patiently wait.
Speaker 1:We'll get there. So I think the kicker, though, is that we didn't realize is that the doctors told us after the fact, we thought it would be ten days that he would need to recover at home before he was allowed to go back to crash, to day care. They told us it would be closer to a month.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Think the the thing with all of this is, you know, a lot of the questions I'm getting from friends and family is like, is this the last surgery? Is he all done after this? What does this look like? And it's like, I've I've just learned through experience and my own disappointment with him that I am not taking anything that anybody says as like the solid in stone, because it's gonna change.
Speaker 2:My expectations constantly get like ripped out from under me, because they'll tell me this, and I'll be like, great. And then they're like, actually this. And when it's like this serious, and I get emotionally connected, that's why I was so, up until they actually released us from the hospital, I was like, okay. I bet that you're gonna release us. It's been five days since you cut his chest open, so nah, we'll just plan to be here for a while.
Speaker 2:And they were like, no, seriously, get out. I was like They
Speaker 1:were ready.
Speaker 2:Now I believe you.
Speaker 1:They're like, our spots are limited. Get Get the fuck out
Speaker 2:of here. So he... Right. So, yeah, he's got an appointment with his cardiologist tomorrow, and I think we'll... After she looks at the progress over the last week, then she'll be able to say, oh, this is looking normal.
Speaker 2:This is looking better. This is looking slow. Here's what that means. So Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Hopefully, she's like, if he's comfortable, he can go back to daycare. I doubt it. Wishful thinking. It's not gonna happen.
Speaker 1:No. I know. It's... So so London, this is gonna be a little interesting. London's going to go back to daycare starting tomorrow because I cannot personally handle watching two kids all week.
Speaker 1:I just... It's too much with everything. It's just too much right now. I mean, anyone anyone who knows who... Like, I'm not a stay at home mom at heart.
Speaker 1:I love my kids dearly. I'm not built for 12 a day with my two kids all day. Like, it's just... That's that's who I am. And I can do it, but, like, for a month straight, like, no way.
Speaker 1:So she... She's going back. And then I'm excited because I'll get some alone time with the dude, and, you know, I think just, like, rebond after the hospital. So I'm looking forward to that.
Speaker 2:It'll be good too that they get some of their own time, because they are literally together twenty four seven.
Speaker 1:Yeah. It'll give them time to Everywhere one does,
Speaker 2:and everyone is.
Speaker 1:Yeah. It'll be good. So so that's that's kind of the update, but we're excited for this week because I feel like it's our first week where, I mean, I should knock on wood here, but, like, it feels like we're starting the week. It's just us in the house together as a family. She's going to day care, and there's a little bit more normalcy to our lives.
Speaker 1:So we're we're stoked about that. But we really wanted to catch everyone up on our trip to California because I think that's we wanna talk just a little bit more, I think, about, like, the reverse culture shock that you feel as an American living somewhere else. I think it's a really important topic to discuss because, like, one of the things that I feel like people don't consider or really think about is that when you move somewhere else and especially when you are continuing to, like, ingrain yourself into a new country and you, you know, that country is becoming more part of you, I think there's just this sort of limbo that I don't think you ever quite leave where it's like you don't quite feel like you belong to your country where you came from, but you don't quite feel like you fit into the new country. And maybe that takes, like, ten to twenty years. I have no idea.
Speaker 2:But I don't know.
Speaker 1:Be... Only being here for two years, like, I feel like we definitely, definitely feel that because it's like every time... I mean, we've gone back, what, two or three times to The US every year for work since we've moved.
Speaker 2:Mhmm.
Speaker 1:And granted, I think it also depends on where you go back in The States.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Where you go back and what you're doing.
Speaker 1:I think a difference. But but I do feel like it's this really weird kind of mind fuck every time we go back. And I wanted to talk about it a little bit because it's, yeah, it's just really interesting. So, you know, every time that we go back for work, it's generally either it's been Austin or it's been California. And California is such a fabulous place to have to, like, go back to in The States, especially where we are because, you know, the last couple times, we've either been in, you know, near Malibu or we've been in, you know, near La Jolla or Encinitas in San Diego.
Speaker 1:And, I mean, it's like you can't... I would say... What do you think, Jordan? Like, probably not a more ideal place to be than...
Speaker 2:Not an unideal place to be?
Speaker 1:Yeah. Like, you're right by the ocean. It's gorgeous, the weather's perfect.
Speaker 2:Well, it's just funny because like, depending on what you're going back for and the length of time does make a difference because we haven't actually taken like a vacation where we spent, you know, two, three, four weeks back in The US.
Speaker 1:Which we will we will next year, because my grandmother turns 90, and so, yeah, we'll have to go back for the family reunion.
