If you knew Lingua Franca in the days when we used to do our lessons in cafés and bookstores around Brisbane, il y a de fortes chances* that you knew une jeune femme française* called Deborah.

I met Deborah in her role as nounou* to the child of one of our clients, Sue-Ellen, whom I was tutoring. Deborah had not long arrived in Australia, elle avait 21 ans* and she was as brown as a berry, having made the most of the sun she’d missed out on while living in Ireland.

A few months later, and preparing for a new year, I realised I needed a tutor to help me. I ran the idea past Sue-Ellen and she told me I’d be mad if I didn’t approach her as apart from being lovely, reliable and fun, she was just so capable*. So I did, and Deborah said oui* and I’ll never stop thanking Sue-Ellen for encouraging me to ask her.

So capable was Deborah, in fact, that shortly after she’d started I took myself off to India for my 40th birthday, promising to call every day. Dutifully, I did call that very first day, somehow getting the very sketchy wifi to connect Pondicherry to Brisbane. I needn’t have bothered. Deborah clearly had everything so sous contrôle* that, in fact, I didn’t bother to call again, landing back in Brisbane ten days later to a better business than the one I’d left!

Flash forward a few months, and Deborah was an integral part of the Lingua Franca team. In fact, along with me, she was the team, and it remained that way for a very long time. Until it came time for her to leave…

Salut Deborah, so remind me, when did we last see you?

Coucou! * I left Australia almost 3 years ago, déjà*.

And what made you want to return to France after so many years wandering the globe?

After 10 years spent overseas, it felt like the right time to head back to France for a while. My husband, Geoff, and I had lived together in Ireland (il est irlandais*) and in Australia, but not in France yet. We also wanted our then 3-year old son, James, to spend time with family and be exposed to the French culture and language. France felt like a safe place for us to slow down, recharge, and get ready for our next adventure ensemble*.

And I suppose your plans went exactly as envisaged? No major hiccups?

Let’s say our timing was intéressant*. We moved in December 2019, just in time for a great Noël* spent with family. We settled into our new place in January 2020, started planning a year full of travel and long overdue catch-ups and even adopted a puppy, Rio. Then came March 2020, and I believe the rest is history.

Well, apart from that little glitch, what did you love most about being back in France?

There was something very special about taking James to places I used to visit myself as a child. A trip down memory lane was exactly what I was looking for while over there. I also loved seeing Geoff push himself out of his comfort zone, learning French on the spot and adapting to our new lifestyle. He unsurprisingly became quite the star in our voisinage*.

We loved the proximity France offered to other European countries and will give a special mention to the food, the fromage*, and the vin*. As cliché as it sounds, it is la vérité*.

The most important aspect of all, though, was to spend quality time with our families, both in France and in Ireland. James is lucky to still have 4 grandparents, 3 great-grandparents and 20 cousins in between the two countries so we wanted him to develop real-life relationships with them all and create plenty of memories of his own.

I loved being able to pop over to see my parents without having to book flights months in advance, hang out with my brothers and sisters-in-law, play with my nieces and nephews and share stories with my grandparents. Enjoying the little things has been huge for us.

Where were you exactly?

We moved to the medieval town of Lescar, near Pau, in the South West of France. Pau is the birthplace of King Henry IV, a regular stage town of the Tour de France, and is as close to the Atlantic Ocean as it is to the Pyrenees mountains. Gagnant-gagnant*.

Did you get a chance to do any of the travel you thought you might?

Our plans were pushed back by a couple of years but we were very chanceux* to still get the opportunity to do some of the travelling that had been on the bucket list for a while.

When borders re-opened, we were close enough to Spain to be able to enjoy its beauty by doing day trips. Driving for less than an hour to find ourselves immersed into a completely different environment was truly mind-blowing.
We made sure to go back to Ireland as often as possible and also snuck in a couple of trips to visit friends in Germany. We bought and renovated an old camping-car* and spent a summer driving around South East of France : an unforgettable experience. We played tourists in Paris, explored Brittany and Normandy and discovered Annecy (in the Alps) all over again. We spent a few incredible days in Rome as well as a truly magique* week around the Greek islands. We’re still pinching ourselves and feel so grateful for these life experiences.

And what were you doing for work?

I continued working remotely for Lingua Franca which has been amazing. Lingua Franca will forever hold a very special place dans mon cœur.* I also developed my own graphic design activity, helping businesses create their brand identity. After many years spent tutoring at LF, teaching was back on the cards for me as I became a training consultant in graphic design for a French training centre. Work has been varié, enrichissant et flexible.*

What did you miss most when you were away from 'home'?

Our friends would be the very first answer, but I also missed the laidback lifestyle and the easy-going mentality. France counts many wonderful traits, but not these ones. I won’t hide the sunshine was also missed on those dark winter days. Although we had an amazing time in Europe, it inexplicably felt like a very long holiday and never quite like home. Australia is home, at least for now.

Well, we are so glad to have you back here. When will we get to see you?

Merci*, it’s great to be back. Very soon, j’espère*!

Sneak Peek into Le Nid: Deborah's back!