Trip to Paris

In celebration of turning 40 this year, I decided to treat myself to a solo travel adventure to Paris, France. I have always wanted to go to Paris. During my year at Bible College in Sweden (www.holsby.org), I was unable to travel to France because visas were required due to some unrest in Paris at that time. In addition, there was a train strike, so our Inter Rail pass would not allow us into the country. A couple of years ago, a friend of mine recommended I read, "Without Reservation," by Alice Steinbach. Alice was ( and still is) a journalist who took a year off to travel Europe. She spent 6 weeks living in Paris. The book is a memoir of her travel journey as a newly discovered independent woman. I found the book inspiring and it made me want to travel to Paris even more. I love her stories of the encounters she has with strangers and the impact they made on her life and her search for who she was away from the people and things that defined her. I am a romantic at heart and long to explore this city, filled with such a rich history. I decided to travel alone. I never thought I would ever want to travel alone, but here I am, embarking on a solo travel journey! I guess I want to prove to myself that I can do it like I did when I was nineteen. I also want to face my fears that have crept up on me with age. I long to just be able to be me with no expectations put on me. I long to walk and explore with no particular agenda and allow all my senses to be awakened. I long to meet the locals and meet visitors like me from around the world, who are all on a journey and have a story to tell. I want to hear their stories. I long to live in the moment and cherish it for what it is not worrying about tomorrow. Like Alice, I want to "learn how to stop rushing from place to place, always looking ahead to the next thing while the moment in front of me slipped away unnoticed." (p.13) As I enter my 40's, I too realize, " in the end, what adds up to a life is nothing more than the accumulation of small daily moments." (p.13) I am excited for God to reveal more of Himself to me in those daily moments!

Yesterday afternoon, I drove downtown Oshawa to pick up my plane ticket at Kemp Travel. ( www.kemptravel.com. Just a side note, if you need a travel agent, Ranka Matejic at Kemp Travel is amazing!) Downtown Oshawa is not the downtown I once knew, but is slowly changing thanks to some new business' such as Isabellas Chocolate Cafe ( www.isabellas.ca ). There are some interesting people on the streets of downtown Oshawa! I clung tightly to my hangbag and walked at a brisk pace as I headed to Isabellas for a coffee and to look over my itinerary. As I waited for the light to turn green, I saw a drug deal take place on the corner and saw a homeless man head into Isabellas too! I finally arrived at this quaint cafe and ordered my coffee. The homeless man was off to the side talking, I thought to the owner, but apparently not. He was holding a red rose in his hand and muttering something about lost love. My coffee in hand, my Paris itinerary in the other, I was ready to immerse myself in the moment and allow my thoughts to drift away to my impending holiday. I sat at a wooden table near the window where the sunlight was streaming in and warming me up on this extremely cold day! I quickly took out all of my Paris paraphenalia and let my mind wander off to that distant land ( I told you I was a romantic at heart!) when my thoughts were interupted by the homeless man's conversation with the owner. He apparently wanted to return his red rose that he bought at Isabellas because the woman he bought it for turned him down and told him it was too much!! He continued to ramble and the owner was gracious in his dealings with him. Unfortunately, he could not return the rose, so I spoke up and told him he can treat himself to the lovely flower!! Eventually this man stopped talking about his lost love and began chatting it up with his friend, who also appeared to be homeless. I was very distracted and was unable to get back into my romantic space, so I decided to pack up and leave. At first I was ticked because I wanted to just enjoy this moment in this quaint cafe, but then I realized it was selfish of me to have those expectations. These men were just enjoying this sunny, cold winter day in February too!! I guess I was just uncomfortable with who they were. I needed to let go of those preconceived notions I had and needed to see those homeless men for who they were- who God created them to be - and enter their world. ( while being safe and smart:)) Isn't that how I want people to see me...for who I am, quirks and all, with no expectations placed upon me, allowing me to be me, the me God created! Here's to my travel adventure in Paris and to an unforgettable voyage of self discovery as I enter a new stage in my life!