Waking up in Paris like… 😍
When I first arrived in the city 11 years ago, a client flew ✈️ me out for a creative project. She met me at an apartment in the Alesia district and promptly claimed that we were going out for a walk “to help me get over the jet lag.” 🤷♀️ She showed me how to use the metro, shoved a book of tickets into my hand and said, “We will have dinner a couple of times during your stay.” And then my client disappeared. 👻 I had ASSUMED that I was going to be wined, dined, and toured around Paris. But, as my father used to say, when you “assume,” it only makes an ass out of u and me (Ass+u+me). I should have known better. 🙃
I spent each evening of that two-week stay desperately googling what I should see & how to get there. I would then promptly spend the rest of the next day lost in Paris with zero French language skills. But something in me shifted a bit, and through the struggles & challenges of working on that project, I started to fall in love. 😍
Over the years, my lows in Paris tend to be when she is so cold, wet, gray, and I am lonely. My highs often peak when she works her magic – a perfect day in the park with friends, an unexpected dinner party invite, or a secret that she reveals. I never feel more creative than when I am here. 🤩
Living in rural France has given me a new perspective on the city. No different from a couple that has been together for a long time, I can now better appreciate what she offers, how I can best work with her, & find a balance between the good and bad. 💕
Someone recently mentioned that they had had a poor experience during their last visit. Paris requires work. You cannot just show up as I did eleven years ago. Please don’t do that 😂. Not every restaurant is great, not every arrondissement is safe, and indeed not every interaction with the people who live and work here will be an Audrey Hepburn film moment. 🙄 But with a bit of practice, research, and patience, you might come to love her as I do.
TODAY’S SWIPE 👉 & SAVE 👇: The second in this series, I share a few “hidden” parks on the left bank with you! Have you visited any of these little treasures?
Bisous and big hugs 🤗!!