Aix is the city of plane trees. Of course, Aix is the city of many things: water, fountains, Cézanne. But, in my opinion, plane trees represent all of these themes quite clearly and abundantly. They line all the main streets, noticeable immediately with their distinctive bark patterns. They surround my sit spot, throwing shade onto […]

It’s nearly winter now. We don’t get snow here, but it’s cold all the same. I’m shivering in my winter jacket, scarf wrapped tight around my neck as I write with bare hands. I hear the leaves rustle, those that still hang on to the tree while their friends litter the ground. I hear the […]

I keep finding it important to emphasize the urban setting of my sit spot. It is very much a public park in the middle of a city, full of passersby and trash and noise. To my left, on the bench next to me, a woman is texting. I can hear the sounds of WhatsApp as […]

I’ve moved benches today in search of the sun. As I closed my eyes and let myself grow roots, I could feel the sun kissing my cheeks, filtering through my eyelids to turn the dark orange and fall-like. I’m not sure what this has to do with roots but it feels important, searching for the […]

I am constantly reminded of how close my little piece of nature is to the city. They overlap and intertwine, they are one and the same. It’s different than at home, at Wellesley or in Michigan. Here, there is always noise. Children playing and babies crying, the rumbling of city trucks and workers raking the […]

For my sit spot, I didn’t stray too far from comfortable territory. Le Pavillon Vendôme, a public park, is ten minutes away from Wellesley-in-Aix and five minutes away from my host family’s house. I chose the bench on the left side of the park. a wooden and metal contraption as opposed to its stone counterpart […]