New Year, New You?
Before you shake the dust of 2020 off your feet and walk on, I’d like you to do something.
Category Archives: Living the Paris Life
Lisa in Paris
Is there anyone who hasn’t seen Netflix’s Emily in Paris? I put off watching it because I was sure it would be cloying and riddled with clichés—the Paris of Instagram […]
Lockdown in Paris: Day 4
A gorgeous day for a lockdown here in Paris. The sun is out; it’s warm. I have my windows open. Such a mood-booster. You have to embrace the good stuff […]
Lockdown in Paris: Day 2
Catastrophist \ kə-ˈta-strə-fist \ noun One who imagines the worst-case scenario as something so completely horrific that it borders on the absurd. A catastrophist usually starts by asking, “Yeah, but […]
Write with Me in Paris this June
Imagine you’re in Paris, staying in an historic home in a charming local neighborhood. You’re writing every day in a café or garden, being inspired by the city. You’re meeting […]
10 French Words that are Now Part of My Everyday English
They said it would happen but I didn’t believe them. Back when I was just visiting Paris, I’d heard some expat friends tossing random French words into their English conversation […]
Finding the Christmas Spirit in an Uneasy Paris
This holiday season in Paris was marred by weekly citywide violence that unfortunately became a regular part of the gilets jaunes (yellow vests) protests. To guard against further vandalism and […]
Paris, Four Years After Those First Bold Steps
Today in Paris, many shops were closed. The streets were nearly empty. But this wasn’t just because of the August vacations, where everyone leaves for weeks at a time; this […]
It’s Always No Before It’s Yes
I was having lunch with a friend in a café in the 3rd arrondissement, and she wanted a fruit salad but it wasn’t on the menu. Still, we were regulars […]
5 Parisian (& French) Habits to Adopt This Year
Living in France has expanded my life—and my thinking. And while, for this American in Paris, there are plenty of causes for eye rolling, like the bureaucracy and constant strikes, […]
Paris is Closed for Vacation
“Is anyone left in Paris?” I wrote on Facebook. “I’m so bored I could cry.” Bored in Paris you say? Well, yeah. It’s possible. Particularly, when it’s August, and all […]
In Paris, Christmas with a Little Cheese
“Don’t go to the Christmas village near Champs-Elysées!” my friend Fabien chided me in a message. “It’s so contre-facons, so fake!” Well, yeah. Sure. It’s totally cheesy. That’s the whole […]
How Paris Does Christmas
A few weeks ago, a friend posted this on Twitter: “Parisians: even though you’ve seen it in the movies, unless you ONLY hang out in midtown, NY doesn’t really do Christmas […]
Fixing a Leak in Paris Takes Only 18 Months
Well, it’s done. (I think.) The leak that leaked all over my Paris apartment has finally been repaired. I’m pretty sure, anyway. You can’t blame me for feeling dubious. This has been carrying […]
A Nomad in Paris, Part V: What I’ve Learned
Five months in the City of Light have come to an end. These last months were just the latest along this road I’ve taken, one where being uncomfortable and unsure […]
A Nomad in Paris, Part IV: Bright Lights, Loud City
Welcome to the third apartment in my journey as a nomad in Paris. And what a difference a few blocks makes. To catch you up, I’m scrounging around Paris for […]
The Longest Day (of Music) of the Year—Fete de la Musique
It’s past 2:00 a.m. and a 10-piece brass band is still kicking out the jams on Rue Crussol. The hoots and whistles of the crowd they’ve gathered bounce off the buildings in […]
A Nomad in Paris, Part III: A Tiny, Happy Place to Belong
Not caught up? Read Part 1, and Part 2. The last few days are winding down in apartment #2 on this nomadic journey of three Paris apartments in three months. The first […]
A Nomad in Paris, Part II: My Patch of Heaven
If you’ve read Part I of my nomadic journey, you know I’ve been kicked out of my apartment by a leak in a neighbor’s flat that has rendered my home unfit. […]
A Nomad in Paris, Part I
Back in August of last year, I wrote about a leak in my building that rendered my little Paris home uninhabitable—mostly because of high levels of dangerous mold. I had […]
