As I type I am still in my American home, but my mind is far away. In three weeks I will leave for France for my second trip since moving back Stateside nearly five years ago.

I talked about this trip in my last post. Now the time is even closer and I’m not sure I’m ready! For one thing, all my carefully laid plans (hotels, trains, itineraries) might be pitched up into the air by the ongoing train strike in France. Boy, those French know how to strike and demonstrate! I’m learning that our plans can be made, but only God knows what will really happen. At least I have a recourse, and that is faith. (I also discovered a carpooling app which I’ll check out if I need to…)

As I go, my vision is clear: research the next novel, which will take place in a town called Cavaillon in Provence, and take lots of photos and video for my blog, Oliver’s France. (By the way, check out my Oliver’s France Facebook page for regular photo updates of my travels!) It will follow the steps of Lauren, whom you’ll meet in my current book, Prodigals in Provence (available now!) I’ll give you an update on that book in my next post.

Once in France, I’ll also be able to reconnect with a close friend now living in London, and another one who lives in the east of France. Then there’s still a handful of folks in my old stomping ground, Paris. I also need to catch up on cheese and croissant consumption…

It’s exciting to think that we never really know what the future holds. We just take one day at a time, knowing we aren’t alone. It’s a scary world. This fact would be even more frightening if these truths weren’t our anchor– We are not alone.