From the start, our introductory encounters with locals have raised an inquisitive eyebrow and the question“Pourquoi Pau” (Why Pau?). Since the glib response“Pourquoi Pas?” (Why Not?) didn’t land well, we expanded it with a shortlist of the region’s bounty: the mountains, the sea, the food, the wine, and the warm people.  This strategy seems to suffice as it echoes the indisputable sentiments of Pau’s beloved son, King Henri IV:

“good food and good wine, this is paradise on earth.” 

 Although the predictable query is now our standing joke, it has also become a portal to bigger questions.  Why leave all the comforts of home to start over in a foreign country? Why France? How could we survive while learning a new language?  How would we change as individuals and as a couple? 

This heady mix inspired me to create a digital notepad where I could grapple with such questions, chronicle the joy and challenge of living abroad, and bear witness to the riches that only travel can offer the soul.