J'adore Paris

It's still hard to believe that Jeff and I went to Europe together this summer. Going to England and France was just something we talked about doing one day when the kids were older . . . it was a distant dream. I am so lucky I have a job (and lots of Sky Miles) that helped make it a reality. Finally . . . here's some of the proof.

After the meetings in Munich, all of the Ancestry country leads then flew back to London for an International team meeting. Jeff met me there. Unfortunately, I worked late into the night he arrived and we took the 5am train to Paris (the front desk asked multiple times to confirm that we were calling at 1:30 in the morning for a wake-up call just 2 1/2 hours later). We spent a fabulous weekend in Paris and then took two trains directly to Bath, in the heart of the Cotswolds. I'll provide more of the details, but for now I'm beginning with Paris.

If you've never been to Paris, and you want to know if you might like it . . . don't ask Jeff. I, on the other hand, knew as soon as we surfaced from the underground train station that I was going to LOVE Paris. I adore the beautiful old buildings that don't have straight walls, the bread and stinky cheese, the sexy women and their gorgeous clothes, the people that come out in droves to line the banks of the Seine with their picnic baskets, and the attitude that you should experience life and enjoy friends in the afternoons.

Sitting in the grass, watching the sun go down behind the Eiffel Tower had to be one of the most amazing things I have experienced. But, that's me . . . not to diminish my Paris experiences in the least . . . but, me loving Paris is similar to me loving sporting events and concerts. I thrive when I am surrounded by carefree people that are enjoying the moment. Those are the moments where I long to live. I love Paris.

Every night, people gathered to play the guitar, drink wine, and hang out with friends.

We took a boat cruise down the Seine to celebrate our anniversary. The timing was perfect. The sun set as we were on the boat.

Notre Dame was absolutely beautiful. My friend, Janell, told me that some of the most beautiful places in Europe were cathedrals and cemeteries. She was right. The details are stunning.

Jeff loved this sculpture with the man holding his own head. This one's for you, babe.

The Louvre. We were randomly flipping through a travel book early one Sunday morning and saw a note that said the Louvre offered free admission on the first Sunday every month. So, we were able to justify breezing in to just catch a glimpse of the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo - although we still had to walk a few miles and dedicate a few hours. The Louvre is massive.

We passed this poor little car every day. It never moved. It couldn't.

On the hour, every hour starting at dusk, the Eiffel Tower lights up for 10 minutes or so. That was my favorite part. It mixed my love for Christmas lights with Paris.

We met up with my friend, Mike, and his mom for dinner one afternoon as they were visiting Paris. Mike and I were friends in the MBA program and have worked together now for five years. It was really fun to experience a Parisian night all together.