Speaker 2:But, like, we haven't gone where we've been there and kinda been setting up and quote unquote living for a little bit. You know, it's mostly just been work related, and they've been kind of in and out trips.
Speaker 1:Very in and out.
Speaker 2:So, the weird thing that you were talking about for me was like, I am going back and being a tourist. Yeah. Back home.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And, that's been crazy. So, when we go to California, because we've never lived there, but we've just traveled there and and gone there a lot for work, there's this like, I don't know, this like distant, but familiar, homey feeling where you're like, oh cool, like I'm familiar with this place, and my brain is immediately going back to when I was living in Austin and coming here. It wasn't Yeah. You know, culture shock. So, now, these times, it's almost like, you know, you...
Speaker 2:There's this like almost weird, I'm not French, but I feel a little bit like, oh, I'm coming from France, or I'm
Speaker 1:You feel really kind of different.
Speaker 2:More French in the moment than I am because I'm feeling very foreign, and I'm just a a quick visitor.
Speaker 1:Yeah. No. You feel... I feel like you feel like you stick out a little bit. Just...
Speaker 1:I don't know. It's just even like... I mean, let's let's get into it. So every time I arrive to The US, there are things that I get really, really excited about and things that I don't. The things that I get really excited about are the things that you miss so much being an American and coming to a country like France where, like, convenience, as we've talked about in the past, it goes out the window.
Speaker 1:It just doesn't exist the same way. Customer service is kind of nonexistent here. That's that's one of the hardest things to get over. Like, I... Did I talk about this ever on the podcast?
Speaker 1:I can't remember, but there was a point where I had a Chase credit card that had... You know, there was fraudulent charges on it, and I had to call them and take care of it. And it had been months since I talked to anyone customer service wise from The US, like, months and months. And I got on the phone with them. It was so pleasant.
Speaker 1:They were so kind. They took care of everything I needed to. And I got off the phone, and I talked to Jordan. I was like, I just miss this so much. Like, I just miss people, like, caring, and I'm not saying they don't care here.
Speaker 1:Of course, they do, but it's just it's just different. And so, it just feels so good. So, it's just it's things like that. So, I think anything to do with convenience. What
Speaker 2:It's funny when you got off the phone from that call, you're like, holy shit, I forgot what that was like. Yeah. Because, you know, like, even even here, part of it is, and I've said this both on and off the podcast that I think the hardest thing for me moving here was not just like overarching convenience, but just not being able to find or get what I need when I need it. Because either it doesn't exist, or I don't know how to find it. I don't know what questions to ask.
Speaker 2:I don't know what to ask for, and I don't know who to ask. Because I know in The US if I need something, if very quickly if this is an Amazon order, and I can get it same day, or if I have to go to CVS or Walgreens, and I ask this question, or I go to like a Office Depot or some shit like that. Like, I know how to find things here and back in The US and here, when I come up on something, and I'm like, okay, what what is that? What category does that fall under here?
Speaker 1:Like, a perfect example of this is one of the reasons that our house isn't as baby proofed as it should be is because we have had an impossible time finding, like, the right... I mean, the... What do you call them? Like, the locks?
Speaker 2:Yeah. Like,
Speaker 1:the Like, baby proof locks. Because the ones that they have here are insanity, and they don't fucking work.
Speaker 2:Well, I I I did a I did a pretty funny one because we have these cabinets that are in the twins' room, and it's, you know, the doors meet in the middle, and the handles for them are really like flat and on top, like just underneath the counter, and it's almost this like, how would you describe the the... Not texture, but it's like
Speaker 1:They're ridged. Like
Speaker 2:the cabinet fronts So, are you can't put something flat on it, and so I literally have no idea what to do. I was like, I found one of those just normal like sliding little bar locks that you have on a door of a bathroom stall. And, I was like, oh, I'll just put this on. That would be totally fine, which does work if only one door opens. And, this is one of those things when I'm at the hardware store and I'm like, oh, this could work.
Speaker 2:And, then I bring it home and I'm looking at it, and the only ways that it it actually works... Again, like you have to have one thing that's solid so that that bar can slide into it, and then the door doesn't move, but both doors open outwards, and so it doesn't do shit. And I was like, oh, I just have to keep this one solid. And so I literally started drilling where I was putting the plate, the metal plate over both doors, and was gonna screw it in. Where I then couldn't open the doors at all because I was gonna put a screw in both doors.
Speaker 2:I'm just like, I'm
Speaker 1:a The whole the whole point is you gotta land the plane, buddy. Whole point is that, like, they don't... Like, for instance, like, you can try to find something on Amazon here. It's so different. They won't have a lot of...
