Note: This giveaway was planned before the horrible attacks on Paris on 13 November, but I think celebrating Laura Bradbury’s love of France is a way of honoring what so many people have found when they’ve gone abroad. Travel makes the world much smaller, and turns every person we meet into potential friends, and strangers into people we care about across great distances. Paris, nous sommes tellement désolé.
Last year, and again this year, I met author Laura Bradbury at the Surrey International Writers Conference (NB: if you like thoughtful, accessible, intimate, inclusive and terrific writers conferences, I can’t say enough good things about the SiWC). In 2014, I heard about My Grape Escape, her memoir about buying and restoring a French home in Burgundy — and you know that memoirs about starting life over in a new location and in new directions are very much my catnip. I learned a lot about French home repair and restoration, and dealing with small town bureaucracy, which is worse than knob and tube wiring, I’m pretty sure.
This year, Laura was signing My Grape Year, the story of how she ended up in France in the first place as an exchange student, and how she met her now-husband, Franck. AND she was giving away these gorgeous French market baskets at the signing for SIWC. Seriously. They’re beautiful. So when we were part of the same dinner group, I asked if I could do a giveaway for one of the baskets, and the books as well. And because Laura is Canadian and required by law to be nice, she said yes, and then she probably said sorry for something she didn’t do, which is also required by Canadian law. The market baskets are really nice, too – I’m so excited to be giving one away.
I liked My Grape Escape and My Grape Year because they combine a lot of things I enjoy in a memoir: new locations, fish-out-of-water experiences (and as a former fellow exchange student, a lot of what Laura describes was very familiar), deciding to take a mulligan and do-over a major decision in one’s life – like I said, catnip ahoy. I haven’t read My Grape Village yet, but it’s on the TBR.
Laura uses her market basket as a general all-purpose bag – and there’s plenty of room inside.
For our giveaway, we have copies of Laura’s memoirs about life in France, My Grape Escape, My Grape Year, and My Grape Village, in paper or ebook, winner’s choice, and a market basket to put your books or your e-reader in — also winner’s choice. You can carry both if you want, obviously. We won’t judge.
So, want to enter? YAY! Drop a comment below and tell us about a place that changed you in some way. For me, it was Spain, when I was an exchange student at 15 and again at 20. For Laura, it was Burgundy. What about you? Is there a place that is deeply important to you, that changed your life? Nearby, far away, on the couch next to you? Tell us about it.
I’ll select a winner at random on Friday 20 November, and announce the winner same day. Standard disclaimers apply: void where prohibited. I’m not being compensated for this giveaway. Open to international residents where permitted by applicable law. Must be over 18 and prepared to read and possibly also crave wine and maybe even snails. Do not read these books while hungry. I am not even kidding about that. Not even about the snails.
Thank you to Laura Bradbury for the giveaway, and the market basket, and the written taste of France.
Winner winner! The winner of the market basket and the Grape series is Christine! Congratulations, and thank you, everyone, for sharing your memorable and life-changing travels.
@ Wendy I’ve lost both my father and MIL at museums–somehow it’s almost as terrifying as losing a kid! And perhaps even more embarrassing.
@Christine They’re so big!
San Pedro Island, Belize! It was the first time I’d ever left the US, and I went to visit my grandfather. I had a marvelous time. The people are so warm and wonderful, and I got to be there during their national election, which opened my eyes to worldwide democracy and how people can actually be engaged and passionate about participating in the government. I also got to see the rainforest and a huge barrier reef.
I was able to go to Scotland for a month this year, and it was a wonderful, Zen-type experience. I went through an ugly breakup just months before, and it was a beautiful place to clear my head on long drives in the middle of nowhere. I can’t wait to go back and visit the places I missed.
House sitting on a deserted tropical island, alone, in the tropics of North Australia. No power. No phone. Only a radio and an assorted bookcase that held a huge collection of romance novels. I was offered this job, by chance, while recovering from a broken rib. So, I read on the beach, under the shade of palm trees and introduced to a whole new world, and an addiction that still never quits.
( I got an apprenticeship as a chef after that trip from a chance meeting of a skipper who was a friend of the owners …. Well that’s another yummy story… *sigh*)
Osaka, Japan. While I lived there I met many people from many different countries, and they opened my eyes to new points of view and the U.S.’s greater impact on the world.
