This September, I am celebrating the 18th anniversary of life in France. Since my arrival with one suitcase, a seven-month teaching contract, and a tiny room in a sort of Parisian YWCA, my life has undergone numerous metamorphoses. These days, there\u2019s a husband, a house, two kids, good friends, a business, citizenship, and a much greater appreciation and understanding of the country I now call home!<\/p>\n
In the nearly two decades I have lived here, I have learnt so much. However, contrary to what popular Francophile literature and TV shows would have you believe, the most useful things I have picked up from the French way of life are not the correct way to wear a scarf or which wine to match with a given cheese. The French lifestyle has taught me much, for example, about work-life balance, the importance of enjoying simple pleasures, the benefits of slowing down, and the wisdom of prioritising quality over quantity. Currently on my mind is the particular (peculiar?) manner by which French structure their year and the ways it makes life easier and more satisfying.<\/p>\n
The Franco-Gregorian calendar: a hybrid approach<\/strong><\/p>\n The calendar starts in January in France, but in all other respects, the year really begins in September here \u2013 and not just for schools and universities. After the long summer holiday that marks the end of the last \u2018year\u2019, the word on everyone\u2019s lips in September is la rentr\u00e9e<\/em>, meaning \u201cthe re-entry\u201d; as in going back – to school, to work, to activities, to normal life. I struggled against this notion for many years \u2013 I wanted to start classes mid-year, join a gym in February and pay pro rata, launch projects in April, and actually achieve \u2013 well, anything<\/em> \u2013 in August (sheer madness!). However, once I finally stopped swimming upstream and embraced this way of thinking, I was struck, as I often have been, by the wisdom of the French way.<\/p>\n Taking a French approach to your rentr\u00e9e<\/em> can make life easier, more satisfying and more relaxing \u2013 wherever you happen to live. Why? And How?\u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Our minds tend to turn to self-improvement, changing habits and fresh starts in January, but September is, in my experience, a much more appropriate time to implement some life upgrades. In January, we are often run down by the winter cold and illness*, and exhausted from the Christmas whirlwind. In September, however, we\u2019re fresh and relaxed after the summer break. We\u2019ve recharged our batteries and have the energy to begin new projects and change our ways.<\/p>\n Speaking of projects. Even if you don\u2019t have children, you can piggy-back on the momentum created by lots of kids sharpening pencils and going back to school to launch your own projects. That might be taking up a new hobby, signing up for adult education classes, or starting to write your novel. Whatever you choose to do, the fact that the nights are going to start drawing in and the days get colder can also help you prioritise these kinds of projects that require time spent in the home.<\/p>\n The change of pace from summer fun to serious work in the autumn is just one example of the ebb and flow that characterises the French year. As they wave their kids off to school in September, the French immediately start planning their late October mini-break. By scheduling in \u2013 even ritualising – their holidays, the French ensure they change pace and take breaks regularly \u2013 before they\u2019re on their last legs.<\/p>\n In my experience, the French are very good at accepting and reaping the benefits of the season in progress. Take food as an example: the French quite consciously change the way they eat throughout the year. Winter is welcomed because it brings with it a promise of fondu and raclette, mulled wine and seafood; summer is all about ros\u00e9, fresh fruit and drinks at pavement caf\u00e9s. The rentr\u00e9e<\/em> reminds us to embrace the seasons mindfully \u2013 reassessing eating habits and looking at sleep routines, the quantity of social commitments we take on, cosmetics used, maybe even the books we read.<\/p>\n I use the rentr\u00e9e<\/em> as a reminder to do a certain number of chores (the kind that occur yearly or a few times per year). The whole family has their annual appointment with the dentist; I get my eyes checked; the kids have haircuts and new shoes. These preparatory rituals of the rentr\u00e9e all contribute to my feeling ready<\/em> in September and raring to go. Which in turn helps me make the most of my time and get moving quickly as opposed to spending a week (more?!) lamenting the end of the holidays and wishing I were somewhere else.<\/p>\n\n
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