Every time I prepare for one of my groups to arrive, there’s a familiar flutter in my chest—a quiet mix of anticipation and tenderness. I want everything to be just right. I wonder if the places I love will speak…

As we drove from one antique dealers place to another, our van brimmed with laughter, stories, and stuff gathered along the way. And then—just like that—an iris field appeared, or perhaps it found us. We gasped, turned the van around…

Once again, Provence wraps its arms around me. We gather—some new, some familiar—each step a shared delight, each glance out a window is a painting. I think often of how rare and beautiful it is to experience life this way.…