I guess I would have to name a place that I have never actually visited, except through reading – Mount Everest. The stories of climbers who have tried are nothing but inspiring, whether they eventually summit or not. Someday I would like to at least go and see the mountain – I have no illusions that I would ever be capable of climbing there.
It was Las Vegas, Nevada. My husband and I were walking off “The Strip” and I was blown away by how may homeless people were around. I vowed to never let material objects and the want for money control me.
I’ve done a fair bit of travelling, and I can honestly say that every new place I visit changes me in some way, and always for the better… Except maybe Vegas haha. However, I would have to say the place that changed me the most would have to be my most recent trip to Southeast Asia, and in particular, Nepal. For me, seeing how people can live such a rich and fulfilling life, often with nothing, and how the culture was so rich and the families were so tight knit and elders were respected in a way you just don`t see in north america, it made me appreciate what I have in ways I never have before. At home, I find it’s very easy to get wrapped up in the materialistic way of thinking, and just worrying about how others perceive you, based on how you’re dressed, what car you drive, where you shop, what you eat, where you live. But in Nepal, everyone I met was so gracious and generous even when they had so little and family is so important, and you meet families who seem to have NOTHING and they invite you into their homes and they share their food and drinks and expect nothing in return but the chance to share stories of your adventures and its such a humbling experience. It really makes you take a look at your own life and reassess what really matters to you, and for me the stuff lost a lot of its importance.
I studied abroad in Oxford, and it is definitely a place that lingers in my mind.
The lake where EVERYONE in the family still spends summers…
For me, it was the exchange through my university when I went to New Zealand in 2009. I organized everything myself, and paid for it all myself, and I traveled for 6 months on my own. It was an empowering and enlightening experience, and I highly encourage anyone and everyone to travel overseas at least once in their life. It certainly gives you a different perspective on life!
Asheville, North Carolina. After years of living in Florida, the mountains, the seasons, the whole approach to life seemed magical. We only spent a few years living there but we make a point to get back as often as possible to refresh out lives.
The desert out the back of my dad’s home town filled me with a sense of awe and amazement that has followed me as I try and explore the world.
My husband and I took our honeymoon in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and it was the first time I felt like a grownup.
When I was in grade 9, I went on exchange to a very small village in North Somerset (then County Avon), England. Though I’d traveled quite a bit in Canada and some in the U.S. by then, it was my first trip outside North America. The amount of perspective I gained at that time was amazing.
I grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, in a mostly Jewish neighbourhood where the kids shared the same schools, synagogues, cheders, summer camps, swimming lessons, gymnastics clubs, and hockey teams from kindergarten to high school graduation. Even though I lived in a large city that was rapidly growing larger and more multicultural, I was very insulated – almost provincial. But still a city-dweller.
Rural England was a major culture shock. The village I lived in was tiny, where residents encountered in the streets recognized the visitors because they weren’t locals of generations’ standing; they tried welcoming me in French and German before discovering with both relief and an odd kind of suspicion that I was Canadian. My host school was a huge regional high school that dwarfed mine, yet where the first form class we visited asked what it was like to live in an igloo; treating and answering that question with respect and not ridicule was a major lesson in social graces.
I visited a working farm for the first time in my life, holding a lamb while it was bottle-fed, and picking wild daffodils in a cattle pasture. I ate food I’d never tried – to this day, smelling bacon cooking takes me right back to the school canteen and its bacon butties. My host family took me to a pub that was established in the Middle Ages, and for the first time ever, I understood viscerally how very young my country was. At that pub, I ordered a Guinness – and passed it to my host after one sip, opting instead for the local cider while he laughed kindly at me. I got left alone in Bristol (as a kind of payback prank), and had to figure out how to get myself from one town to another when I had no idea where I was.
There were many, many more eye-openers that trip. I truly believe I wouldn’t have the interest in history or other cultures that I do now without having gone on that exchange.
I’ve been lucky enough to travel to Scotland twice in my life and both times it felt like coming home. There’s something about the light over the hills and lakes that still makes me happy many years later.
Did a place change me? Yes, there have been some significant places in my life, my hometown, where I first went to college, hometown redux, and then there was Ipswich, Ma. When I lived there, it was a tiny village. Yes, it occupied about thirty square miles of which only five thousand were habitable as the remainder was under Conservation Commission, wetlands, or part of two different State Parks.