Speaker 1:Whereas, like, when you go onto Amazon in The US, they'll have, like, 20 different flavors of what you need, and it it's delivered to you, like, within a day. And so... And granted, again, there's there's pros and cons to that because I think that the convenience is easy, but it's also, you know, what's creating collateral damage. Yeah. There's there's absolute collateral damage with that too.
Speaker 1:So, you know, so it's just... But but I will say the... One of the first things I do is I do a big Amazon order from The US for products that I absolutely cannot get, and I can get them within a day here. So, like, every time we rent out an Airbnb, which we loved our Airbnb this time, it was amazing, but we get it ordered. And, I mean, I do an order, you guys.
Speaker 1:It's like, I'll spend, like, $400 because there's, like, a million things to get. Everything from the tennis shoes that I like that cost, like, three times the price to try to get them here to... Like, we love... There's like a Pedialyte little packets that we love to give our kids, and so there's nothing They like that
Speaker 2:have electrolytes here, but it's not like that. Those ones, like, taste good.
Speaker 1:They taste like yeast. It's not... No. It ain't it. So, you know, there's just all these things.
Speaker 1:So I make sure to stock up and get all of these things. And then, you know, if there's anything else we need in the middle of the week, we can just order it, and it'll be there by like 4AM the next day. So that's... That feels incredible to me.
Speaker 2:It does. But then, you get the balance of, oh shit, we're not walking from a coffee shop. It's like a twenty five minute walk versus twenty five second walk.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:And then, we order a coffee and a croissant for like $17.
Speaker 1:Seriously? Oh.
Speaker 2:The... Yeah. Back in The US. Yeah.
Speaker 1:We went grocery shopping the first day when we got to California, into Encinitas, and we went into the Whole Foods that we always go to, and
Speaker 2:Which was another fun thing for you because walking through there And
Speaker 1:I'll and I'll talk a little bit more about But, like, we did not get that much, and it was like a $150. And I turned to Jordan, and I said this would have been probably half the cost for all this stuff in France.
Speaker 2:True story.
Speaker 1:And now granted, I will say because it was California, there were certain things like we weren't shocked at the price of things like berries. Why? Because it's California. They don't have to... They're they're growing all of that They don't have to, you know, ship it somewhere, import it from somewhere.
Speaker 1:So that was really nice, but it was crazy. But here here are the things... Here are, like, the top things for anyone wondering why I got them, you know, at Whole Foods because they don't really exist living in France. So it's something you need to know you need to get used to. So number one is pickles.
Speaker 1:Okay? Pickles exist here. I don't know what they are. They're like these weird
Speaker 2:It's all cornichon.
Speaker 1:All cornichon. Which the the
Speaker 2:blend or whatever is just different. They don't... Like, you're not getting
Speaker 1:It's not milk is refrigerated. It's not... Nothing's crispy. They're, like, kind of flabby. I know this is weird, but it's like when you when you think about like a crisp dill pickle that you crunch into, like, I live for that.
Speaker 1:So that was like, number one, had to
Speaker 2:get Great. Now, we're gonna have to start jarring our own pickles, which
Speaker 1:We might. We might Just have We might have to. So, I got my Grios pickles. I was so happy. I ate them like Still for me.
Speaker 1:Every day.
Speaker 2:Was not your, like, the best best
Speaker 1:Well, thing can yeah. Whole Foods has also like just... It's... I think the thing that's harder here is that... I don't know if anyone knows, like, the difference between...
Speaker 1:Essentially, it's like a snack family and an ingredients family, but it's like when you were growing up and we went somewhere, we know what you were, buddy.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, buddy.
Speaker 1:Like, so, essentially, are you a family that just has, like, prepackaged, ready to go snacks, or are you a family that only has ingredients, and then, you know, your mom or your dad is like, I'm I'm gonna, like, make something for you guys. Like, that was more my family growing up. And I think... But living here, yes, you could do something really simple like a piece of bread with butter and jam. Like, that exists.
Speaker 1:But it's so different going into The States because the thing is is it's... They have been... There's so many companies that have been really revolutionary in creating, like, healthier snacks that are ready to go. So, like, for instance, I live for these. They're like a Thai spiced cashew at Whole Foods.
Speaker 1:They only had one bag left when we went. So I bought it, and I still brought it back with me, but there wasn't that much left. If there were, like, four bags, I would have bought all of them and taken them back. They are just... So there's just, like, all these things that have really interesting flavors that are very easy to find.
Speaker 1:And I think that's the thing that it's... Again, it's like it's all at one store, the convenience of it all. It's all at one store versus here, we have to go to five different places. If you want, like, anything with Asian flavors, you... We have to go to our store Ding Ding.
