Jul 16, 2010

Off on a chateau getaway — today!

Yes, I’m flying to France today!

Kaari Meng of French General organizes two one-week getaways in an historic 18th century chateau owned by Lizzie Ezekiel in Southern France, north of Toulouse. Kaari said we will live like country French women, experience the culture, sample the local cuisine and learn about textiles!

This all came about at the Moda retreat last April. Cheryl Freydberg, Moda’s fabric design coordinator, went on the Chateau Getaway last summer and she just happened to ask me if I wanted to go to France this summer. Well sure, tell me more. She briefly described it, and said it was a wonderful experience.

I went home from the Moda retreat and looked up the Chateau retreat on the French General website and, even now, I don’t know why, but I just had a feeling I was supposed to go. An opportunity appeared and I’m stepping through the door.

So after dreaming and planning and, yes, making lists, July 16 is finally here. I’ve been to London and Paris once with our family in 2005, which was great, but doesn’t exactly make me a seasoned world traveller. I feel like I’m about to free fall in to another world. (Let’s not take that too literally — I’m flying on a large, safe jet to Madrid, with one more short flight over to Toulouse, France).

But what’s feeling different, is that the entire trip is planned, everything is being taken care of by someone else. I just said, yes (and made the down payment). Someone else will tell me what to do and where to go, and all I have to do is just “be” — be open to learning new things, to meeting new people and to the entire experience! I have no expectations, which often has negative connotations, but here I mean with no expectations, nothing can be wrong and everything will be just right. I intend to enjoy every minute of it!

There are 10 guests adventuring on this first week’s getaway. In addition to the guests, Kaari, her sister and her mom will be there along with the chateau’s owner, Lizzie. It will be wonderful to meet and get to know all these ladies. A few of the other guests are business owners, and a love of textiles, France and all things “vintage” will be a common thread for all of us.

I have decorated the perfect journal — it’s French blue, with sunflowers. I will journal the week this way, and make note of everything. Then, I also hope to blog and share the experience with you either while I’m gone, or when I return home. Au revoir — Susan