It had a small population as a result and people knew each other. People helped each other out. I was a single woman and the man next door shoveled my driveway. I never asked. He just showed up and did it.
Ipswich taught me that there really is community. Circumstances, and by that I mean the bottom falling out of the job market in MA, forced me to move to San Diego to live with my mother. Can you imagine? At forty-two?
I miss a town that pulls together. Something I value here is the community of readers helping readers.
I long to go back, despite polar votices and 100 inches of snow last winter.
I did a lot of traveling around Europe after college, and more than one place changed me, but since Paris is on everyone’s mind, I’ll talk about that. It was April, and for me and Paris, it was love at first sight. I still have some cherry blossoms I pressed into my journal, from the trees by the Eiffel Tower. I spent over a month in Paris, staying in a cheap hotel near Place d’Italie. The first thing I did was acquire a French boyfriend, and we saw each other almost every day for that month. Back in the day (1976) all the travelers used to go to pick up their snail mail at the American Express office, because no cell phones or email. That’s where I met him, he worked there. I got to see so much stuff the average tourist doesn’t. I bought a cheap used bicycle so we could ride around Paris by bike.The traffic was harrowing! He showed me so many unknown nooks and crannies of the city. And the free meals! Because when you work at Amex, lots of Americans pass through and they ask for restaurant recommendations, so restaurant owners were always comping him for meals. We visited the champagne cellars in Reims, and we got a bottle that he kept for us to share on my return visit to Paris, because I was committed to moving on after a month. But life intervened and I never made it back. (deep sigh)
Buenos Aires, Argentina changed my life. I went twice- the first time all by myself, staying in a hostel, & navigating the big city bus and subway systems in another language. a few years later i went back with my husband (we were newlyweds) and stayed there for almost 6 months. we had a whole host of transformative experiences (the good, the bad, & the ugly). i think of and miss B.A. often, and hope to visit soon <3
A weeklong trip through Italy when I was 30 showed me a different way of living. taking time to enjoy food and friends is as important as work, although we may not always act like it in the US.
Of all places… Phoenix, Arizona. Although I traveled the world as a “Stewardess” (Yes, I flew that long ago!) I met the man of my dreams sitting by a swimming pool at the Sheraton Hotel in Phoenix. I was on a layover – he was on a under-cover assignment from the L.A. Sheriffs Department. In the midst of a brutal divorce, I was not looking for LOVE, but found it there. This year on November 20th we celebrate our 30th Anniversary!
I went to Big Cedar Cabin with my husband. It’s a quiet place in the Ozarks, the only 5 star resort not too far from my home. I had to find someplace close because my spouse was disabled-I say was, because we enjoyed the accessability and the quiet outdoors enough to go four more times before he died. I have friends that need more activity, more noise, more things to do, but just taking a boat ride tour of the lake, eating very nice meals, and strolling the grounds was what we really needed. I will always love that place.
Being avid campers, we’re always looking for our next favorite place. A few years ago we discovered Grand Marais, MN, and I’ve been trying to convince the husband we need to retire up there! The scenery! The lakes and forests! The artistic community and the beauty of nature combining in one quaint small town. Perfection.
I’ve set 2 of my last 3 books up there, since the next best thing to living there, is to set my characters to living up in a place I can’t wait to get back to. I’d even learn to deal with 7 months of winter. If you want to fall in love with Grand Marais also, check out my Minnesota Romances.
Italy – we went on a cultural vacation and lived in the town of Soriano nel Cimino in a small flat near the piazza for the duration. We ate breakfast with the locals and met people in the town. We took cooking classes and learned what good food really is. Because of that trip, I’ve developed a love of cooking and a desire to try new foods. Sometimes I feel like we have become food snobs, but in reality, we’ve learned that fresh, local, pure and simple ingredients make the best meals ever. We learned some Italian. We learned that you never, ever drink cappuccino after noon. We learned what it was like to live in a small flat in a small town in Italy. We fell in love with Italians and Italy – and good, fresh food!
Northern Maine, Caribou, to be exact. I learned that I could deal with whatever I had to deal with. I was also “adopted” by a group of older women loosely known as The Goddesses. I learned from them to accept myself as a Goddess, too.
