Does Moving to France Change You? A Story of Letting Go and Banana Bread

Does moving to France change you? It is an interesting thought, so let me tell you a story.

We moved to France back in 2019 and almost immediately, before it became global headline news, walked straight into the pandemic and ultimate lockdown.

During that time, our oldest daughter, who had been working over in the Alps, sadly returned home to live with us instead of flying the nest. On the plus side, she transformed into a somewhat magnificent baker of cakes.

I think I have shared before that we used to bake cakes together when she was much younger. In those early days, I was in charge of what went into the mixing bowl, which mostly meant the end results ended up uneaten in the bin.

You see, and this will surprise you no end, I am not a natural rule follower. That trait extends directly to cooking and baking recipes. Instead, I tend to adopt my own honed approach using a touch and sight method.

Need an exact recipe? Not me.

Whatever the final outcome was back then, we loved to bake together and we share some very happy memories from those days.

Learning to Let Go of Control

These days, we leave the formal cake making to the exceptional skills of our daughter. However, I have changed.

I can now successfully bake banana bread, alongside a few variations, simply because she gave me a failsafe recipe.

The main difference now, I think, is that living in France has finally taught me to let go of certain things. I have realised that I do not need to control every single detail.

Mainly because you simply cannot control everything here. If you do not accept that basic truth, you will suffer by your own hands, much like my early cake attempts.

Joking aside, I am a much calmer version of myself here. That is truly what living in France has done for me, amongst a gazillion other wonderful things, and I am deeply grateful for it.

The Secret Recipe and How Not to Follow It

If you would like the failsafe banana bread recipe, simply comment on this post or share it with friends, and I will gladly pass along the secret family method.

For context on my usual baking style, here is a quick list of how I have personally failed to follow it in the past:

• Forgot the bananas

• Forgot the sugar

• Forgot the eggs

• Forgot the baking powder

Do not be like me when it comes to the oven. Be like my daughter, and follow the true path!

So, I leave you with this question: does moving to France change you, or does it simply focus you a little bit more on what was always inside you all along?

Jen x