Paris: Week One

Monday, January 6, 2020

Monday was the day of our budget flight from Lisbon to Paris! Unfortunately the flight was delayed then delayed then delayed. So instead of getting into Paris before dinner, we were still waiting for our checked bags at 7:00pm…

We had to take an Uber to my Airbnb because of the metro strike! When we got there I was so excited. We were exhausted, we were tired, and we were HUNGRY. Both of us just wanted to relax and get some good food. After climbing 6 flights of stairs, we got into the apartment and… it was not the same as the pictures. It looked like a dungeon. I wish I was exaggerating but it was scary. The size was about the same but it was disgustingly dirty, and clearly a less expensive unit. After arguing back and forth with the renter (apparently it was “recently renovated”) we decided to not stay there.

We spent the rest of the night stressing over where I was going to live, if I could even afford to stay here. Leaving Paris was never an option for me. If you remember, finding housing within my budget and close to work (hello metro strike) was difficult when I was looking 2 weeks ago. Now there was absolutely nothing on the market. So I submitted a few housing requests and tried to sleep…

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

Tuesday morning I had responses from 2 new Airbnb hosts – so I will be living in one apartment in the 18th for two weeks then move into one across the river for the rest of my time here. It was such a relief to find a replacement that day.

We walked around Paris exploring the streets. We had a long list of things to see in two days which we could only access by foot… We ended up walking a total of 28,000 steps on Tuesday. We had some delicious authentic french food and sat outside on a patio. We went to the Musée national Picasso-Paris which was wonderful. We then walked across Paris along the Seine to the Eiffel Tower to watch it twinkle at night.

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By the time we walked home, our feet were in so much pain. So we settled on a late night tapas dinner at our cute boutique hotel, Hotel Bienvenue Paris.

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Wednesday was a little day exploring Montmartre. It is such a great area of the city! We stopped in at the Dalí gallery which was fascinating – I would highly recommend getting the audio guide!

We ended the day by going to the Théâtre Libre to see “The Opera Locos”. I can’t remember the last time I laughed this much. It was absolutely hilarious, 5 ex-opera singers created a storyline using classic opera songs. The costumes were extravagant and the set design was so creative!

Thursday, January 9, 2020

Thursday was my very first day of work!

I LOVED IT! The team is so amazing, the “office” is in a co-working building. We have cute balconies, beanbag chairs, and a very relaxed dress code! Technically I set my own hours (Depending on the time/number of meetings I have) but typically people work from 9:30-6:30. Right from the minute I got there my manager gave me access to so many new event management software programs and told me that my job title is officially “Event Coordinator” (not intern). They made a full buffet breakfast to welcome me to the team and throughout the rest of my “First week” I have meetings set up with different key members of the team to understand their role, my role, and the company. I am so happy to be here already!!

After work (25 minute walk home) I met with my mom for a last dinner. We went to a cafe that is 30 seconds from my apartment (probably going to be spending a lot of time here).

The Airbnb I have booked for 2 weeks is tiny & adorable. If you stick your head out of the window at night you can see the Eiffel tower! It is on the 6th floor – yay free mini workout!

Friday, January 10, 2020

Friday morning was busy because we had issues calling the Uber for my mom to go to the airport because of the high demand for Ubers (metro strike ongoing).

I had a crazy busy day at work. If this is only my second day then I have no idea what my day will look like in three weeks! I had back to back meetings. I love how much responsibility I am being given and the way that my manager manages me (very independent work).

After work my coworkers invited me to go out for drinks! We went to a cute little bar that specialized in microbrewery beer. I got to know my coworkers a bit better. To celebrate the new year, one of the managers purchased a Galette des Rois (it’s a french tradition).

Also in more exciting news, my best friend from Port Stanley is visiting me this weekend! We were in french immersion in high school together and have always planned to travel together… so here we are – in PARIS!

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Xoxo,

Tara