Speaker 1:If we want fresh fruits and vegetables, we either go to the market or we go to our, you know, fruits and vegetables stand. We go somewhere for our meat. Like, there's a place to go for your cheese if, you know, you really are getting into it. There's a place to go for your pasta. Like, so it's it's all specialty.
Speaker 1:It's all amazing, but it's... Sometimes we are like, I'm tired. We're... We have two kids. We just wanna go in and get something.
Speaker 1:That's the that's something that's really, really hard to like...
Speaker 2:And, I will clear up that it's not like it doesn't exist here, but we live in the city center of a We're not in Paris. We're not even in Marseille, but it is still, you know, a busier city. And so, living in the city center, you can just walk to all these places that have really great stuff. I mean, you move five, ten minutes outside, and you can still hop in your car really easily and go to bigger grocery stores and get everything at one place, but the variety of stuff that they have is just very interchangeable between all the different stores. And so, I mean, I've been to grocery stores.
Speaker 2:Like, they carry a lot of the same brands at all the grocery stores
Speaker 1:is Yeah. What
Speaker 2:I'm saying. You know, a little bit of variance here, but you you definitely can go to one spot and get all the stuff you need. They have, you know, a butcher and you know, the the fishmongers in the grocery stores for sure. But where we live, in the city center, it's all walking, and it's like, I
Speaker 1:don't know. And also, like, the quality is so good at these places because they're specialty stores. Like, they specialize in whatever they're doing. So, yeah. So...
Speaker 1:But what I'm saying is, like, Whole Foods has, like, that... It's just... It's it's... It was really nice to go... I mean, I got I got my Chomps beef sticks.
Speaker 1:Like, I got What
Speaker 2:else do Poppy.
Speaker 1:Oh, I got... Oh, my Poppy. Okay. I'm actually really excited. Hopefully, they don't change the recipe, but that Pepsi bought Poppy out, which is also...
Speaker 1:Shout out to Austin, another Austin entrepreneur, like, you know, selling her company for a billion dollar. I mean, it's amazing. It's like, you know, I love it. I love it. Like, Austin has created some incredible entrepreneurs.
Speaker 1:But, anyways, so hoppy, like, drinking that, it's just like things like that. It's just... It's fun. It's like it... It's different for your taste buds, whereas I feel like sometimes it's easier to get into kind of...
Speaker 1:I mean, I think it's it's not even a food rut because that... A food rut is, you know, that could happen anywhere with any type of food. But I think just because... Also, because things are very seasonal here, which is amazing because when you eat things, they're at the very, very peak. Like, when Twila came in and she ate a tomato here for the first time, she screamed a bunch of obscenities because she was like, I can't believe this is what this tastes like.
Speaker 1:It's like garbage where we are. So, yes, we know. But it's... But I think it's because, like, let's say you're craving a tomato and it's in the middle of, you know, January. Good luck.
Speaker 1:Like, you know, there might be some hothouse ones, but it's not the same. So I think it's I think it's you you kind of end up eating like more of the same thing depending on the season because of just what's available and and, you know, all of that. So, you know, just all all those things.
Speaker 2:You know, it was good because there were, you know, old haunts. Right? Like, a lot of the things that we were buying all the time when we lived there that were like, oh, yeah. We used to eat this shit all the time. Let's get it.
Speaker 1:Also... By the way, I think one of the hardest parts of living here is not having the same access to incredible, like, interior Mexican food because, obviously, when we lived in Texas Yep. It was such a huge part of... And when we say interior Mexican, we're not talking about Tex Mex. We're not talking about, like, refried beans and cheese.
Speaker 1:We're talking about, like, fresh corn tortillas, like, oh, incredible, like, either cooked white fish or, like, a raw fish, you know, just fresh lime juice, guacamole, like, all those things. Like, it just... Yeah. Can you tell I'm salivating over here? Mhmm.
Speaker 1:So, of course, because we were in San Diego, I mean, they have, like, the best The tacos. The best tacos. So I think we what? I think we ordered tacos every day but one while we were there.
Speaker 2:Maybe.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Like, I couldn't get enough. I was ordering these fish tacos, like, every single day. It made me so happy. I'm dreaming about them still.
Speaker 1:Like,
Speaker 2:Yeah. All right. Just So get little get back to your reverse culture shock feeling about No. All of
Speaker 1:Because what I'm saying is that's part of it, and it's good to know because there are things that you'll kind of be in this part where it's a lot coming back to your home country because there's things that you will undoubtedly miss and things that will feel comfortable and familiar to you, like being able to speak English twenty four seven and having everyone understand you. But but there's also... I think it it also feels a little bit strange because you don't really recognize yourself the same way in your home country. Like, you've changed. You've evolved.
