Merci Beaucoup, Paris!

Thank you, Paris, for being everything Anh & I have dreamed of for years! We thoroughly enjoyed our amazing week in the City of Light and have now returned home and are readjusting surprisingly well to reality. I think the most shocking aspect of the adventure was how well I coped with jet lag and the 6 hour time difference. I usually struggle when we travel to a different time zone. Even visiting the West Coast wreaks havoc on my internal clock. So, I was very worried about how well I would be able to function in France.Anh and I had a game plan to tackle the jet lag issue. We would take allergy medicine during our 8+ hour transatlantic flight to Paris to feel drowsy and aid with sleep. That way, when we landed at 6am in Paris, we would feel refreshed and ready to start our day. Of course, we didn't account for the adrenaline rush and our general excitement neutralizing any effect the allergy meds might have had on our systems. We were wide awake the entire flight, but luckily, the adrenaline rush continued for most of our first morning in Paris. We managed to stay awake until shortly after dinner, and then crashed until 3am. After a short nap from 5am - 9am, we were off running and didn't slow down until the morning of our return flight!

Rue de Universite - Our address for the week.

As luck would have it, Anh was seated across the aisle from an older gentleman that developed a strange habit of glancing at Anh every 5 minutes throughout the duration of the flight. It was extremely odd given that Anh's seat was actually angled behind the man requiring him to turn and look over his shoulder to directly view Anh. I have no idea why the man seemed so captivated by Anh, but at times, I confess it was very unsettling. Thankfully, the man did not follow us to baggage claim. After one final glance as we exited the plane, he went on his own way. Weirdo!

Hotel Lenox St. Germain

The Lobby

The Lounge

View From Our Balcony

The cab ride to our hotel in the St. Germain neighborhood was a wonderful introduction to Paris. The streets were deserted so early in the morning, and we were able to marvel at the architecture of the buildings and monuments as well as witness the undisturbed natural beauty of the city's tree-lined streets. Our hotel was ideally located in the 6th arrondissement close to restaurants, boutiques, and both Musee d' Orsay and the Louvre. Seriously, we could not have asked for a better location.

Our View of The Louvre

We quickly realized that almost every Parisian under age 50 speaks English, and that was a huge relief. While Anh had learned a few key phrases and I had learned some basic etiquette, we were far from prepared to converse in French. The language barrier we had anticipated never proved to be an issue. The city's Metro (subway) and RER train system was also surprisingly easy to navigate. Yet another huge relief!

Musee d'Orsay - A Couple of Blocks Away

Our week in Paris was as close to ideal as one can realistically expect. I wish the same could be said for the journey home. The transatlantic flight was 10+ hours thanks to the headwind, and we discovered as soon as we boarded that the third person seated in our row was extremely, extremely intoxicated. I'm shocked he was even allowed to board the aircraft! After a brief profanity-laced outburst he passed out and remained unconscious for most of the flight. Whew!

The real "fun" actually started when we landed in Atlanta for what should have been a 2 hour layover. Two hours turned into 4 thanks to some wicked weather, and as we were finally about to race down the runway for takeoff, the captain announced over the intercom that one of the engines was experiencing problems and we would need to return to the gate to assess the extent of the problem. Not what you want to hear when you've been awake 19 hours and simply want to sleep in your own bed!

The plane struggled to even return to the gate. A loud screeching alerted everyone to just how serious the problem might be, and then we stalled on the runway and I had brief feeling of excitement as the possibility of exiting via the inflatable emergency slide crossed my mind. Sadly, that opportunity never materialized. The pilots were able to restart the engine. Surprisingly, the repair technicians seemed to complete the necessary repairs within 20 minutes. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the repaired paperwork.

By the time we made it home and to bed, we had been awake for over 24 hours. A truly miserable experience that resulted from our decision to avoid napping during the flights so we would be able to fall asleep without issue. On the bright side, the plan worked even if it was a bit delayed. Ha! All in all, if jet lag was the worst of our issues, I'd say we were really lucky. We had an amazing adventure with two of our best friends and will have memories to last a lifetime. Who could ask for more?