Welcome Home …

Back in Lafayette, Louisiana with my boyfriend, Guy, we’re nearly done unpacking boxes and hanging art. But still trying to place both feet on the ground, we are coming to terms that, yes, we are living here – no, and yay, we don’t have to live out of a suitcase – and, no, this is not Paris or Seattle or New York or London or Barcelona or Paradise, but it will be home.

It’s a foggy morn, which fits nicely with my brain at 7:30 on a Saturday. Our new routine jostles us awake at 5am, in time to get him to work by 6am. Sometimes I go back to sleep. Sometimes I make coffee, listen to French news and tackle tasks, eventually nudging me to crawl back in bed anyway, at least for a few minutes. There is a constant list of to-do’s swimming around in my head, usually escaping within seconds, only to pop up days later. Always something. We don’t have children, and we have few commitments right now. How couples with kids do it all, I have no idea. Kudos to you. It’s my first time owning a car. Great, but I’m still not too keen on all this buying gas and insurance and flipping out each time I hear the faintest of unusual noises. Oh, the stress. With freedom come responsibilities. You can’t escape them, it seems. And we all deal with them differently. And we all have our limits. And sometimes what we think are our limits push farther and farther away, surprising us in the process. Love is a confusing and powerful thing.

But now, as settling down here is slowly starting to set in, we can venture out a bit, test the waters, breathe, enjoy the magic of this unusual and precious city. Home. Here’s a taste of my latest:

Scotch Eggs from Black Café

Viva La Waffle Banh Mì Waffle & a Satsuma Swamp Pop

Paul & Ti-Léo at Carpe Diem

Zachary Richard at the Festival International Office

Dining with Susan at Brick + Spoon (Guy’s new job spot!) – Oyster Bed Benedict + Fries with Parmesan Truffle

Brick + Spoon – Deviled on the Bayou (deviled eggs with tasso & fried oysters)

Hot Coffee in a Bowl on My Back Porch – Worth Getting up at 5am