The Truth About Paris

After 6 long complicated years, Paris feels a lot like an annoying ex-boyfriend.  Whenever I hear its name, I want to turn around and run the other way.

It started out so well: I was completely charmed by its endless culture, vibrant energy and never-ending beauty. But the honeymoon phase didn’t last long, and I was soon exhausted from running from one place to the next (never fast enough!), fed up with the fighting (on the Metro, with the postman, with the baker!) and overwhelmed by how my bank account had an endless hole in it (outrageous rent, obscene restaurant bills....).

And – no matter what Gossip Girl or the movies say about Paris – you cannot drive from the Eiffel Tower to the Marais mid-weekday in 5 minutes and there are ZERO 20 year-old-buff waiters wearing D&G designer pants waiting to whisk you off to some secret club on their motorcycle.

Even though my love affair with Paris is f-i-n-i, I am still quite enamored with France and am headed to Lyon to give it a go. It is the gourmet capital, after all, and major wine regions are all within a short driving distance, meaning I can count on good food and lots of alcohol to get me through if another city breakup is in my future. Yes, I know, that like an ex-boyfriend, there is always a risk that I might one day get sucked back in by Parisian charm and end up right back where I started. But for now, I hope that Paris and I do not cross paths again anytime soon.

You never know until you try! Fingers crossed...