J'ai arrive!

I have arrived!

The day before I left was a challenge from hell. Everything went wrong. My credit card and ATM were not working and I do not have access to my travel money. My airline ticket had problems and the shuttle service moved up the pick-up time. I pulled an all nighter trying to get it together but I ran out of time. The shuttle arrived 15 minutes earlier than the new pick-up time so it was almost an hour earlier and I still wasn't packed! I threw stuff in my bags and pulled stuff out. They were heavy. Crossed my fingers that I wouldn't be over the limit and headed for the shuttle. Needless to say the couple who had to wait 15 minutes (since they were early) were not happy and the shuttle driver hauled ass to make up for lost time. It was then that I realized I misplaced my apartment keys. I could only hope they were rolled up in my coat that I stashed in my carry-on. I don't think things could have gotten much worse. Geez.

I arrived at the airport 4 hours before my flight! So I stood first in line (the only one in line) to wait for an hour before I could check in and be free of the luggage. I took that time to repack, find my apt keys and call my mother. At least it was productive.

Once checked in, I bought breakfast and waited to board. That's when everything changed. Boarding was easy. The flight was perfect. The shuttle was actually waiting for me when I arrived (a first) and although I arrived at the apartment early, the owner was there to greet me. He helped me set up my computer and showed me how to use the heater (never needed it before) and he was off on his motorcycle and I was back in "my" apartment. Everything went right!!

After I unpacked the plan was to get lunch and purchase groceries. Since I didn't sleep for about two days I thought I'd take a quick nap. That was at 1:30pm. I woke at 5pm just long enough to look at the clock then slept until 11:30pm. No surprise I needed the sleep as it as been months since I've slept more than 4 hours at a time. This should kick any jet lag I may have.

I am here and I am so very happy! A new adventure begins.

It's That Time of Year Again . . .

Yes, that's right. Guess where I'm heading. It's true. Time to return to Paris. This time it will be a working vacation. I am doing research for my "Traveling Solo to Paris" Workshop that I hope to launch in January along with a planner workbook to sell at the class. The workbook will be your guide to planning your trip from start to finish with lots of helpful info. There is so much information about Paris that people get overwhelmed and don't know where to start. This workshop will weed through all the info and help give a clear view so you can make more informed choices. Sounds like an ad for my class!

Besides that, I am also looking into teaching my How To Plan A Tea Party Workshop in Paris. I found a women's organization that offers classes and I will introduce myself to them and see where it will go from there. I will also have to experiment with the recipes I share as many ingredients are not available in France. Which means rethinking menu choices. One thing for sure, finding an amazing variety of teas will not be a problem at all!

And lastly, and probably most important, I am going to Paris on a shoe string. I have very little money but must return so I am looking at this challenge as another part of my research for the Traveling Solo workshop. I've travelled when money was not a problem. I've traveled on a budget and now I'll be on an extreme budget of about 50 euro a day (not including airfare/apt) --- that ain't much. I can be like Rachel Ray and her $40 a day show. Her's was meals only though not including everything.

I'm ready!