Speaker 1:You're different. And you've had different experiences with people from the country you live in now, from expats around the world that just give you kind of a broader sense of not only the world, but kind of how you fit into that world. Right?
Speaker 2:Yeah. Sorry, I'm laughing because I I caught myself. I I can't remember where it was now. Was like convenience store or gas station or something like that. And I popped in, and when I walked in, I like made eye contact and said hi to like whoever was working behind the counter because that's what you do here.
Speaker 2:And they like looked at me and just like, okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah. No, it's true because I mean, in in France, it's like you walk in somewhere, you make eye contact, you say bonjour, like it's...
Speaker 2:It doesn't matter where you're walking into,
Speaker 1:if... Everyone says hi to each other.
Speaker 2:If I'm a patron at the butcher, when somebody's leaving, they'll say bye to me, and I, you know, even being here, we've been here two years, like, still am just like, oh, bye. To me? Cool. But, you know, you just... You assimilate, and so going in when you start getting used to something in the new place you're living, and then you go back and it's not the same, and you're like, where's my head?
Speaker 2:Am I behaving the way I've been behaving, or do I re assimilate based on what I know, moving back to my quote unquote homeland? And, just the... Not like over intense, but just the mental gymnastics that you're doing of, like, jumping right back into what has been familiar to you for such a long time.
Speaker 1:But just also feeling so different. Like, it Also was being
Speaker 2:like, do I even... Is that me anymore? Do I do that thing? Do I talk like that? Do I...
Speaker 2:You know, it's it's interesting.
Speaker 1:Yeah. I think, obviously, I mean, it's no surprise that one of the hardest things for us being back in The States was just the car culture. And especially in California, we actually had to take a flight into LA because it just... There's so many flights from London to LA. It was way cheaper.
Speaker 1:And so we had to drive, you know, down to San Diego, and it was just like... I just... And it's driving, just having to get into a car to do everything and get on a highway. And even though, you know, it's, like, not the worst view ever, it's not like, you know, you're in the middle
Speaker 2:of somewhere desert. It's Driving in Southern California
Speaker 1:is perfect. Yeah. It's it's gorgeous. But it's, I think, just constantly hopping in the car, constantly doing this. Whereas for us, you know, we've gotten so used to walking, which is one of the reasons that we wanted to move here in the first place.
Speaker 1:And so I think that always just feels like... You just feel gross because you're just like you know, I would make it a point every day. We were probably, what, a mile out from the beach. I would make it a point every morning to walk from our Airbnb, like, down to the beach with you to make sure I was getting my steps in because, like, otherwise, there was, like, no other way to do it. You have to be way more intentional about it because you're not just, you know, walking time.
Speaker 2:One of the vitamin D because, you know, you're walking from apartment to car to place, back to car, to next place. Yeah. And then, you know, if you're running errands, a little bit of, you know, walking around or if you eat outside. But, yeah, it's definitely like you're you're planning a lot of driving logistics versus all of the walking, which we've always enjoyed. So, that's that's one of those things where it's like, yeah, I wanna be in a a really walking...
Speaker 2:What am I trying to say? Walking friendly, walk friendly town, whatever. You know what I'm trying to fucking Good God.
Speaker 1:Need your coffee.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, I need coffee and a fucking... Lobotomy. No. I was gonna go the other way. I mean, I'm I'm basically a walking lobotomy right now.
Speaker 2:I I'm more likely, like, a main line of adrenaline into my neck, but... Yeah. That too.
Speaker 1:That too. You know what? And I think I think the other thing that was really... You know, I just... I think when you are in a place that has been built since...
Speaker 1:Up since Roman times, and you're... I mean, every morning... You know, I'm a huge believer in just being really, really grateful for what you have. And because it just... That's what makes, like, all the moments...
Speaker 1:I mean, all of them, of course. We go all through hard times, but, like, but makes every day feel, like, full and and good and that you're enjoying your life in the day to day. I think it's just, like, being grateful. And so every morning, I have this whole ritual where I love to open up our shutters and then just, like, lay in bed for a minute and, like, look out to where we are because we have these huge windows, and then it, looks out onto... Right out onto x.
Speaker 1:And I am so grateful every morning for that. And I think when you go back to The States, it's like, obviously, this is a country that grew very, very quickly, expanded very, very quickly, has done amazing things, but I think in that, like, point, we've sort of, like, lost the plot of creating things that have a lot of, like, legacy and that stand the test of time because we build things that, you know, could be taken down in one natural disaster. And everything feels to me every time I... I mean, even before I left for Europe, you know, it's just a lot of places that are defined by roads and strip malls and just aren't... Everything feels a little bit more homogenous.
