Autumn in Paris

If you live in Southern California like me, you might not realize that it’s actually autumn. The trees are barely turning colors and just a couple weeks ago it was 100*F. (rolls eyes).

That’s why I’m extra nostalgic for autumn in Paris, so I’ve thrown together some of my favorite images of Paris covered in leaves.

ALSO, this is a great time to announce that I’ve been officially published in print! A couple months ago I entered an Instagram competition with Lonely Planet Traveller magazine. The theme was Ode to Autumn, so I submitted one of my photos of the autumnal banks of the Seine river, and I was picked! Here’s a peek at the page inside the Postcards section in November issue of the UK version of the magazine. Mine’s the first one at the top left!

lonelyplanetodetoautumn-1

The optimistic part of me hopes that this is just the beginning of my photographic career, and that there are many more moments like this to come, but the pessimistic, critical part of me is saying it’s no big deal, that it means nothing and doesn’t mean I’ll ever “make it” as a photographer. But regardless of my mixed feelings about this 2-by-2-inch square of real estate in a magazine, I gotta admit it’s pretty cool.

Just in case anybody is interested in purchasing this fall image as a print (my grandma has this one framed in her house!), I popped a listing into my Etsy shop, available here.

 

Without further ado, enjoy these fall-tastic photos of Paris that I’ve taken over the years. If there’s a specific photo you’d like to know the location of, just leave me a comment and I’ll reply!

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When a Place Becomes a Part of You

Do you ever feel that there are certain places in the world that are more important and meaningful to you than others? Places that you think of and immediately feel some kind of emotion?

For me, one of those important places is the central coast of California, from Pismo Beach all the way up to Big Sur. A couple of weeks ago, I finally took another trip up there, after about 4 years, and I was finally able to understand why I feel such a connection to this region.

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San Juan Capistrano | French Californian

San Juan Capistrano

You’ve probably figured out by now that my favorite thing to photograph is the world around me. But ever since I moved back to California, I’ve been lacking inspiration. The reason for that? I just don’t live in grand, historic Europe anymore! It’s no longer possible for me to simply wander the streets of Paris or other European cities, always finding something incredible to photograph. Instead, I have to seek out specific boutiques, restaurants or little pockets of charm, and bring myself to them via the congested and stressful freeways of Southern California. It’s been a challenge, since I have a bit of driving anxiety, but I find the the more I brave the roads, the less intimidated I feel. With every trip my anxiety levels drop a little.

I’ve been making an effort to explore locally, but a little while ago, I visited Balboa Island in Newport Beach, and was totally underwhelmed – apparently it’s a really popular place to visit, but aside from some cute houses and the original frozen banana stand that inspired the one in Arrested Development, I was left feeling completely unimpressed.

After that “failed” adventure (I left without having taken a single photograph because I found nothing inspiring), I was somewhat reluctant to explore again, but yesterday I was bored and restless and decided to revisit San Juan Capistrano on a whim, since it’s only 25 minutes away from home. The city is best known for its beautiful historic mission, which I visited earlier this year. This time, I wanted to see what else the city has to offer. Here’s what I found!

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Moulin, an Authentic Parisian Bistro in Orange County - French Californian

Moulin – Authentic Parisian Eatery in Orange County, California

When I left France, I was certainly happy to return home, but there are a number of things I lamented over: The loss of the best pastries and baked goods in the world, saying farewell to having the best farmer’s market right outside my door, and having to swap out that certain joie de vivre when it comes to dining out, and replace it with chain restaurants who try to turn over tables as quickly as possible. I didn’t think I’d be able to feel that certain French feeling in a café again – that is, until I came to Moulin.

As the owner Laurent Vrignaud says, they’re not doing anything new or revolutionary, they’re simply doing what France has done for 100 years – and doing it really well – in Orange County, California.

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Travel Diary: Tubingen, Germany | French Californian

Making Memories in Tübingen, Germany

Once upon a time, I traveled through the Black Forest region of Germany with my dear friend Katie. If you’re a long-time reader, you may remember our visit to Heidelberg and Freiburg, but there’s a third town we visited that I never actually talked about: Tübingen!

I was in the shower the other day, reminiscing about past travel memories – as one does in the shower – and remembered our comical adventure in Tübingen. It’s one of those travel experiences that was uncomfortable and anxiety-ridden in the moment, but turned into one of the best memories ever.

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Descanso Rose Garden in Spring

California Rose Garden on a Cloudy Day

By now, it’s probably no surprise that strolling through gardens is one of my favorite pastimes. This spring, I paid yet another visit to one of my favorite spots in California, the Descanso Gardens near Pasadena.

For some reason, whenever I visit, it always seems to be overcast and damp, but I don’t mind. I think rose gardens are especially romantic underneath a cloudy sky.

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