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Get Thee a Blog in Paris

I remember being holed up in my little 200 sq foot apartment in the 20th, rain pouring down, grey skies, no heating and not a friend in sight in this big new city for me. My husband worked all day at a semi-dangerous high school (teachers were threatened often) in the neuf trois and took our ratty banged up car there early in the mornings and returned at night, since the sun sets so early in the winter. I would run out to get groceries a the open air markets and then cook all day and the other thing that I had was the internet. A friend of mine back in the states suggested that I start a blog rather than send annoying three page monthly newsletters to everyone back home. “Dear Friends and Family, I am still alive, it’s cold here, etc etc…” She had a good point, but I was scared that I was spending TOO much time on-line as it was and didn’t get a blog.  Now, I kick  myself. Those wasted days in Paris when I could have been meeting fabulous people through the internet, all those potential blogging buddies!

In the last year or two, now that I live in the south of France, in a remote village with absolutely nothing to do, I blog, a lot. And I have meet so many incredible bloggers virtually and physically, all of these nice ex-pats in France, British transplants and kind strangers back in the states (that have sent me books!) all through my blog. If, I had only done it in Paris, maybe I would be friends with  Clotilde of Paris Food blogging fame and I could have helped her in her test kitchen for her cook book that comes out this year? Or, I could have been hanging out with David Lebovitz tasting scrumptious Parisian chocolates around town? Well, a girl can dream, right? There are Paris Blogger get-togethers and also Flickr (the photo hosting site that most of us use on our blogs) Group meet ups. So much activity, networking, friend making, sharing of life’s hardships of being in a foreign country (carte de sejours and permits) and implicit joys of living in France.

Now, that I am Pregnant in France, my own self relegated title, I have found some other bloggers that are also in my same gravid situation. We read each others blogs and give advice, compliments on belly growth, and virtual hugs for those emotional times. One blogger was telling us about her horrible doctor’s appointments, and us pregnant American bloggers in France (I think that there are at least EIGHT of us that I know of!) told her that is not the norm in France, find another doctor and she did and reported back that she is so happy now and getting the right care. We also tell sage-femme stories (mine is hypnotizing me as part of my pre-labor) and rave about the health care system here and the great coverage that we are getting and the general lack of “fear and pain stories”  and pregnacy police here.

Deb who lives in Lille was surprised with a baby shower from her blogger friends in Lille who came over with presents, Key Lime pie and America food stuffs for a very stuffed 39 weeks along native of Florida. Aimee and I talk daily about knitting baby things, growing bellies, and taking photos. Doc in Ardennes is hilarious and due with her third this year. She is our rock and has the best advice for us newbies. If you find yourself in a new country, start a blog, if you are pregnant in France, turn to us and we will bless your belly too. I am very lucky to have found all this great camaraderie on the internet and feel more at peace living in France, and most of all being Pregnant in France with my girlfriends’ advice on the baby horizon.