Speaker 1:And so I think that's also the part where you're sort of... When people go to Europe or they go, you you know, other places around the world and they find areas a little bit more, like, they have more history. It's a little bit more charming. I'm not saying... I mean, we know this.
Speaker 1:There's gorgeous places in The US, but it just... You know, even in a place as beautiful as Encinitas, it's like you're still kind of finding that. And all these houses that are, like, scrapers that are being built up with this, like, modern farmhouse that's, like, still... You know? Don't come after me, by the way.
Speaker 1:I know that, like, a lot of people bought these modern farmhouses, but I think it's just that it... Like, everything sort of like looks more the same. I don't know. It's just...
Speaker 2:Well, it's just I think it looks the same in a different way. Like, there's a lot of stuff here that looks the same, but then you have the details of like carvings on the buildings, or things that are historical that do have a story. And I think, you know, the bigger, like, overarching kind of difference is that because things built out so fast, you know, I hear this a lot from people who've gone to Dubai, for example, where they're like, it's awesome, but it definitely has a Vegas feel to it, because when something gets built that quickly, there's a lot of intensity built into it because it's designed for activity. Yeah. And so, that's, I think That's true.
Speaker 2:That's kinda what it feels like a little bit where, you know, in The US, you have like these like specific suburb places, but then you have like a very condensed, like, here's where all the things happen spots. And I think, again, it just... That's why our logistics were were planned around driving to these spots where we have to get to these strip mall areas, or these little walking areas for shops or restaurants, where we just hadn't been around that in a little while. But I think it's, for me, it's it is the concentration of intensity, and I hear that from Europeans who travel back to The US. They're like, it's great, but it's like, oh god.
Speaker 2:You go there, and you gain so much weight really fast in like a ten day trip, and it's so intense, and so bright, and it's Side so
Speaker 1:note, when I got back from that trip... Now granted, we'd also been eating some, like, plain food, obviously, but I felt like I was pregnant all over again. It was crazy. Like, my stomach was so bloated, and, like, within a week, it was, like, snapped back just by, like, walking and doing my thing here. Even even though we we weren't even eating great because...
Speaker 1:Or eating a lot because of Luca's, you know, surgery, I still... Like, my stomach completely changed within a week of being back here.
Speaker 2:Yeah. I mean, were eating, again, like all the tacos, super delicious. Got food at Whole Foods made a lot of stuff at home, but we still were eating out and doing that, and it was was intense. And I think, again, the intensity, there's just like, kinda to what you were describing, like, there's this simplicity back to where we moved to that even, again, I'll I'll go back to this because you were talking about your gratitude. My gratitude is I dropped the twins off at daycare and stop at the bakery on the way home.
Speaker 2:My gratitude is like, oh, yeah. Christmas, pon de chocolat, all different things, the pon de suis, which is my favorite, which is the one where it's like, kinda like shape of what a Long John doughnut is, but it's croissant pastry.
Speaker 1:Way better. And then,
Speaker 2:it's got like chocolate chip mixed with like a little bit of a sort of a cream in the middle to wet the whistle, and it's just so good. Yeah, it is. Oh my gosh. Time I'm I gotta pull back on the pastries a little bit. Like, I can't keep doing this all the time, because I'm still gonna get a spare tire.
Speaker 2:You eat enough pastries, you're still gonna get a spare tire. Right? But, it's really easy to be like, we have it today. Today is stressful, so we're just gonna get a couple punished off a lot today. Yeah.
Speaker 2:But, going to the coffee shop that we had gone to a couple times or ordered in from, and it's like this... Oh, it was... This rolled bun in cinnamon sugar was like so big. It was so intense.
Speaker 1:Also, again, the pricing was insane. We went in, and I got... You got a coffee. This coffee, they had the calories next to it, because we know that's such a thing. It's like 400 calories.
Speaker 1:I'm like, what are we putting into this thing?
Speaker 2:Well, yeah. So, that that's what I was gonna say,
Speaker 1:because when I go to
Speaker 2:the coffee shop here, and it's like, they just don't offer to that degree things to get, and it's like, I could have just gotten an espresso, or something like that, but I was just like, you know, when I get something with like a pump of caramel syrup, it's like a pump or two of caramel syrup, and this was legitimate, like, caramel frosting in the bottom of a coffee. And it was like, my teeth were like chattering while I was drinking it because it was so fucking sweet, and it was probably like 11 or $12.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Well, how much... Mean, because we got a coffee, a tea, and then maybe like a couple little food things, like small.
