À BIENTÔT PARIS
LEAVING WITH A FULL HEART AND BAGS AT MAX CAPACITY
9:20am and FedEx already came. Over the moon!
I took it as France’s way of making amends to this efficient American (c’est, moi), for all the times it’s been late or a no-show for me. (Just a tiny example of that. Oh, I don’t know… maybe my visa?!!! Which is still radio silent, and we’re creeping up on 9 months now that I’ve applied for it.) But on Thursday?, I graciously accepted that rare moment of punctuality as a formal apology and handed over my heavy @#$ bags to the carrier.
Leaving your home – for your home country – is a bit overwhelming to say the least. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve erupted in tears, or laughter, or rage, or excitement, or sometimes all en même temps this week. But on Thursday morning, after my bags were taken by FedEx, I finally felt a different sensation – relief.
This process of moving this time has required a lot more logistics – because, well, I’ve lived here. And over these two years, my friends and family have graciously brought over a bag (or twelve) for me with my things. Now, I need to get them all back and can’t take umpteen on a flight. Therefore, this time, the move has required a bit more creativity…
Asking friends who are visiting to check a bag of mine back with them to the USA (thank you to my sweet and willing handlers: Vivian, mama, and Elisa)
Scheduling — figuring out exactly when I’ll be around for a pickup, delivery, or both, and at what cost. Also, booking my flight and car for the day I leave.
Tape. Lots and lots of tape. I used 4 rolls of duct tape to make sure nothing bursts out of my shipped bags in transit.
Saying “yes” to help in carrying the 60 lbs bags down my windy and ancient stairs.
Countless steps on the scale and off the scale – with the bags and without the bags – to make sure none of them go over the weight limits for flights or shipping.
Organization – getting things to people or coordinating quick rendezvous for one last bisou, and finding the exact right ticket home.
So, you can only imagine that when I was given a “window of time” for Send My Bags to pick up — from 9am to 6pm on Thursday — it was a relief to say the least that they came within 20 minutes, and that I was able to enjoy some of my final hours of my Paris life.
HACKS THAT GET ME BACK TO THE USA
Buying a round-trip, even if I don’t plan to use the return flight. When I started to look up flights I saw that Delta was offering a one-way ticket for $2,000. De quio?! I couldn’t believe it. So I started checking round-trip options, just to see if the price would budge. Oh, it did. American Airlines (god help me, I swore I would never fly anything but Delta again, but couldn’t resist this steal!) was, wait for it.. wait for it… $770 round-trip. A no brainer! I secured it immediately.
Send My Bag – I can not express how lovely this company has been to work with. I will never not use them if I move to another country / across country / next door / or need to send a bag to a friend etc. The attentiveness in every detail and their client communication was super. They even sent me an email one morning to make sure I was “feeling confident about my upcoming pick-up because they noticed that I had logged into my account at very early hours” — which I did, on one of my many sleepless nights — But what?! What company does that??! How great! I felt so taken care of and understood by them each time I called (yes, I did call - 5xs , at least) to make sure I was tapping my bag properly, or securing the zippers in place, or ensuring the printed materials would be fine in customs. They had experience working with people who were terrified of shipping their personal, precious belongings. Comme moi! They were patient beyond belief and calmed me down!
Stoop Sale – This was one of the best things I decided to do too! By selling all of my goodies to friends, I have been able to kill two birds with one stone – pass along some of my collectables and gems to friends while too getting to smooch them for the last times: Selden, Betty & Thomas (kitchen goods), Ariel (1800s mirror, prized purchase since moving here), Cara, Kiel, Bowie & Stevie (the round rug we bought together and a few markers for their daughter that I snuck in), Emily (vases, coveted garlic grater and tupperware), Ellie (all of my bedding and towels), and a few more friends of friends pick ups.
SAYING À BIENTÔT
“I will only say à bientot, AC! This is not goodbye.” This was what Jaci (my ultimate muse) said to me as I hugged her farewell oop, I mean à bientôt, for the umpteenth time on Thursday night. And since, it has been the phrase that all of my friends here have said to me when we are leaving one another. They can’t bear to say goodbye – and I can’t either!
Hell, I just might be using that round trip after all. I miss them so much already!
