Very well... yet

🇫🇷 🥗 Notes from France: Sometimes it has to get worse before it can get better

The hip-hop music in the background reminds me of what I thought were achingly cool break dance nights from the early 2000s.

But now, I’m sitting alone in a busy hotel restaurant in central Munich. I’ve tagged on 24 hours for myself to a work trip.

A much-needed break and reset.

To my right is another solo diner glued to her phone. She’s dressed in a signature corporate look of grey and heels.

I’m career clashing in my red knit and mom jeans, frantically scribbling notes on a receipt because my notebook is missing.

Unlike the corporate diner, there’s no way I’m wasting a second on my phone.

I haven’t been anywhere outside the canton, where I have lived without children for two years, and the stimulus around me is kicking me into creative touch.

I’m feasting on food, people-watching, and experiencing a moment of gratitude for what a difference a month can make.