A walk about Paris will provide lessons in history, beauty, and in the point of life.—Thomas Jefferson
Greetings from Pah-ree! We arrived at 6:45am after a smooth flight across the Atlantic. Belle snored throughout the journey and I read Long Story Short—a fun read from a dear friend.
After dropping our bags at the sweetest pet-friendly AirBnB (top photo is our bedroom view of Sacre Coeur) complete with a bathtub and fireplace, the three of us wandered through Montmartre for a few hours with buzzing fuzzy heads, courtesy of jet lag.
At one point I asked Tim if the cafe was moving. You know, like how in NYC you can feel the subway rumbling below many street level establishments. He assured me it wasn’t. I think remnants of the plane’s movement remained in my body and, well, I was slightly delirious from no sleep.
After one more cuppa tea (shown below) at a sidewalk cafe, we headed back to the apartment to regroup before returning to the streets to flâner tonight. And here we are. He and Belle are snoring away in the room next to me and I have visions of crawling into that tub.
Since 2012 I’ve come to Paris annually to study, teach, and explore. It’s my annual dose of creative inspiration. With the transition this year and so much unknown most of it, I wasn’t able to make any big plans. Instead I was circling in tough decisions and muddy middles, unclear of what lay ahead.
So once the studio sold late summer, the first things we did was book this trip to celebrate new beginnings and visit the City of Light before 2017 was over.
Considering how much this trip means to me, similar to a yoga practice, I like to set intentions at the start. An intention is a short-term goal to stay mindful of throughout a yoga practice, adventure, or even family meal (hello upcoming family time).
What do I want to gain, experience, and let go of? How do I want to show up? What wants attention?
That’s why I chose the Thomas Jefferson quote at the top. I have no “goal” here. I’m not leading a retreat or going through a checklist of sights (although I do have my eye on the Dior exhibit and Monet museum), I’m simply here to savor. To take in the lessons in the point of life. And that is my intention. Bisous. x
P.S. Many of these lessons will be part of our Year of Tranquility. I hope you’ll be able to join us on this yearlong adventure. Thanks to all who have signed up. We have a truly magical group so far!