Speaker 2:We each got a little something, and I think it was like $28.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Which like, we go in to get what? An alfajore and a
Speaker 2:Well, so coffee Coffee. I mean, I'm spending between two to maybe 6 tops on a And coffee when I go to the bakery, I legitimately will get a baguette, four croissants, four Madelins, a couple panna chocolat, the paun Swiss that I get for €10.5. And so, getting one pastry for that same price that I'm getting like 12 different things, it was just like, that's the that's the vibe. So, it was kinda remembering that, and being like, shit, how often can I even eat this stuff? And so, here, it's just it's too easy.
Speaker 2:Get a croissant for a euro, a baguette for a euro. We fucking eat them all the time. They're so good. What do you want from me?
Speaker 1:Yeah. I think the pricing of everything, and the size of everything for us sometimes is like shocking going back. It's like, you don't... Because also, like, the world has changed even more in the last two years since we left, and, you know, pricing seems to continue to skyrocket, especially with grocery. So that was just always a little a little shocking to the system.
Speaker 1:How
Speaker 2:did it feel for you then? Again, a little bit warped just because the way we came back was we didn't just like come back from the trip. But, how did it feel? Because you know, we've talked about this every time we've like left, especially when we've gone to The States and come back when we land, or when we're driving back to X from, you know, the Marseille Airport, or even after we've parked and we're kinda walking back in through town towards the apartment. You know, it's always like, hey, how do you feel?
Speaker 2:Are you happy to be back? Like, you... Are you walking back to me like, ugh, so relieved to be back? Or do you feel like you're longing for, I wish we were actually there longer. I I wanted to stay because it did feel really good.
Speaker 2:Different, but it did feel really good. Like, where were you at on this trip?
Speaker 1:That one, this time, is a little bit of a loaded question because, specifically, we have been going through, like, one of the worst heat waves that Europe has seen in years. And so to be living in our apartment on this, you know, I mean, it's considered the 1st Floor, but the 2nd Floor with no AC except in the kids room has been horrific. And I think the the thing that I would always talk about is, like, you know, when we lived in Texas, it was obviously even worse outside, but you would never ever be caught in a space that didn't have, you know, like, central HVAC that worked really well. Doesn't exist. Like, people will die in their houses without it in the summer.
Speaker 1:So I think it had been... It was really strange. Like, in June, when it's normally, you know, seventies and eighties, maybe flirting a little bit with a 90 degree, but rarely, to to experience, like, days where it was almost a 100 degrees, and it just was, like, relentless. I was like, I think I wasn't... Because the weather was so perfect when we were in Encinitas, and that's just that's just a timing thing.
Speaker 1:It was just because of the time, but I was... I think I was not looking. Yeah. It was perfect. It was like 75 every day.
Speaker 1:Got a
Speaker 2:from our friends here who sent me like a screenshot of like AccuWeather from Phoenix, where they were living for a very long time, or technically from, and and they're like, yeah, I do not miss Phoenix heat right now. And so, even for them being here, even though it's hot, and I know where they're living, they're not in some apartment that has like blasting AC, Still better here. You know, for us, we just know our our apartment in particular is south facing, gets sun all day, heats up like an oven, and we just came from the Pacific Coast, where, you know, Pacific water is colder, so the air is a little bit chillier,
Speaker 1:and it's so... It incredible. So I think... So I think I wasn't actually looking forward to coming back only because of the heat, and just, you know, we we know this. I've talked about this.
Speaker 1:Like, summer's my least favorite season here because it's hot, and it's crowded, and, you know, even though there's still so many beautiful things to do, I I also, like, love the summer at night. Like, it's incredible. I love eating al fresco. I love, like, the food that's in season. I love all that.
Speaker 1:But I think I think just knowing we were coming back to that, knowing we were coming back to Luca. So it's kind of a loaded question. Normally, I feel way more at home. I feel like I'm excited to get back to a place that is slower, and you're right, like, not so intense. Also, I'm, like, excited to go to a cafe if I want and just sit there for hours without someone like being like, okay.
Speaker 1:You got an hour and a half at this table. Like, this is your spot. Now you're done. See you. Like, I...
Speaker 1:That's really hard for me when I go back to The US. They're just very conscious about... I mean, they literally... You make a reservation, and they will tell you on the reservation, like, you have ninety minutes. You have two hours, and that's that's your cover versus just being able to sit somewhere and just, you know, people watch or just be.
Speaker 1:I mean, not that we have super long lunches or dinners that often. True. Because we're, you know, parents
Speaker 2:and toddlers Sometimes even here, we're getting a little bit antsy. We're like, hey. Bring me the bill. I gotta wrap it up because I got Exactly. Exactly.
Speaker 2:Toddlers to get back to.
