A Bientôt, Denver!

Guess what? I'm on my way to France!

Current view

Anyone else need to catch their breath? Anyone else feel like yesterday it was March? Craving a break? A change of scenery?

Same.

It’d be nice to say, steal away to the French countryside for a while, right? Take in the scenery, sip on rosé and dine on the rich culinary offerings…

It sounds like one of those dreams that gets you through the workday but could never actually happen.

But this one is about to come true.

This unexpected Monday edition of Makans of a Chef comes to you from O’Hare International Airport. I take off for Paris in a few hours with a final destination of Camont—the beautiful home of Kate Hill in the Garonne River valley.

If you don’t know Kate, get to know her and her work from her newsletter, The Camont Journals.

#Aperitif August: creating a hashtag

I had the pleasure of meeting Kate virtually through the Substack Go program earlier this year. When she decided to open her home to creative residencies, I jumped at the chance to spend some time among the dreamy landscapes of Gascony, honing my craft, finding inspiration, and learning about the region’s revered food and wine firsthand.

katedecamont

A post shared by Kate Hill (@katedecamont)

On a screen, those words look so luxurious and romantic. I envision myself as a Very Serious Writer, casually flying across an ocean to create Very Important Art. I travel light and look chic and unbothered working on my laptop at the airport. I know exactly what I’m doing and navigate each part of the journey with ease.

In reality, I’m slightly shaking from a poor night of sleep that I tried to remedy by chugging an iced latte on an empty stomach. I’m now trying to remedy that by eating my weight in White Cheddar Cheez-its instead of finding a real meal in the terminal. Due to several months of seemingly unending struggles in my personal life, whatever plans I had in mind for the next two weeks are not in place. I’m winging it. It’s ok though.

Portrait of a Lady Who Definitely Doesn’t Have it Together

This trip comes a year after I quit my journalism career, and nearly a year into writing this newsletter. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be reflecting on all we’ve learned together in the Makans of a Chef community, and where we can go next. I’ll also, of course, be sharing details from my adventures at Camont. If you’re not subscribed, type in your email below so you don’t miss updates!

I’ll also be sharing photos and videos on Instagram, so you can follow along there, too.

For now, I need to find some real food and get ready for a long flight.

Au revoir!