A weekly dose of possibility and grounded action from Michelle & Kent of the Frenchitivity Family
This Week's Direction
Traditions
As we reflect on our travels and share stories from our travels around the world, one of the things I find myself talking about most often is tradition.
Especially during our time in Croatia.
There was something so meaningful about experiencing the Christmas season there — the glowing markets, music spilling into town squares, families gathered outdoors, warm food, lights, laughter, and the feeling that the holidays were not being rushed through, but truly lived.
The traditions felt layered.
Intentional.
Rooted.
And it made me think more deeply about our own traditions.
The other day, a friend asked me:
“Did you bring any traditions home with you?”
At first, I thought about cuisine.
About slower meals.
About gathering differently.
About Advent.
About making more space for family connection.
But the question stayed with me longer than I expected.
What actually are our family traditions?
And do traditions always need to be tied to holidays?
What becomes a tradition simply because we choose to repeat it with intention?
As we near the end of another traditional school year, I can feel how cyclical life really is. Even now, as May turns toward June, there is a collective shift happening.
Kids feel it.
Teachers feel it.
Parents feel it.
There is an energy to this season that seems to live in the body.
I remember my first full-time job after college and feeling strangely restless as summer approached. After spending our entire lives on a school calendar, our minds and bodies become deeply conditioned to the rhythm of seasons, breaks, summers, and transitions.
Even as adults, I think part of us still longs for that feeling of summer freedom.
The slower mornings.
Longer evenings.
Dinner outside.
More presence.
Less rushing.
And maybe that is part of what traditions really are:
intentional rhythms that help us feel connected to ourselves and to one another.
Not performative.
Not perfect.
Just meaningful.
I think that is one of the greatest gifts travel gave our family.
Not simply new places to visit —
but a new awareness of how people live, gather, celebrate, rest, and create meaning together.
And perhaps the invitation is not to recreate another culture’s traditions exactly, but to become more thoughtful about the traditions we want to create ourselves.
The small moments.
The repeated rituals.
The feeling we want our daughter to remember when she looks back on childhood someday.
Maybe traditions are less about grand holidays and more about how we consistently choose to live.
A walk after dinner.
Music in our home.
Advent calendars in December.
Dinner outside in the summer.
A slower pace whenever possible.
Tiny moments that quietly become the architecture of family life.
As this season shifts again, I find myself wanting less pressure around “doing it all” and more space to simply savor what is already here.
The seasons.
The transitions.
The people around us.
The traditions already forming in real time.
And perhaps that is enough.
To notice them.
To honor them.
To let them become part of who we are.
🎙️In Conversation
🎧 The Frenchitivity Podcast, Episode 19: The Christmas Spirit of Croatia
This week on the Frenchitivity Podcast, we continue our country-by-country series with one of the most magical chapters of our journey: Croatia during the holiday season.
From the Christmas markets of Zagreb to the coastal beauty of Split and the historic streets of Dubrovnik, Croatia gave us a deeper appreciation for slower rhythms, seasonal traditions, and the feeling of truly experiencing a place rather than rushing through it.
In this episode, we reflect on:
- the traditions that stayed with us most
- what delighted us about Croatia
- family travel during the holidays
- and why this season felt so meaningful
Listen to the episode here: Frenchitivity Podcast, The Christmas Spirit of Croatia
And we created something to go along with it, a Free Croatia Travel Guide.
Inside, we share:
- where we stayed
- family-friendly recommendations
- favorite experiences
- practical travel notes
- and reflections from Zagreb, Split, and Dubrovnik
👉 Download the free guide here: Croatia Guide
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*if the link opens the show page, just tap Episode 19
🧭Compass Shift
This week, ask yourself:
What small rhythm or ritual already feels meaningful in my life?
Not because it’s impressive.
Not because it’s perfect.
But because it helps you feel:
- grounded
- connected
- present
Sometimes the traditions we remember most are the ones quietly forming right now.
✨ Closing
As this season shifts again, we hope you find space to savor what is already here: the people around you, the rhythms you’re creating, and the moments quietly becoming memories.
We’re really grateful you’re here.
Michelle & Kent
Frenchitivity
Be bold with your one precious life.
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