Abandoning the stability and security that a full time 9-5 job often provides to go traveling around the world requires fearless determination and comfort in the unknown. Few are willing to risk their finances and well-anchored routines but that’s exactly what a large group of bloggers and location-independent professionals have done to satisfy an insatiable itch to travel and experience the world. Six months here and nine months there before returning to the grind they happily left at home. One of these bloggers is Christine of the travel blog C’est Christine.

Christine was one of the first readers of Lost In Cheeseland to reach out to me via email to talk about her dream of dropping the corporate monotony for a stint in France. From our very first exchange, I knew she had the wherewithal to create her own path. As it happens, she was at a crossroads and needed to plan her next move. The end of both a relationship and an apartment lease presented the perfect opportunity to start laying the groundwork for a future that would ideally entail endless adventure.

After nine months of living in Nice, she returned to California to the all-too-familiar realization that “home” had changed (or rather, she had changed) and that picking up where she left off as a cog in a large company wasn’t compatible with her life plan. A couple months of planning later and she was off to Australia where she currently works and writes. Though she loves the Aussie lifestyle, her heart permanently resides in France.

Describe what you love about France in three words. 
Pain au chocolat.

San Francisco, Nice, Paris, Australia… which feels like home and why? 
They’ve all felt like home at one point or another; I feel very lucky that I’ve been able to adapt so easily in both France and Australia. I’m much more of an expat than a traveler and I think that is because I love creating a home: becoming a regular in a café, knowing the public transportation lines like the back of my hand, experimenting with local ingredients. Northern California will always be special because it’s where my family and friends are but when I say I’m going home, it’s where my key fits that week.

Favorite spot for ice cream in Paris?
I’m obsessed with Pozzetto in the Marais. Rosa Jackson, my friend, former boss and ultimate Paris food guide, shared this Italian gelato spot in my favorite Paris neighborhood and I was hooked after my first bite of pistache! The product quality is absolutely fantastic and there isn’t choice overload with the short list of seasonal flavors. My favorite dessert after a stop at L’As du Fallafel!

An interaction during your travels through France that most surprised you?
While in Nice, I lived with a “host family” set up through Alliance Française- Madame David was and older French woman with an excellent flat in the heart of Nice. We really hit it off and I learned so much about French culture, cooking, and philosophy from her. She was like a surrogate grandmother to me; teaching me to make her tried-and-true raspberry jam and sharing her stories of growing up in WWII-ravaged France. And she was just so French! She wore Chanel No. 5, could whip up an incredible meal from the simplest ingredients and never went out without being perfectly coiffed.

I could have easily found my own apartment in Nice by myself or with other students but I don’t think my experience would have been nearly as rich. The French can be difficult to build relationships with, but I felt like family as soon as I met her.

Something you couldn’t leave France without bringing with you for your future travels? 
I’m obsessed with Quickies eye makeup removers – they work really well and come in a nice, compact package. I also love Le Petit Marseillais hair and body products and Hediard. I actually pack my loose-leaf Hediard tea into individual packets so that I can easily travel with them!

Follow Christine’s adventures and stories (will she come back to France?) on C’est Christine, follow her on facebook and chat with her on twitter!

I’m off to Istanbul for a long weekend and to take advantage of my Kiwi Collection hotel stay. Will undoubtedly return with stories and photos to share next week! Happy weekend to all.

{All photos courtesy of C’est Christine}