South of France: The Sun, Waves and Moon Glistens in the Cote d’Azur Making It One of My Happy Places

There are some places in this world that pull you in like a magnet. Draw you in with its aura before you even arrive. It lures you to come and stay awhile. That place for me is in the South of France - literally all of it. The coastal towns and the dreamy countryside of Provence. 

It was a place I dreamt of going for a very long time, but I had in my mind’s eye how it would go and that took time to manifest. When a good friend and I went in 2022, it was the ultimate girls trip whirlwind for 10 days. I mean you name it.. It happened.

Beach parties, massages, late-night supper clubs, dancing on tables, popping bottles of champagne, eating all of the gelato, constant laughter, splurge shopping and even ending up on a yacht. I mean it was a trip that no itinerary could plan for.. We were simply flowing and living our best lives. We usually were the ‘vibe’ and drew people into our energy - it’s how we ended up everywhere we did. We didn’t care about hair/makeup or looking silly, we were being ourselves and you know what, SO many loved that and joined our fun. And the other best part, pretty much none of it was documented on our phones because we were so in the moment. It is still one of my favorite trips to date. 

When I was there, I said I had to come back to be there for Bastille Day, French Independence Day, and be in St. Tropez. 

Well.. the universe worked with me and somehow I got six weeks off the next summer and spent a month in the Cote d’Azur living my ultimate French girl life. The best part was I wasn’t sure if it was going to happen and when I got the green light that a work project ended early, I booked my flight and two weeks later was on a plane. Seizing the opportunity when it comes to travel has always been second nature to me. 

This time around in 2023, the universe delivered by having three different friends pop in during my trip to join me as I galavanted Provence and the coast. Yes, they too all booked their flights with like a week's notice. My kind of friends!

This time the magnetism just amplified and my love for the region grew even more. Strolling through the villages to grab morning breakfast at the market and sit to enjoy my coffee at sunrise while the town woke up was one of my favorite things to do. There is a sense of peace in the air and some villages wrap you up like a big hug. My nervous system felt at peace. When you quiet the ‘party and ‘glitz’ of the towns, there is an utter serenity that weaves through. You can see when the old men are playing Bocce in the square or the sweet couple share an ice cream cone or the man reading his newspaper to his dog. It’s everywhere.

And that to me, is what make the Cote d’Azur glisten. It’s not the celebrities or high-end fashion or night clubs, it’s the way locals sell their handicrafts at the market that are made with such tender and care (that you know will last a long time), the food served on your plate with the freshest ingredients and the love built into those recipes, the way the sun and moon dance in the sky for the most beautiful paintings in the sky, the talented musicians playing passionately in the streets, and the irresistible charm that exists in every corner of the towns from design to architecture to the people. It’s mesmerizing and engulfs into their aura. I could live there and be so happy. To be honest, that’s how I felt when I was there. I didn’t feel like a traveler or tourist, I felt like a local. I had such a routine during my long stays that I simply felt at home. 

And yes, I saw the fantastic firework show in St. Tropez on Bastille Day that summer. The universe was smiling back at me as I stared up at the sky beaming that it happened.. I said I would be back and so it was. 

There are places in this world that you will go to and you feel so at home. It feels like you belong. Those places are where pieces of your soul are waiting for you to collect them. Pieces from past lives or pieces for your own expansion. Those places live in your heart and always will even after you visit it. It’s because it’s a part of you, even without you realizing it. They make up a part of you. And those places will always welcome you back just like your hometown you grew up in. We have many places that are soul places. My advice to you is go when you feel called and go back as many times as you like. Go where you feel at home. It’s where your soul wants to thrive. For me, one place will always be the magical Cote d’Azur.