The Paris Diaries

I had traveled to England and felt at home there but I’ll admit, I was curious about France, after all, Paris is the most visited city on earth.  I decided to be adventurous and join Lorie for the Paris 2024 trip.  One of the things I loved about A Taste of Paris™ is that it’s an instant group. This trip was the ideal solution for traveling by myself and allowed me to get that French stamp on my passport. 

I’ve known Lorie for over 15 years, when she taught regularly at McKinney Market Street.  I subscribed to her blog so I kept up that way and I’d always thought about traveling to France with her, after all, I am known as the Travelin Memaw.

Not only do I love to travel, but the people who know me the best say that I am a great cook and love spending time with my Grandkids. But mostly, I have spent my life caring for others.  Once my children were grown, I began volunteering and assisting others who needed comfort, respect, and basic necessities that we sometimes take for granted.  This is important for you to know because you will be surprised by what I learned in France.

As the trip planning started, we had Zoom calls, so we could get to know each other, this was good for me since I was traveling solo.  I have to admit on that first call, I was feeling a little anxious about fitting in and worried about feeling intimidated. Once I got to France, I was so pleasantly surprised. I did not expect to find common interests and family links with trip participants that would create these amazing threads that bind us together once back home and across the miles.

People talk about French people, especially French chefs being rude or cranky and all I can say is I was ready to adopt them by the end of the cooking classes!!

Not only did I check my bucket list, but never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined attending a class at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu, all I could think was how proud and excited my grandmother would have been for me.

The spectacular beauty of Paris was mesmerizing. I could not get enough of the sights and sounds of Paris, they transported me to a different time and place.

And the food, oh my, intricate flavors and simple goodness all on a grand scale.  The French can cook and I can’t wait to recreate the dishes we learned and tasted.  

Lorie does keep a determined cadence, traversing turnstiles and stairs and the absolute gift in this was, that I had the feeling of blowing the cobwebs out, both physically, and mentally.

I had quite an epiphany on this trip.  I realized that getting older is not the time to give up but an opportunity to try new things, dare to be bold, and live life fully. Being open to new things and new people has a tremendous reward, warm heartfelt attachments with memories that bind you together.  I came home feeling empowered with a renewed commitment to take the best care of myself.

We are meant to celebrate living, to honor the person we’ve become, and that God has made us to be.

Paris 2024 meant so much to me, that I decided to jump into the Provence 2024 trip too and I can’t wait for a fresh slate of new experiences. 

I guess in 2024, I’ll see France with Lorie Fangio and ATOP!

I’m so glad I made that call; I am still on Cloud 9 and forever changed. K.M.