It is true! You see, years back I was flipping through People magazine in the hair salon. My scalp was burning beyond comprehension, so I was trying to take my mind off the scalding redness on my head (more on that in another post) and instead pour my attention upon the words in the magazine. It was then a quote in an article caught my eye; it said:
‘Because I wanted your first trip to Paris to be with the one man who is going to love you for the rest of your life.’
I devoured the article; and the gist of the above quote was this: Gwyneth Paltrow's father wanted to be the first man in her life to take her to Paris. I found this to be so incredibly endearing. A father escorting his daughter around the most romantic city in the world because he wanted to show her exactly what true love is all about. It is forever, It is unconditional. It is safe. It is adventurous. It is beautiful.
A couple years later my husband and I whisked ourselves and our children to Ireland during their school's winter break. A typical scenario for us: Last minute vacation. Not much planning. Full of unique stops. In fact, my husband is from Ireland, and some of the things we did he had never even heard of...(see my blog post about Biddy and our Irish storyteller here )
It was as I was "planning" this fly by the seat of our pants adventure that I realized we were going to be in Ireland over Valentine's Day. This day is not a big celebration in our house; aside from making homemade fudge every year, so it initially did not register.
But once I remembered that Gwyneth Paltrow article from years ago, I screamed:
"Gordon, you can be the first man to take the girls to Paris! And I can take Sean!"
Of course he had no idea what I was talking about, but I quickly filled him in on the details. He was immediately on board. It was only a few days before our departure, so I was crossing fingers and eyes that we could pull this off. The only thing that was needed was a plane ticket, the rest would take care of itself.
See the signs that are leading you in a certain direction...
’We jumped on an early morning flight from Dublin to Paris on the morning of February 14th; Valentine's Day. The kids were full of excitement and to be honest I was pumped to experience this 24 hour experience. That's right, we only were going to be there for twenty-four hours and for certain we were going to make it count!
Our hotel was The Westin Paris, in the First Arrondissement. I picked this hotel because we only had 24 hours and it was near everything we wanted to see. When we pulled up to the front of this hotel our jaws dropped and it was the beginning of a love-affair with the City of Lights. I now understood why Bruce Paltrow wanted to take his daughter to this magical place.
We began in a French cafe and slowly made our way through Paris. We went to the Louvre and saw the Mona Lisa, and my favorite The Winged Goddess of Victory. We then walked the streets of Paris and shopped for chocolates (of course) and macarons.
Do what makes your heart sing!
I was lucky to get a fabulous photo of a woman riding her bicycle past Chanel (5th photo). I just thought it epitomized Paris in a picture. We then visited the Eiffel Tower, of course taking an over abundance of pictures and then a nice French meal with fabulous wine.
The kids were excited to make a wish and attach their locks to the famous bridge and were blessed to see the Notre Dame Cathedral before the fire.
We did so much in 24 hours and at no time did it feel rushed or not enough time. It was just the right amount. The purpose for this trip was to be the first to take our kids to Paris with the two people who will love them for the rest of their lives. Mission accomplished.
What was even extra special, is that this all went down on Valentine's Day. I even got a card from my hubby penned in French!
It was a wonderful experience and I am so happy we just went with it and made it happen. Living life fully and seeing the world has always been my life song.
We ended our visit with a cruise down the Seine River and this was definitely the perfect ending to a one day trip.
What is it that you talk about and gets you excited?
What is it that you wish to do?
Where are the places that you wish to go?
What are the signs that the universe is giving to you?
How can you begin to take one small step (or one giant leap!) towards where you wish to be?
There are things near and far that are meant to be had by you! To be seen by you!
So when you feel that pull to do something- Listen. Do it. Make it happen.
Joy is found in "hearing" your heart and acting upon what you deeply know is meant for your best life.
Live your words! Live your life!
Hello! My name is Lucie Dickenson. I am an ink slinging Jersey shore writer with a flair for fashion and a heart full of peace. I love to travel and everywhere happens to be on my list of places to go.
As a former full time worrier, writing became my outlet for healing. With a BA in English,a marriage certificate in Irish* and 15 years as a contributor and blogger, my writing helped me overcome debilitating anxiety and catapulted me into the world of helping others put pen to paper. I am a bestselling author and would love to guide you to become your best self through words- writing them, wearing them, reading them & living them. www.luciedickenson.com