Right now I’m packing for Paris.

In my mind, I’m already walking down Avenue Montaigne, looking up at Dior’s sparkling Christmas decorations that swallow their storefront. The air will be chilly, there will be trees glittering with lights along the Champs-Élysées and Parisians will be out with their spectacular winter coats in full bloom.

It is a quiet time of year in France, and I’m looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with my “new” family. Like everyone here in the states, I’ve been overly fatigued by the news and social media and am hungry for a break from reality. Nothing is more escapist than a visit to France. I plan to enjoy every minute of it.

I leave tonight on a red-eye and while I know all the baggage will be here when I get back, I’m sure I will gain some perspective from being away. The French have a unique way of looking at nearly everything, so I’m optimistic that they will have some comforting thoughts, if not some blueprints in their history for how to deal with things to come.