These past ten days my cup has runneth over with yummy (figuratively and literally given the cakes, coffees, teas, meals, cookies, and beaucoup bottles of wine) moments with… Ellie (tears and hugs at Shakespeare & Company Café), Hélèn (eating every cake from Laïzé and drinking all the teas over deep heartfelt conversations), Cyril (an impromptu dance off to Britney Spears Toxic album at his chic home across the street from mine on our île), Jillian, Justine, & (new friend at the 11th hour) James giggles and smooches at Jillian’s 40th “Sparkle” birthday soirée (where instructions to “knock three times and say Studio 54” was the code to entering the BEST party of all time!), Sarah (where we ate chocolate and strawberry Japanese cake and drank matcha on the floor at Kiji), Miranda at Bel Horizon (where I got my final belly rub of her bun in the oven and a deep belly sob as I hugged her goodbye), My Margots at Barron (for the chicest, yet priciest, artichoke salad I have ever eaten, with a heavy side of belly-laugh!) and La Bonbonnette (where my other precious Margot and I decided meeting at 4pm, when they open, may sound off the alcoholic alarms, so instead we met later and found ourselves wanting to shut it down; we were so wrapped in sweet conversations and… gifts! She and her husband, Gabriel, gave me Where is the Cool - Food book. Can’t wait to crack it open!), Leah, Lash, Cara, and Céline Dion for the hilarious show, Titanique… And the list “goes on and on” (Céline pun – too good of timing, not to!)
Aside from also doing what I love best in this city – roaming solo on foot and on top of my favorite girl, James Chocolatine, I too took myself to Sylvia to see Cyril in action. He is retiring from the Paris Ballet Company this year and I will miss his final performance in July. Lucky me, I scored an orchestra seat at one of his performing shows with a perfect view of my handsome little silène. At the second intermission he brought me backstage where I didn’t dare take a photo of the inner workings of the set, but was amazed at the machine of people putting it together. I did however take a few selfies with my deer friend (ooop, another pun. Can’t stop, won’t stop this dispatch. He played a deer ;)).
On the cloudiest day, I bought a ticket to Musée de l'Orangerie and marveled at the permanent collection of Monet’s Waterlilies. It was a DREAM!
On the sunniest day, I got invited to the French Open which felt and looked like the US Open. Only this time, instead of the crowd yelling “well done!” They all shouted “bien joué!” and made horn sounds of Assembly of the Buglers over, and over, and over! We did do the wave though – that was the same. And, we ate ice cream!! Mais, minor difference. Sans American Dippin Dots – instead, we were served up that yummy European Grom Gelato.
PSA: Stop what you’re doing and look up Ethan Quinn. He’s the next Roger Federer – mark my word! We too saw France’s Luca Van Assche win against Timofey Skatov from Kazakhstan, where the talent (and grunts on the court) were unmatched (eeeek another pun! What is with me today?)
My last week in Paris was simply wonderful. I packed in so much — saw so many dear people, and soaked up the city in every way I could. I rode James Chocolatine for days (she even clocked 18 miles one day — miraculously, I wasn’t sore, just sunburned), wandered through my favorite rues and jardins, took in timeless art, and embraced both the beauty of her sunshine and the melancholy of her sporadic Parisian rain.
I had a final evening by the Seine — just me, the river, and ma petite bière — and went to my last yoga class with Shane, my favorite teacher at Rasa. At the end of his class, I announced it was my final one, and the entire room let out a sweet, collective “coo.” Yogis are universal — where our mats are our language. I’ll miss my Paris crew deeply: Elise, Tina, Alain, Chris, and Kris!
Other places I got to go to that are worth a link were: Restaurant Brigette, Bar du Moulin, L'Elysée Saint Honoré, Miznon, and Musée Carnavalet.
BON VOYAGE
I fly out tomorrow morning at 11am Paris Time (5am EST) and will arrive at my final destination, some 18ish hours later, at 10:37pm EST (4:37am Paris Time) – where my mama and my boodle nephew, Boggs, (who turned 13 last week! Mind blown!) are coming to pick me up. My father too has insisted that he will be making a drive-by when I get in, so as not to miss welcoming me back to the United States of America. Family reunion!
I am so looking forward to hugging them and seeing my girl, Goldie Hawn, who is doing so well from what I hear and see on my daily report (texts and videos or pictures from my mother). I can’t wait to lay eyes on her, hold that precious doggie of mine for as long as she’ll let me, and be back home.
Saying goodbye to Paris is something I never truly thought would happen. I came here for love and with a purpose — to transform my life and begin again in a place that would challenge me while also offering beauty and inspiration for building a future, perhaps even a family. Now I am leaving with so many stories I could (and may) write a book and looking forward to moving toward a new chapter… where everything at the moment is unknown… but possible! I can’t say for sure that I won’t return — Paris, after-all, has been one of the greatest teachers of my life and will always hold a piece of my heart. But what I can say is that now, it’s time to go back to the US, be surrounded by those I love the most and who love me the most too, work, find a home, and plant mes pieds sur terre (a new phrase that I learned this week meaning “my feet on the ground”).
Until next week when I will be reporting from America … bisous bisous et à bientôt!
Xxo ac
Welcome back
Your actual mama! 🥰