Hello and Bonjour! My name is Amy, and I am an author, professional photographer, and animal lover. I live by the Mediterranean Sea in Southern France, where I write, photograph, and take long walks with my rescue dog Sammy. It’s a gentle life that follows the rhythm of the Mediterranean Sea and not the numbers on the clock.

Each morning, I rise to feed the silver doves that circle around my head and land on my shoulders, awaiting their morning meal. Turquoise and emerald waters surround me as I swim in a palette of colors and amazing light. I know it is 4:30 pm when the green and white fishing boat returns to port, hundreds of seagulls in tow if the catch is good. The seasons are marked, not by the calendar hanging on the wall, but by the changing colors of the sunset over the sea. 

I love Mediterranean cuisine, with its sheer number of cheeses and enjoy picking ripe figs from the ancient tree in my garden. Frequent flier miles and extravagant wine dinners have been replaced by a camera, a notebook, and the discovery of hidden places in Europe, far from tourist attractions. A hectic life of “doing” has given way to one of “being”, watching and listening to the luminous waves break on the shore of my pink granite beach. With my husband Stéfane and Sammy, I take long walks surrounded by the smell of white jasmine in the spring, followed by sage and rosemary in late summer. The olives ripen in autumn, then winter brings a sparkling sea under the incredibly blue skies of Provence.

I’ve been lovingly supported yet sometimes rejected and ridiculed on my journey of faith and identity, which began with an unplanned visit to Lourdes in 2022. With no regrets, I remember the past, try to live in the moment, and look forward to the future with hopeful anticipation. I wish you the best in your own journey, and remember to give yourself permission to be joyful.