After a year of constant movement in 2025, 2026 has brought with it a quieter instinct—the desire to stay close, to be home. But staying doesn’t have to mean settling. I’ve been finding small ways to keep that sense of discovery alive, especially my ever-present pull toward anything vaguely French.

Last weekend, I slipped away to The Market at Grelen—a garden shop, café, and winding trail tucked about an hour outside of DC. It’s the kind of place that gently suspends you somewhere between Virginia and the French countryside. Gravel paths, rows of greenery, light filtering through trees—it all feels considered, but not forced.

For anyone craving that European atmosphere without the commitment of a long-haul flight, this is your answer. A reminder that sometimes, a shift in pace and setting is all it takes to feel transported.