It’s not often that you get the chance to see experiences through the eyes of a smart, thoughtful and observant eleven, soon to be twelve, year old. This week, we had that chance with Teddy. He was the only kid among six adults – and he was a delight. He lived every minute of his time in France – his first trip outside of the US. And it was a trip filled with many firsts.
He even latched onto Mike’s straw hat and wore it everywhere he went – until he got his own cap at the Tour. There’s a lot to be said for having the energy of youth in the group. We did things that would have been unlikely otherwise. For example, at one point, we all had “tattoos” from bubble gum packets! Mike, in particular, loved his. Thankfully, they washed off! 
Teddy will have not only wonderful memories of his trip, but also kept a journal that his grandparents gave him. Like most of us who write journals, sometimes it’s hard to keep up with them. Consequently, Tommy helped Teddy out by holding the flashlight while he recorded his impressions before going to bed.
We also discovered that Teddy is a budding photographer. He took some great shots of the grape vine around the house and he pointed out a wonderful view above the house to the cliffs behind us. He captured the images better than any of us could!Before he left, he and I sat down and talked about his thoughts and observations. He’s very articulate and willing to share his insights. In general, he said that he liked France a lot and he wished he could stay (so do we!).
I asked him about his top five experiences while in France. Here they are along with some insights about each.
First up was the Tour de France. We all had an amazing experience at the Tour so it’s no wonder that this made the top of Teddy’s list. In addition to seeing the Tour, he had his picture taken with Sebastien Minard, one of the riders for the Cofidis team. 
Then, when we stumbled upon the Radio Shack buses, he got a Team shirt and had his picture taken with Lance Armstrong’s bike. It may not be about the bike, but it was still exciting to see it and talk to the people who make the team work. You could see the excitement written in the smile Teddy carried the rest of the day.Number two was watching the World Cup final game at the Modern Bar. Teddy said that he felt welcome in the Modern Bar. He observed that he would not be able to go into a bar in the US, but here, they had drinks for kids like Coke and lemonade. He felt grown up being with all the adults at the bar.
All seven of us were at the Modern Bar for the World Cup but Teddy also went with his dad and Uncle Steve to watch the Tour on other days. Teddy was able to walk down by himself to meet Steve and come home together once the Tour ended each day. The third item on the list was the Gorges du Verdon. Teddy told me that he’d been in a kayak before but he really enjoyed this Gorge and its waterfall. Teddy was amazing in the kayak by himself. He paddled all the way back by himself!
Next up was the waterfall in Cotignac. Teddy and his dad, Tommy, Steve and Mike went for a walk around Cotignac while the girls went to the lavender fields. One of their stops was at the waterfall. Teddy and Tommy went for a swim in the cold water. It made quite an impression to make it to the top five list! I got to see the pictures of Teddy and Tommy climbing the rocks and jumping into the pool. Teddy told me that this was another first for him. Rounding out the top five was his trip to the beach at Bandol with his parents, Steve and Mindi. Teddy got a big inflatable boat that he told me he enjoyed paddling across the cove. It was a “really amazing experience.”
Teddy has been fortunate to have several years of French classes in school so I asked for his observations about France and the French. I told him that many people think of the French as rude and not helpful to people who don’t know the language. Teddy didn’t feel that it was nice to discriminate like that. He observed that not all people who live in France are “French” – like me and Mike, he noted.
He felt that you can’t judge people because they live in France. He also noted that he found everyone nice. While he had some trouble with the language, he found that most people knew English. Based on his studies at school, he thought that French was one of the hardest languages and that French kids learned English early while it was easier to remember. He told me about a friend from South Korea who was adopted by an American couple when he was very young. According to Teddy, he caught on to English very quickly. He thought it was cool to be in France where he knew some French words but his parents didn’t. That was fun, he said.He elaborated that it looks and feels like France but it’s not completely different. For example, his grandparents live in New Hampshire with rolling hills. When he woke up the other morning, he was a little groggy when he looked outside. For a minute he thought he was at his grandparent’s house.
There are some notable differences from Teddy’s perspective. For example, the food is really different. He and his dad enjoyed the sheep cheese a lot which is something Teddy says you don’t see every day in the US. He also loved the baguettes (he must have eaten an entire baguette by himself each day!). He found the croissants in France to be much better than the “rip off” croissants at home. He also saw noteworthy differences in product packaging even for things found in the US. In France, for instance, there are tiny cans of Coke and Orangina, and the Orangina containers have an entirely different logo from the US.Finally, I asked Teddy what advise he would offer another eleven year old who was visiting France. He reflected that in Paris there are a lot of sights and great landmarks, but Paris is not cozy. This small town feels cozy. It’s okay to walk into town to the Modern Bar. He felt comfortable here.
Teddy was quick to note that time flies. He reflected that on the car ride from the Nice airport to Cotignac he said to himself that it’s going to go fast. And, he said, he “absolutely loves it here – 75% of him wants to stay.” But he misses America and 25% wants to go home.
For my part, 100% of me wishes he was still here.
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