New year, new adventures

I was a lucky girl and got to start 2012 off with an amazing trip to Paris and seeing a wonderful friend:) I had to be a little creative in how I got there, but managed to leave Wednesday after work and caught a flight to Dusseldorf, Germany. Even got business class! That was quite a treat:) I guess I'll take a mimosa while we're waiting to take off haha. And who knew you could get a fabulous beef tenderloin dinner on a plane? I got a little sleep and also watched the movie Colombiana...it was decent, but not as good as I was expecting, in case you were wondering. From there I made the very first flight to Paris. I chatted with many friendly people along the way (yes, the French!). They helped me figure out how to take a bus into the city and then the metro to the apartment we were renting instead of an expensive taxi. Upon arrival I had a little trouble actually getting in the apartment, but a couple young kids and the neighbors were so sweet and called the "landlord" person, and soon I was all set. Morah didn't get in until later, so I caught a little nap and then headed out to pick up a snack at the local grocery store. Once she arrived, we went to a local cafe and had a really good salad where I got my first taste of some real French cheese....delicious.

Our B&B French apartment 

Where my bus dropped me off in the city...not a bad start!

The next day was Friday and we walked ALL over Paris. A little rain did not stop us from seeing some incredible sites, including the Luxembourg Gardens, St-Suplice, the Pantheon, and Notre Dame. We warmed up with a coffee and some famous French macaroons, which if you haven't had, you MUST try sometime. Melt in your mouth good. We also took a little break to see an old Audrey Hepburn film at a small French cinema near the Saint-Germain district. From there we headed to the Louvre, where we were able to get in free (!) and see the Mona Lisa, Aphrodite and more. We had a late European style dinner at another small cafe in the Latin Quarter. After that we stopped to get some gelato (of course ) and then checked out a jazz-funk band playing in this bar basement...was a pretty neat venue, with super old stone walls. It felt almost cave-like. Our last stop (or attempted stop) was this salsa club, that we proceeded to get kicked out of because we bought one 6.50 euro soda and then just a glass of (free) water...those people were terrible. I was so angry. But oh well. Better not to be in a place like that!

 Luxembourg Gardens

 Fountain in front of St-Suplice

Bar in Saint Germain

 Small French cinema

 The Louvre pyramid at night

 St-Suplice

The Pantheon 

Notre Dame

The Mona Lisa

Saturday was New Year's Eve and we walked all over Paris again, came across a huge local market, saw the Musee d'Orsay, found a few great pieces at this local vintage boutique, and picked up some food to make ourselves a fabulous dinner at the apartment. After a little nap, we got ready to head out again and this time went to the Eiffel Tower. Tons of people were hanging out on the grounds and it had a fresh, exciting atmosphere. We saw fireworks and the tower light up at midnight and then went to a bar with some newly made French friends. From there we wandered the streets a little, as they were packed with people, and just took in the experience before returning to the apartment.

Homemade NYE dinner 

"Locks for love" bridge 

Bridge overlooking the Musee d'Orsay (on left) 

Tuileries Gardens 

Local vintage boutique 

Street market 

Eiffel Tower at midnight!

The next morning we slept in a little and then met Morah's friend for coffee at a cafe looking out at Notre Dame. We explored the nearby famous Shakespeare and Company bookstore...so incredible. Floor to ceiling books everywhere you looked. We also walked to the Tuileries gardens, saw several palaces - L'Elyses, the Petit (not so petite), and the Grand, as well as Les Invalides. We were so exhausted by the time we got back to the bed and breakfast, we just stayed in and chilled, packed, I checked flights, etc.

Morning coffee

Inside Shakespeare and Company

The famous bookstore

Petit Palace

Grand Palace

Les Invalides

Monday I was up early, a little before 5, to get ready to go and grab a quick breakfast. I caught this special bus to the airport (barely made it! but got helpful directions along the way to the exact stop). At the airport I was really lucky and got on the first flight to JFK! Everything else looked way oversold, so I had been a little nervous. Some good snacks, a solid 4 hour nap, and the movie Friends with Benefits passed the time quite nicely. I faced a long customs line in NY and had to wait for my bag, so I didn't make the first flight from JFK. But I got listed for the second, had a few snacks at the SkyClub, and then realized I wasn't going to make any of the JFK flights, so instead had a little run around and took the bus to LGA, where I got on a 4:00 flight back to ATL, thanks to bypassing security lines! I met some nice people on the flight back too! Dinner was complements of Whole Foods since I was too tired to actually make anything. I guess being up for 24 hours will do that to you haha. Then it was time to sleep. Definitely. Tuesday was back to work and boy that was a struggle! Hard to go from walking all day around a beautiful, historic city to sitting and being in the office for 9 some hours all day. But then again, that's what gives me such opportunities to see the world. So worth it.

I feel very blessed for all that came my way in 2011 and look forward to many new adventures this next year. Just living and loving life:)