As my Asian backpacking adventure draws near, I’ve been worrying more and more about the eternal question: “What am I going to pack?” So I thought I’d break down my packing list for you into several sections, starting with my mobile office.
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The Best Summertime Activities in Paris
Despite the utter lack of air-conditioning, Paris is a wonderful city in the summer. From the white-sand beaches on the Seine to the irresistible summer sales, there’s always something to pique your interest in the sunnier months. So without further ado, here are some of my favorite ways to beat ze ‘eat. (See what I … Read more
The Lunch Spots in Paris It Took Me a Year to Find
After spending a year lunching in the city of lights, I’d like to say I know my way around the food scene pretty well. Here are my nine favorite lunch spots in Paris that I visit again and again and where I send friends and family who plan to visit the city. Le Comptoir du … Read more
Happy 23rd Birthday to Me!
Hey everyone! Today is my 23rd birthday. Isn’t that exciting? The 22nd year of my life took me to so many places: I moved to France on a whim, stayed at a 200-year old French apple farm, visited my lovely cousin in Istanbul, drank lots of frothy brews in Germany (twice), shopped for my dream neighborhood in … Read more
Hot July: The Firemen’s Ball and Bastille Day in Paris
Bastille Day, or le quatorze juillet, commemorates the end of the monarchy in France and the beginning of a kingless French republic.
For the first time ever, I got to celebrate under the “bleu, blanc et rouge” of my adopted home country, and take part in the trifecta that makes up Bastille Day weekend: the Firemen’s Ball on Saturday night, the Military Parade on Sunday morning and the fireworks on Sunday night. (Well um… I actually didn’t end up going to the military parade but more on that later.)
Dear Paris: A Love Letter to the City I Finally Adore
Dear Paris, I have a confession. I didn’t love you at first. And I’m not really sure why. Maybe it’s because I associated you with loneliness, as I spent my first three Parisian summers wandering the cobblestone streets by myself. Or maybe it’s because I thought you were cold and uptight, that your citizens were too … Read more
Moments from a Weekend in the French Countryside
Last weekend, I escaped Paris to visit my friend Laura’s horse farm in the south of France. It was a weekend of muddy wellies, Earl Grey, good friends and big laughs. Laura, who hails from the north of England, has an English mother and French father who run a horse-riding school near Limoges. And even … Read more
The French Open for Beginners
While I may not be the sportiest/most adventurous of bloggers, I am really into tennis and used to play varsity in high school. So when a family friend visiting Paris asked me, “Do you like tennis? How would you like my extra ticket to the French Open quarterfinals?” I actually had tears in my eyes.
An Hour from Paris: the Beautiful and Tragic Château de Vaux le Vicomte
I headed to Vaux le Vicomte on a rainy Monday with my French host family, and if I were a Lonely Planet guide I would proclaim it to be, “The perfect day trip for those who tire of the crowds at Versailles and Giverny.” (Ahem, me.) And while the château is opulently beautiful, its most … Read more
The Most Parisian Park in Paris, the Jardin du Luxembourg
Spring is an undeniably beautiful phenomenon, especially when you live in Paris. After the long, overcast winter the sun finally shines, the flowers burst open in color and the city-dwellers stroll Paris’ many parks feeling a little… lighter. As I learned this spring, there’s nothing like feeling sun on your face after enduring months of living under eternally overcast skies.