Hello! My name is Kat, an American currently living in Cleveland, Ohio. So why, you may ask, do I have a blog solely dedicated to France? Here is my story…
It was during my junior year of college (that means my 3rd year at university for my non-American friends here!) in 2012 that I hopped on my first plane ride ever. The destination? Paris, France.
Then I took what felt like a long train ride down to a city called Grenoble. I stayed there for 5 months studying at Grenoble Ecole de Management and traveling during breaks and weekends.
It was here that I hilariously learned to ski (another story for another time, friends), ate my weight in cheese, pastries, and bread, and fell in love. No, not with a person, but a place. I didn’t realize one could do that prior to being here.
Like any new love affair, it started out in the honeymoon phase. I loved everything about my new home. I loved visiting Paris when I could and wandering the streets. I loved having my own favorite boulangerie and grocery store. I even loved that eating chocolate bread was completely normal for breakfast.
Then, things took quite a turn as the honeymoon phase wore off a couple of months in, and I felt annoyed. Trying to open a French checking account and getting my checkbook from the bank was dang near impossible because of, well… bureaucracy.
I cried while trying to communicate something important using my terribly broken French and the employee had no idea what I was talking about.
And dang it, all I wanted was a good burrito or chips and guacamole and there were no good Tex Mex restaurants in sight!
I felt frustrated and homesick on many occasions for a solid month, but then, suddenly, I started to appreciate France.
Sure, some things I missed about home just weren’t a thing there, but France has its own really great stuff too! Some things just take longer, and maybe that’s because people have a far better work/life balance than we burnt-out Americans have.
Basically, my relationship with France came full circle and has become a love affair where, sure, we definitely have our ups and downs, but it will last a lifetime.
And so, after my 5 months in Grenoble, I was determined to get back to France as often as I could to travel to Paris and beyond. And traveled I have. I’ve visited France on many occasions since then, determined to see as much of this lovely country as I can.
And thankfully, my French has vastly improved!
So is this blog my excuse to travel back to France as much as possible? Partially, but mostly it is to take what I’ve learned over my collective time in France and help you fall in love with this incredible country too!
So, Why Should You Listen to Me?
After many years and many visits a year to France, I know a LOT about this country!
I love diving deeper into the culture and exploring everywhere I possibly can! Each year, I make several trips to France to visit places I haven’t been to so I can write high quality, first-hand accounts that you can use on your own travels.
No AI, no BS. Just an avid France traveler who loves hidden gems, a good glass of wine, soft cheese, connecting with places and people, and enjoying this beautiful country.
And for even more information, you can check out my Facebook Group called France Travel Tips where you can ask and answer questions about your future trips to France.
As Seen In:
Here are other places where you can find me!
- Amateur Traveler Podcast: Travel to Normandy
- Join Us in France Travel Podcast: Hidden Gems For Romantic Getaways in Paris
- Niche Pursuits: How I Earn Up To $6.5k Per Month With 2 Websites & A Podcast
- World Wide Honeymoon: I also run this blog!
- TikTok and Instagram, where I make tons of France travel content!
Other Credentials:
Here is a bit about my background too!
- Travel Blogger since 2017
- Traveled to 42 countries and 7/13 regions in Metropolitan France (Planning to visit 2-3 more regions later this year)
- Certified Public Accountant (Inactive). It’s inactive now, but I do love a good spreadsheet and making budgets before every trip!
- Master of Accounting from Ohio State University
- Bachelor’s in Accounting from the University of Kentucky
Follow Along Here:
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What do I do when not working on France Voyager?
I’m a full-time travel blogger over at my couple’s travel blog called World Wide Honeymoon. I also co-host a podcast of the same name with my husband, Chris!
We love traveling the world together and sharing stories about how to plan the perfect romantic getaway. So if you’re searching for couple’s travel, we’ve got all those tips over on that website and podcast!
Outside of work, I love running, baking (I love high-stakes baking projects to distract me when I’m stressed), planning trips for years in the future that I don’t even know if I’ll take, and taking far too many photos of my adorable cat, Professor.
Thanks for reading all of that! Now I’d love to get to know you! Follow along on social or reach out at [email protected]!