Week 1 : Send for our things, we are never leaving…

Each morning starts like the last, the sunlight creeps through the edges of our black out curtain and crawls across the bed, slowly lighting our cozy room. Len is usually the first one up. He pops out of bed ready to happily greet the day…or his cartoons, we will never know. And me, still trying to hold onto each minute of sleep I possibly can, while trying to stop him from completely smashing his brother laying right next to him in bed, has been a new challenge. Learning to share a bed all together takes some time and sacrificed sleep on my part, but I wouldn’t change these sweet moments. Having these two in bed with me is like having them in my belly all over again—so close and precious.  

As the first week has come to its end, I must say, “DAMN, that went great!” I really tried to have no expectations on how the transition from home life to, as Len calls it, our “Paris home” life, would be. I knew we’d have some adjustments, but we really did settle right in and made a nice routine, you know, just about 9 hours and 5,192 miles from our usual spot. It has been over and above what hoped for.

The first couple days started with hitting the high points—Sacre Cœur and the Eiffel Tower, of course—and the rest of the week just fell into perfect place. Mornings are typically slow but we always find our way out and about somewhere, usually a park. This city has so much to offer, and now with kids, it’s like seeing it in a whole new way. We are staying in a part of the city I am pretty unfamiliar with but have already fallen for. It’s quiet and feels like you are out of the hustle of the most popular spots of the city, but a quick stop or two on the bus in any direction and you are right back in the bustle of it all. This neighborhood also feels so safe which is a huge relief when traveling alone. The small shop and restaurant owners on our street are starting to recognize us as we walk past each day, which brings a really nice local feel to the trip so far.

Speaking of buses, I have been pleasantly surprised how much we have used them this time around. In the past, Daniel and I exclusively used the Metro, but with 2 kids, a stroller, a purse, and sometimes groceries…the bus has truly become the MVP of Paris: Toddler Edition. When riding the Metro, I have to hold Brin, then pop down the stroller to carry it through the turnstile, down the stairs, through the halls, and back up the stairs when we exit… to say it’s a lot would be an understatement. Oh and nevermind the stress of making sure they stay back away from the tracks while we wait and don’t touch anything (the metro is a very dirty place). With the bus it’s so simple…I just push Brin right on, he rides in his stroller and Len and I find a seat close by or just stand. Also, I love being able to see the city as we ride around, it makes for such a scenic and enjoyable journey. It also gives me a better bearing of where we are and how the arrondissements, or neighborhoods, all connect to each other. 

I really only have a few complaints about the buses. First off, the bus drivers drive like maniacs. And I mean it—maniacs! Stopping on a dime and then pedal to the metal. Not all of the drivers are like this but definitely most of them. Secondly, it can sometimes be confusing to know which side of the street my bus is going to arrive on or what direction it’s going, but I think with time that will become second nature as I become more familiar with my surroundings here. And lastly, the closures and route terminations *palm to face* Sometimes a specific stop is not operating and there is not always a sign posted to indicate that. We have waited a few times, just sitting at the stop, for a bus that aint comin’. And with two fussy kids and my tired feet, it really fires me up. We’ve also had a few buses just end their route and kick us off without much warning. Luckily, there’s usually another bus going in the same direction not too far behind, but it can be very unexpected and confusing when you don’t understand enough French to know what’s going on aside from, “get off!” Thank goodness for the Paris bus app, Bonjour RATP, and Apple maps to get us back on track. All-in-all though I am so thankful for the ease of the bus lines, how frequent they do come, and how we can get around the city with minimal expense and difficulty; plus, the boys love it!

Those of you who follow my social medias may have seen by now, we are not missing out on the delicious, and I mean delicious, foods that Paris has to offer. I have never had a kitchen while I was staying in Paris, since we usually always stayed at Hotel Boronali. But obviously, with such a long trip, doing an apartment stay was the cheapest and easiest route for establishing a regular lifestyle here. The food we have been buying and making at home has been so unbelievably good. Since I don’t have a full pantry of spices and ingredients, I have kept all my cooking simple and, honestly, with such great produce it’s easy and really delicious. I also forget how tasty and full of flavor the fruits and veggies are here, will definitely be one of the things I’ll miss the most when we leave here.  

We have also found our Home Patisserie *heart sings* Boulanger Patissier- O’Délices. Every day or so we stop in for a fresh baguette, Pain au Chocolat, and maybe a tarte framboise. If I wasn’t walking 4-5 miles a day, I could never sustain this amount of treats or bread we eat… or maybe I just couldn’t justify it. It also just feels so nice to go into a place and the people recognize you. I’m sure by the end we will have a nice little friendship going on. It’s also so fun to introduce the boys to all my favorite Parisian treats; I have a feeling my macaron obsession may be passed down to these two.

We have Facetimed with our family a bit and I really hope they notice the joy and happiness we are experiencing. It’s been a bit of a challenge to find times to catch up given the time difference but we are doing our best. It has also been hard to be away from Daniel and adjusting to parenting alone, but technology has made the distance a bit easier. The time difference, again, is challenging though, since he either has to stay up pretty late to talk with us or we have to talk when he’s at work, which I don’t think they love. I know he will be here before we know it, so this little time zone difficulty is well worth it.

After week 1, Len’s “Bonjour” “Merci” “je m’appelle, Len” are getting stronger everyday, as well as “un pain au chocolat, s’il vous plaît.” So I think we will never be going home now. Send for Daniel, we have found our spot!

More to come…