I try to visit my friend Claudine every year.  We met when she was living and working in Paris.   Today Claudine lives in Clermont Ferrand, a small city in the center of France surrounded by rolling hills and dormant volcanos.

If you read my original blog www.L-List.com you may remember that Clermont is not the sexiest city in France but I like it…mainly because it’s where Claudine lives.

Apart from seeing Claudine, I love to visit with her 4 year-old son Edgar (my boyfriend).  Edgar and I are finally starting to communicate.  He often asks “Ou vas tu?” and “Pourquoi?” (“Where are you going?” and “Why?), just like a real boyfriend.

I also love to spend time in Claudine’s kitchen.  It’s always filled with French staples… bread, honey, chocolate, yogurt, and homemade food from Claudine’s mother-in-law, Mammi Nicole, who is an amazing cook.  Nearly every week Mammi Nicole sends a care package of prepared vegetables (fresh from her garden), meat and more to Claudine, Richard and Edgar – I love this!

I have put in my request several times to have Mammi Nicole overnight me care packages, but I am still waiting…

If I don’t find a job I told Claudine I will come back to Clermont to babysit Edgar in exchange for Mammi Nicole’s cooking.

The weather in Clermont can be less than agreeable as the city sits in a valley but this year the weather was perfect and Claudine was able to take me on a hike to the top of the Volvic mountain (see the front of a Volvic water bottle) for incredible views of the Puy-de-Dome (the oldest mountain range in France and part of France’s largest national park) and a picnic dinner.  Amazing!!!!!

Friends are important and having rituals help me stay connected, especially during busy or stressful times.

If you don’t already have rituals with friends, think about creating one, a morning walk, a bicycle ride, a French breakfast or even a French vacation.

Whether every month, once or twice a year, it is amazing how important these rituals quickly become.

Enjoy!

Leslie