by Rebecca Earley | Nov 15, 2014 | Inspiration |
It’s a dark Saturday morning in Paris, and I’ve been up since 7am all “bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.” I enjoy early mornings on the weekends, because it’s the one time of the week that you can wake up to complete silence and have nothing but freedom and a white space to think in front of you. As I was finishing my morning tea, I happened to glance over to the stack of books and magazines on my bedside/coffee table (it’s Paris, every room and piece of furniture serves a dual purpose to fit into a 22 meter squared studio). Sitting on top of the stack was the “My Paris Story” book. This copy of the book was actually mailed to me from a dear friend and co-worker from New York City, who asked me to return it to him signed. And then it hit me, the physical presence of the book. A book that I could touch and turn its pages with my own fingertips. I could not believe that it was real. November marks exactly one year since I submitted my chapter to Dawn, and the Paris Women of Success began the exciting journey to becoming best-selling authors. Except the only reason that I actually became a part of this amazing project is frighteningly serendipitous. I had actually already written my chapter two weeks before meeting Dawn, and without even knowing that the idea of the book existed. I woke up one Sunday morning with a burning desire to tell my story. I felt that it was my duty to share with the world that I had pursued my...
by Julia Willard | Nov 6, 2014 | Paris |
My first trip to Paris took place in 1999. I was with my high school group who had opted to join one of the French teachers on a quick tour of Paris followed by a two-week home stay in Provence. We had a mere five days in Paris, but Madame Miller was determined to show us ever major monument and any other pertinent site that we had no doubt already discussed in French class. Since that trip, my time in Paris has gone from that of a student to a tourist to a resident to a tourist to a studier of all things Paris to a photographer to a resident, and everything in between. My relationship with Paris is changing, and that is taking some adjustment. The physical adjustment, of course, is happening naturally, but this place that I once could not get enough of is not meeting all of my needs at the moment, and it’s proving mentally challenging to come to grips with that. I certainly never thought my feelings about Paris would change. As I decide what role I want Paris to play in my life, I enjoy reminiscing about the dynamics of our “relationship” over the years. This past month of October, I was tourist and photographer again, and the City was the backdrop for so many exciting things for me. One thing is for sure: whether it has a leading or a supporting role in my life, I am so thankful for all it has provided for me over the years in inspiration and as a...
