Once upon a time, Xenobia picked up the book A Year in Provence because she loves to read about people adjusting to new places, and experience their adventures, albeit vicariously.

The book stuck with her, partly because she has a deep-seated restlessness brought on by being uprooted so many times in her childhood, and partly because, despite her tendency toward horrible shyness in groups, she's very curious, and has an adventurous spirit. And, admittedly, partly because it's hard not to think fondly of a book that goes into humorous detail about the proper method of finding truffles (um, the mushroom kind, not the chocolate kind).

Recently, she was talking to her ex-patriot parents, who currently reside in La Paz, BCS, Mexico, and they announced that they were planning to sell their almost-beachfront home, and move back North. “The corruption and the heat are bothering us. We miss California!” was their cry. “Don't make Christmas plans.”

“Well,” Xeni answered. “I'd been thinking that we should all go away for Christmas. To Europe.”

And so plans have begun for Xeni, Fuzzy, the Goddess of Loans, and Paco (as my stepfather is called in Mexico) to spend the week of Christmas in Provence – Languedoc. A quick search on Google netted this link for HomeFrance vacation rentals, and Xeni has already fallen in love with several houses, including The Tall House in St. Thibery, which rents for roughly $300 USD / week during the month of December.

The dogs won't get to come on this trip, but will spend their time bonding with the nice folks at Lincoln Avenue Veterinary Clinic. They'll likely get treats brought home, however.