For me it was Northern Ireland when I was 12. I flew over by myself(!) to stay with family friends. That trip gave me a different view of how people live. They had s military base in town. Soldiers with guns on the street and at check points. And shops closed up and pulled down metal barriers at night. And at the same time it was the greenest place I’d ever seen.
Indonesia,made me know what’s life about
My first trip abroad was to England. It was a dream come true to see so many places that I’ve only read about, especially as a fan of Georgette Heyer books.
I grew up out in the countryside, so moving to Sydney to study nursing was such a big deal. I had never been away from family before. Living in at the nursing home was not only a safe option but loads of fun. I guess you could almost call it boarding school for grown ups. I learned a great deal about myself during those years & made life long friends.
The place that had the most influence on me is my hometown, Drexel, NC. It’s just a small, family oriented place in western NC that has always been home to me. No matter how far away I’ve drifted, I always find my way back.
Scotland changed my life. It was my first trip outside of North America and the beginning of my ancestral research. The trip itself was Outlander themed but we visited areas that I would find out later were where some of my ancestors came from. Hiking through the countryside I can honestly say I felt a connection with the land itself. No wonder the sound of bagpipes has always brought a tear to my eye 🙂
And I can personally attest to how nice Laura is as well as the SIWC. Hope to get back there next year.
Chicago!
In my late twenties I was offered a job in the Chicago suburbs. I am from a small town in Texas and was given 3 weeks to pack up my house and move to Chicago once the job was accepted. So I up and moved to Chicago..alone.
From a small town where I knew everyone and their parents to Chicago where I knew no one. I lived there for three years and had a blast! There were ups and downs (a lot of downs) but I got to explore a great city, make wonderful new friends, and learn a lot about myself. It was great to meet people and get to decide who I was – since they hadn’t know me since birth or already knew my whole family. I think everyone should do this sort of thing – it is very enlightening.
A two week work trip to India, where I got to see working class, rich, and the poorest, as well as experience just India. That experience definitely colors everything else I have done.
Studying in Italy, it was as wonderful as it sounds. First time I was on my own, away from my parents, away from the “me” I was at home. And I survived!
While I love to travel, there is one place that I keep going back to, and that is French Polynesia. I have a very stressful job, and being in French Polynesia allows me to be the most relaxed I ever am. I’ve been to several of the islands, but the ones I love the most are those where we get to be a part of the culture, meet people who actually live there, learn some of the language, and prepare meals using local ingredients. Last year, my husband and I were supposed to go to Europe (with one week spent in Laura and Frank’s rental cottage), but we had to cancel right before our departure date due to the unexpected death of my mother. We rescheduled our trip to Europe for earlier this year, and we were able to enjoy Laura and Frank’s wonderful cottage, and all Burgundy has to offer. But, I didn’t want to wait a whole year before going on vacation again, so my husband and I booked a last minute trip to French Polynesia, staying on Moorea and Bora Bora. The trip was magical. Everything went right, there we no problems or delays, and as always, the people were so friendly and accommodating, even upgrading our room to a bungalow so beautiful we didn’t ever want to leave. It was exactly what I needed to relax and regroup after such a difficult time. When I tell people about how great this last trip to French Polynesia went, most people say my Mom was watching out for me and made sure everything was perfect. I’d like to think they are right.
I went to New York by myself for a long weekend (and to see Daniel Radcliffe in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. I have a shameful crush.) a few years back, and I conquered the subway system all by myself (with help from the MTA mobile website)! In fact, I apparently looked so at ease that another tourist asked me how to get somewhere! It just showed me that I’m MORE than capable of handling myself on lone vacations, and gave me the courage to take more.
I am loving this thread so much and reading the tales about how travel changed you and your lives in so many big and small ways. We all sleep under the same sky and have so much to learn from one another. A huge merci everyone for your personal stories. Bises, Laura
What an interesting question. We moved around so much when I was growing up, it was a hard choice. But after much thought, I decided that the -place- that had the most effect on me was Buzançais, a small village in France. We lived there when I was little. Our family attended the village church and schools. My parents became life-long friends with our neighbors. I became fluent in French, and all my life I’ve had a love of the French language, food, and culture. I have an appreciation of and openness to ways of life other than my own, or those I’m around daily. My life is much richer because of having lived in a small French village.
I was lucky enough to take a trip to Germany and Austria in high school and extremely lucky that my grandmother and great aunt came along as chaperones. It was an amazing experience.