My mother is French, my father Belgian, and when I was just one, they embarked on an adventurous journey to the United States, where I’ve lived ever since. I have vivid memories of summers spent in France, in my grandmother’s small village of 3,000 people. I would play in her backyard, under the willow tree, basking in the endless summer days when the sun never set.

As a child, returning to France was about family reunions, reconnecting with loved ones. We rarely had the chance to explore beyond that. But after finishing my Master’s degree in journalism from NYU in 2024, I’m now ready to return to France and tell its stories.