As you might’ve seen in recent entries, whether in The Library or The Journal, there’s so much more to eating than nutrition. Meals shape the rhythm of our days and, of course, the quality of our lives. The way we eat, who we eat with, how we begin and end a meal, all of this Continue reading

The Lantern Diary was born with two intentions. One is personal. It brings me joy to share small stories from my life with you. We could call it writing therapy, a way for me to ease my mind, find clarity, and create a little order in the chaos of my busy life. If you’re familiar Continue reading

How I Use the Parisian Way of Eating to Feel Well, Stay Balanced, and Stay Connected I lived in Paris for only a year, but the way Parisians eat left a lasting imprint on my life. I come from a family where breakfast could not really be skipped, and lunch meant two or three courses. Continue reading

On Eating in Paris: Memory, Ritual, and a Hint of Cheese What if lunch wasn’t a pause, but a ritual? One of my favorite memories of living in Paris is the long, meandering lunches and the after-work gatherings, often accompanied by a bottle or two of French wine. Despite our different backgrounds, my colleagues and Continue reading

When in Paris, do as the Parisiens do My first solo move abroad came at 24, during my university years. I spent a year in Paris, completing a professional traineeship for my — surprise! — tourism management degree. Those months opened a wide window onto the world. Working in an office, in Paris, in another Continue reading

How many homes? I started moving early, from town to town, between cities and the countryside. Later, we even crossed an ocean and spent nearly seven years in a country that still holds half my heart. The warmth, the openness, the true zest for life we found there… it lingers in me still. All those Continue reading

Another unexpected country on our horizon. Until recently, it was just a name on a map… now we know it’s real. And beautiful. In a few short weeks, my husband, the father of our three children, will begin a new chapter in a country we’ve visited only once. A short two-day trip for his job Continue reading

Some collect souvenirs. I collect places I call home: twelve towns in five countries so far, across two continents. I spent half my childhood in the Americas, the other half in Europe. As an adult, I have made homes in four lands already, always staying long enough to settle in. France in my twenties. Germany Continue reading

I wouldn’t call my life particularly adventurous. On the contrary, I followed a steady, traditional path. One step at a time: I graduated, started working, got married, and became a mother of three. But take a closer look, and it’s not as ordinary as it first seems. Lean in, and it begins to tell another Continue reading