Je Suis Charlie March of Millions.

An amazing display of solidarity and a testament of the unfailing human spirit.

I was in Paris for 5 days. I’m not sure where to begin, so I’ll just start at the end.

On our second to last day in Paris, we packed up everything in our hotel and taxied 10 minutes to a Parisian flat in Rue Amsterdam. Mid-packing and schlepping to this new place where we’d only be staying for 1 night, we questioned if the $250 a night was really worth the hassle. It certainly made more sense to stay put, especially since our hotel was right on the Champs-Élysées. But the taxi stopped, and we found ourselves in front of an obscure red wooden door in the middle of a busy street. Inside was a little courtyard where an old French lady helped bring our luggage to a flat on the second floor. And stepping into our Parisian flat, with the french moldings, high ceilings, and a view overlooking the main street, we knew it was definitely the right decision. For the next two days, this beautiful Parisian flat was ours.

The last two days that I spent in Paris was quiet and uneventful. We spent a good amount of time trying to find a chocolate shop (it had started drizzling mid-walk) where we bought a lot of chocolate and old-fashioned macarons. & I cut my hair. But most of it I think, was spent being present in this beautiful Parisian flat wondering if I would ever be able to live in Paris one day.

London was cold and dreary but clean and schmancy. It was our 2 day break from intensive touring & we just afternoon tea-ed, shopped, & sat on a tour bus all day with an old tour guide who had quippy remarks about the city delivered in a perfect English accent.