"I vant to be alone..."

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I'm about three weeks into the planning of this trip. About a week after I began the process, I sent an e-mail out to friends and family letting them know about my endeavor. I've really enjoyed the reaction; people get so excited about traveling! My mom and aunt will be joining me for a week and my husband is also coming out for a week. Others have asked - or hinted😊 - but I have to stay firm and say, "NO! I want to be alone!"

I was in Paris for a couple of days in 2000 and absolutely fell in love with it. It's like nowhere I've ever been and it exceeded my expectations a hundred times over. I've wanted to go back, and knew that I would, but I guess I never really thought about it seriously until last month. There's a lot to plan when you're going to be gone for a month! Like - what's my husband going to think? How will the kids react? What's my boss going to say? Where will I stay, how much will it cost and, is it possible to learn passable French between now and then? One hurdle at a time...

My husband was reticent at first, but is now very supportive of the whole idea. It will be his first trip overseas, so I'm looking forward to sharing that experience with him. The kids (17 and 14) were fine; more interested in what we were having for dinner that night, actually. 😊 My boss was surprisingly great about it - things were definitely moving in the right direction!

As far as where to stay - I looked at hundreds of different apartments, bed and breakfasts, and hotels, but I couldn't find the right one. I really wanted something near the Seine and sort of at the heart of the city - but everything is sooo expensive! By accident I found the name of a man who has several apartments in Les Marais, St.-Germain des Pres, and Quartier Latin. I tossed my budget out the window when I saw these apartments - they're beautiful!

I chose a studio in St.-Germain des Pres so I can walk to just about everything - it's fabulous! And, can I just say how much I love Google Earth?!? It took me right there so I can see where I will be in proximity to everything else. It's amazing to me how technology has changed the way we travel!

Anyway, I have the love and support of my friends and family and I have a wonderful apartment to stay in. Now - all I need to do is learn French - aucun problème!

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