3:30 a.m. I probably shouldn’t read travel journals before bed. The excitement (and an aching shoulder) keep me awake. The journey. Paris. The details. How will I get to my apartment? My apartment!! I will live in Paris for just over a week. Rue Cler market near my new home. The little details swirl through my head. Can you drink the water? How will I avoid pickpockets? Bus or taxi? Will the drivers speak English?I see myself rolling my suitcase through the cobblestone streets. Lost or exploring? If I take the Air France bus, my stop will be the Arc de Triomphe. How perfect! It must be done. The grand adventure, awaited a lifetime, coming so quickly. Too soon? No. It is time.
The “before” details. Hair appointment. Pedicure. The right bag. A new journal. Shall I take my favorite pen? Absolutement! I need another camera card. A money pouch. Xerox my documents. Print out instructions. Contact Tess.
What will I plan and what will I simply allow to happen? The surprise. Oh my goodness!! The surprise and adventure of it all. My French is inadequate, but it will be fine. Little movies run through my head. I am encouraged by Alice Steinbach—another woman traveling alone. Shall I take my scissors & glue? Absolutement! French magazines and maps will become my journal. A visual of the time.
What will I do that first day? Walk. Stroll. Wash my face from the all night journey. See the neighborhood. The Arc de Triomphe. The Eiffel Tower. Mona Lisa. (Yes, I have heard she will disappoint and still I need to see her for myself, but not the first day.) Ice cream on the Ile de la Cite. Where will me by favorite café? My favorite patisserie? Will I brave going to dinner alone? Will I make friends? Shall I take tours or do it solo?
That is the fun. I do not have to decide. It is my trip. My journey. Without reservations…or at least with only the necessary ones…the plane and the lodging confirmed. I have two weeks now to prepare. Whew!! I need to get to sleep!
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8 comments:
Someone once said something like the planning is the best bit! I reckon you're going to have a fab time.
Where next? Rome? Berlin? London? The world is your oyster!
slow down, LH...i think i will see how this one goes before i start planning my around the world venture. (actually rome would probably be next. :-)
I'm feeling your excitiment...you will have SUCH a wonderful time!
I jotted notes as I read your posts in Google Reader … so you’re getting the whole shebang at once because it’s all time will permit.
Witness – Wonderful photo and poem! Thanks for sharing.
Imbolc – These are thoughts I’ve been having lately myself, though the term in the title was unfamiliar to me. Thanks for defining it and for sharing.
Vessels – Such rich images and powerful questions. I’ll be carrying with me as I walk with Molly in a few minutes.
Planning Paris – Spend as much time as possible in the Louvre. Those paintings we studied in books are SO BIG it takes a while to take them in and I hated to feel rushed. Wander the streets … eat and sip tea at sidewalk cafes.
Night time musings – Hmmm 3:30 am is morning for me … about the time I arise most days. Seems like you’re covering your bases … making lists … preparing. I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful time.
Hugs and blessings,
thank you, karen!
storyteller, it is always so fun to read your "catch ups". i'm not surprised 3:30 am is your time of day. you have lots of ground to cover it seems :-)
You crack me up, Lucy! Are you my twin?!
I can feel your excitement and I can feel myself getting excited with you...the first trip to Paris is, well, like a first kiss. It will never again be so precious, so anticipated, so exciting! I was floating on air with bliss and shaking with anticipation and nervousness during my first trip to Paris.
Paris is to be absorbed in through the pores...sensing it and feeling it rather than seeing and doing. When you sit at that cafe with that glass of French wine and write in your journal (or on your maps and guidebooks!) raise a glass to yourself for giving yourself this amazing gift!
my fave's were...meditating on the rose window in Notre Dame Cathedral, the Musee d'Orsay (which I preferred to the Louve), wandering and writing in my journal at the outdoor cafes in the Latin Quarter.
kate--i adored this response from you! i could absolutely feel myself absorbing it as i read. i have such a busy week and a half ahead of me, this was a wonderful little entrance back into the dream. thank you!!
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