Speaker 1:But There's a there's a fine line. But I think just, yeah, getting back to just slowness and and market days. And, you know, at the end of the day, the inconveniences, like, the juice is absolutely worth the squeeze because of what we get to experience. Like, be able to walk, you know, in a city that is so old and so historical, and they have these amazing rituals that they do the same things every week that you can count on. Like, you know, our our Saturday market is always incredible.
Speaker 1:We always go to get pad thai. Like... And we're creating rituals as a family because of it a lot more. Like, the things that you get to look forward to, the... I mean, we talked about this a million times, like, just coming back and knowing that we aren't gonna be, you know, bankrupted in so many ways even from, like, the cost of food.
Speaker 1:Everything is just so affordable, and it's way less stress than our family. Like, just the beauty of being here. Like, even when you drive in the suburbs here, it's, like, so different. It's just... Especially right now, like, we...
Speaker 1:Well, I went to Minerb last night and getting to, like, drive through the Golden Triangle. I mean, like, right at sunset, it was... I'm just like, this is where I live, and it's amazing. So it just I think it's just knowing that when you make a move like this, of course, there will always be trade offs, and you have to be okay with those trade offs. Like, again, one of my biggest trade offs is I don't get to eat, you know, my interior Mexican food anymore, which sounds silly maybe to some people, but like, for me, it's not.
Speaker 1:I used to eat it all the time. It was a huge part of my diet. And I think just not having access to things like that, that's hard, but guess what? I, you know, I filled it with other things. I get to go to the market and pick out like a beautiful bag of cherries, and, you know, blueberries.
Speaker 2:I got the cherries right now, because the fucking cherries are so expensive.
Speaker 1:Well, they're not quite in season yet, so they're more expensive. So expensive,
Speaker 2:which is so good.
Speaker 1:But but just things like that, I think, and and just the ritual of going to the market. Like, all of that is really cool, and it's everything feels very, like, purposeful, and there is there is such a beauty in the slowness. Again, it's why we... Yeah. It's why we do what we do and why we moved.
Speaker 1:And so I think... But I think it's just knowing, like, it's always like a push and pull. There's... It's always a little bit of a, like, a tug at your heartstrings for the country that you lived in, but then also feeling like you love where you live, but you don't quite feel like, you know, because you're not... It's not where you were born.
Speaker 2:One, and we made the change. Right? We we made the conscious effort to make the change, to move, and so we knew that we were removing the comfort and, in a lot of ways, complacency for things that now seem like a big deal that weren't, to moving here, changing everything up so that when you do go back home, you're like, oh, yeah. I forgot that I really loved this, or I didn't like this at all, and I don't miss that.
Speaker 1:Definitely brings it to the forefront,
Speaker 2:for So, yeah. I think just the experience of now having lived here for two years, going back home ish, and just having the experience and having a totally different perspective was fun, because there were definitely some things where I was like, this is fucking awesome, and some things that I was just really happy to leave there when I came back here. And I think, again, the the driving thing was a big one that I I didn't miss, because even in Austin, like, everything we were doing was driving.
Speaker 1:Horrible traffic Yeah.
Speaker 2:And then just just the the the convenience of like being in a walkable area, I definitely love that being here. Not as convenient where I I can't get everything all in one spot, but honestly, like, it's just a different way of doing things, and I still quite like it. Because I get to see friends at these different shops now that I go to all the time, you know? See my guys at the butcher shop, and it's not just going and picking up, you know, some some ground beef or whatever it is. It's like having a conversation, talking to them, asking about their family, catching up on some things, going to the coffee shop, having a conversation with these guys, you know, going other places and and being able to do that.
Speaker 2:So, that's super fun, and and everybody still likes to give me French lessons along the way when I fuck shit up. So, you know.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah. We like fully thought, like, you know, I got back at like 11:00 last night, and I thought maybe I can record, but I had to speak French for three hours, and my brain was mushed. I was like, there's no way no... Anyone's gonna wanna listen to me speak this late at night I do. When I can barely speak English at this point anymore.
Speaker 1:So
Speaker 2:I wanna listen to you that late at night when your head's gone.
Speaker 1:So we're gonna leave you guys for the week, but we thought it was kind of a good conversation because it... Again, it's... When you move, there will always be sacrifices, but there'll be things you gain. And so I think you have to decide for yourself, is the juice worth the squeeze? I think it generally is, depending on, you know, what you're wanting for yourself or your significant other or your family.
Speaker 1:And just be prepared. It always feels wild to return back home. Former home. Yeah. Thanks so much for your time, guys.
Speaker 1:We'll see you next week.
Speaker 2:See you.
Speaker 1:Bye. Thank you so much for listening to today's episode. Don't forget to subscribe, rate us, and leave a review if you love what you hear. And you can follow us on Instagram and TikTok at the underscore eptons. See you guys soon.