The French Countryside: Plobsheim, France

My travels have taken me on an inconceivable journey into a tucked away corner of the French countryside.  I found myself in the small village of Plobsheim located near Strasbourg, which is essentially the capital of Europe.  If you are reading this and thinking, that sounds more like a German name, well you're right.  Plobsheim is in the Alsace region of France which is literally a hop, skip, and jump away from the German border.  The region has changed hands several times in its history between Germany and France, who came first is none of my business.  You can see the German influence in the houses and some of the regional dishes but there is no mistaking the beauty of the French countryside.  I did the unthinkable and packed up my five year old and ten month old on my own, left Vancouver hanging in the rear view mirror and took an extremely difficult flight across the Atlantic into the European Union.  


We landed in Frankfurt 16 hours later only to take many elevator rides, a train, more elevators, and a car ride to the small Alsace village in France.  This is not an easy task with a screaming baby, a stroller, a suit case, diaper bag, camera bag, food bag, jet lag...I'm sure there must have been one more bag in there.  Anyway, we arrived.  I wanted to curse my husbands name.  However, one thing I really like about traveling is that I learn so much about life and myself.  I learn new ways of eating, speaking, being, coping.  It opens my mind to new possibilities that I wouldn't receive sitting in one spot my whole life.  I recently saw a little hand drawn diagram with a tiny box labeled "comfort zone" and further away from it was a giant circle with the words "where the magic happens" written in the middle.  This could not be more true.  That comfort zone is a dangerous place to be in relation to any potential growth.  Travelling is where the magic really happens because you are so far from your comfort zone you have no choice but to experience the new and unfamiliar and grow from it.  Not all experiences are pleasant or positive but those ones are just as valuable as the amazing ones.