About us
How three souls from across the globe became la vie en slow.
Thuy (twee) is a common Vietnamese name. I was born in 1971 during the Vietnam war. My father abandoned us when I was just an infant, my brother was two, and mom only twenty. Disgraced and destitute she contemplated suicide as American B52s dropped bombs on us. Amid the bombing she took us to a bridge with intention to drown out her pain in the waters below. Eight years later, she took us back to the same waters. This time not to end our lives but to save us. We were fleeing our country by boat. Refugees like us became known as The Boat People. We found safety in a refugee camp in Hong Kong and a year later, received sponsorship from Canada.
Antoine Blondin-Tessier was born in 1973 in a small mining town in northern Quebec. Francine Blondin was a feminist city college professor, wanted by authorities for anti-government activities before she went into hiding in the remote northern town. Jean Tessier was the town’s handsome, though emotionally-reserved, engineer at the mine. They separated when Antoine was a young child. Francine sent him to live with Jean when she fell ill. While Antoine struggled to get along with his father, his mother was fighting her own battle with breast cancer, a secret she kept from him for two years. He was 17 when she died.
William Saint-Narcisse was born in 1977 in Brittany, France to a French mother and a Vietnamese born, ethnically Indian father. Thérèse was a young woman from the French countryside. August was a military man stationed in the small town. Together they had four children and intermittently moved the family abroad, then back to France, then abroad again. Will was exposed to various cultures at a young age having spent his childhood in French Guyana, Ivory Coast and Guadeloupe before following his older brother into the French army at age 16. Though the military was not his calling, it was the only option to escape chaos and tensions at home.
Antoine and I met in 2001 at the Montreal YMCA where I taught fitness classes. We began dating soon after. In 2004 I moved to Palm Springs, California where he had recently settled. We had plans to marry but our relationship dissolved in 2006. Remaining friends was a priority for us both. In 2017 while traveling in Spain, I met Will. An international romance ensued, spanning several countries. Three months later I returned home to NYC and invited both Will and Antoine to come visit. I was excited for them to meet.
As awkward as it was for a former fiancé to meet the new man in my life, it was also very heartening that we could all be friends, though it was not without struggle and at times intense conflict. But our love and desire to be in each other’s lives kept our friendship blossoming. Over the years Will and I continued to travel. Antoine joined us on several occasions. He loved our slow travel way of life and appreciated having an escape from the monotony of his own life.
There’s truth in the saying If you want to know someone, travel with him. Will and Antoine got to know each other deeply. They had a connection outside of me. As native French speakers, they shared certain commonalities in language and culture that I did not have reference to. Of course, there were the things that bonded the three of us, like wine and cheese, coffee and conversation, cooking, hiking and yoga – and more than anything, each other’s company. We spoke about starting a blog to inspire people to live slow. What would we call it? La Vie En Slow came to mind. It was fitting, as it was bilingual, and borrowed from the classic French song La Vie En Rose (seeing life through rose-colored glasses). Slowing down the pace of life so we can experience simple joys through a rosy lens suited our slow living philosophy. It soon became a catch phrase for us. Each time Antoine sighed at the stress of life, we all would look at each other and say la vie en slow.
LA VIE EN SLOW began in collaboration with Antoine. Our title is borrowed from the classic French song, La Vie En Rose. Life in pink, or seeing life through rose-colored glasses, a perspective that suited our concept of slow living. Fitting, also, as both Will and Antoine are/were native French speakers. In memory of Antoine, we strive to inspire and educate others on the importance and beautiful simplicity of living slow.
Thuy is a mindset coach & Tantric energy healer, a slow traveler & plant lover.
My experience of the world has changed considerably since adopting a slow living mindset 12+ years ago. From daily living, to work and travel, my life is my own. I love sipping coffee in my plant filled kitchen, or welcoming clients into my studio with a cup of home-brewed tea. I appreciate yearly travels abroad where I can rest and rejuvenate, bask in simple pleasures as I move with slowness in tandem with nature. Though I am in the deepest grief from losing my soul’s companion to suicide, I am grateful that slow living allows me time and space to care for my mental health and to grieve at my own pace.
Send me a message at: lavieenslow@gmail.com
Will is a poet, a mindful traveler & vibrational healer through didgeridoo & crystal singing bowls.
J’ai décidé de nager à contre-courant en privilégiant le temps à l’argent. Cette décision a nécessité des ajustements, des compromis & bien évidemment de la patience. Il m’aura fallu 12 ans pour ralentir et trouver le rythme qui a influencé mes choix professionnels, ma façon de voyager & tout simplement de vivre. Je prends mon temps le matin un café à la main, je passe les hivers au soleil & je privilégie les moments en famille. J’ai compris que le temps est précieux, qu’il n’a pas de prix mais aussi qu’il cicatrise. J’éprouve de la gratitude pour ce choix de vie qui m’offre l’espace pour faire face au suicide de mon chère & tendre ami Antoine.
Envoyez-moi un message à: lavieenslow@gmail.com
Antoine was an electrician, a yogi & great cook who loved wine, coffee & philosophical conversations.
Slow living for Antoine was making his famous ratatouille recipe or tending to his house plants while sipping coffee all day. If you met Antoine you would immediately know of his generosity, his corny sense of humor, his sensitivity, and how much he would welcome your friendship. It wouldn’t be long before he took you to a yoga class, brought you homemade soup, if you were sick, or offer to fix your electrical. Antoine’s kindness was boundless. That was simply his caring nature and his joys in life.
Slow Travel Connections
Our annual winter repose often takes us to warmer climates. When abroad Will and I aim to live like locals. Renting long term accommodations gives us time to explore our neighborhood and to know our neighbors. Taking public transport, learning the language, shopping and eating locally allows for authentic engagement with our environment. Antoine joined us on some of these occasions. The simplicity of slow travel exposed him to a different way of experiencing a place. His eyes opened and he wanted more. Sadly, no further memories will be made. We are grateful to life and to each other for creating these moments for connection.
Our first experience as a travel trio. Here, we stop for homegrown coffee in La Garnacha, Nicaragua – March 2018
At the height of Covid we meet in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico for a little holiday cheer – December 2020
Still in the grips of Covid, Mexico remains a safe haven. Here, we experience beach life in Celestún – February 2022
