#5. My life is kind of boring
And I like it that way
“Your life must be so exciting in Paris!” friends who don’t live here say. “What do you do on the weekend?”
I smile, maybe let out a light chuckle. “I do the same things as you! I go to brunch, clean my flat, wash my sheets, run errands, do life admin, buy groceries, go out with friends, see a movie, take long walks, work out.” So yeah, the same things that most of us do — only I do them in Paris.
There’s a comfort in having a routine, in truly living life in Paris, where the things that were once extraordinary because I was doing them in Paris are now somewhat banal. That said, there are some unique aspects of the Parisian weekend — the run I do along the Seine, the groceries I buy at the marché, the fresh chausson aux pommes from my favorite bakery, the 6€ glass of wine from a natural wine bar — things that are not possible (or at least not easily accessible) anywhere else. There might be the equivalent in other cities, but it’s never quite the same as Paris. In New York, I had my run in Central Park or along the West Side Highway, the Union Square Green Market, and the bagel place I loved…but I don’t know anywhere you can get a decent glass of wine for $6.
And just because my life has become “boring” in Paris doesn’t mean it’s predictable. There’s always room for spontaneity, for, “Want to come over for Mont d’Or and drinks? Bring a baguette”, for, “I feel like seeing Musée d’Orsay today”, for, “I think I’ll ride the Ferris wheel in the Tuileries” — and then doing it. But for those who are curious about what my “boring” life looks like, here’s a peek at how last week shook out.
Most of my weekday mornings look the same. I get up at 7 am, write three pages for Morning Pages, then work out for an hour. I use the Peloton app for my workouts, combining strength or cardio classes for 20-40 minutes and yoga classes every day for at least 10 minutes. Sometimes I meditate. Last week I started the inversions program with Peloton, so I’ve changed up my workout schedule a bit.
I shower, make coffee, have breakfast, and get ready for the day. I work from home Mondays and Fridays, but otherwise, I’ll head to work around 9:30 am. My office is a 10-minute walk from home, which is almost too convenient. Here’s how the rest of my days looked when I wasn’t working:
Monday: I went for a long rambling walk over lunch to the Seine, and made dinner at home.
Tuesday: I met my friend C for lunch and coffee, and had my friend Stuart over to make vision boards, drink wine, and eat cheese.
Wednesday: I had lunch with colleagues, then after work, I went over to Stuart’s for a girls’ night dinner party (she cooked, Molly baked, it was amazing).
Thursday: I had a doctor’s appointment so I worked from home, then walked from my place to a restaurant in the 16th to meet Jessica for dinner. It was such a warm night, the Eiffel Tower sparkled across the river, it was lovely.
Friday: I met my friend V for lunch at Pink Mamma, grabbed coffee, and after work I went for a run along the Seine.
Saturday: I slept in, wrote, worked out, made pancakes, and went for an incredibly long walk all over Paris. I spotted kids trick-or-treating, stopped by L’Arrosoir to see friends, listened to an audiobook (“Year of Yes” by Shonda Rhimes, thank you Jocelyn for the rec), and met Sam for a coffee. Saturday night I met up with S and B for drinks at Liquiderie (I went to the cave, they went to the bar, I figured out we were not in the same place and walked to the bar). We met Davina and N at Le Rigmarole for a fantastic pizza dinner.
Sunday: I did not sleep in as much as I would have liked, but I wrote, read the next chapter of The Artist’s Way, tidied the flat, and took my book (“Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin) to Mook for an iced latte and dedicated reading time (I started media/reading deprivation week, a tool in The Artist’s Way, on Monday this week). I discovered a new-to-me street, caught an amazing sunset, and went to Kind Yoga for a lush vinyasa + yin yoga class.
My weekends are definitely a bit more interesting than my weekdays, but aren’t your days off more interesting, too, wherever you live? Is there something so different from my weeks or weekends than from anyone who doesn’t live in Paris? Maybe the amount I can walk in this city, but otherwise, probably not that much!
Today a friend who used to live here asked me what I love about my life in Paris. I didn’t know where to start. “I love the sunsets. I love the buildings. I love the cheap, good wine and the weekend marché. I love the healthcare and my flat and my friends here. But I guess what I love most is that Paris is just…where I do life now,” I replied.
I am constantly in awe of this city, and so incredibly grateful that I have been able to create an opportunity to live and work here, to have this place become my home. A couple of years ago, I went to a book event where Lindsey Tramuta signed her book “The New Paris” for me. She wrote, “To building a life in Paris!”
And that’s exactly what I am doing. Every day, living and building my life in Paris. Boring as it may be.
Trois Deux Un
Trois favorite photos from the week:
Deux recommendations:
Do the thing you’re nervous to do, but know you should do. When I read in “The Artist’s Way” that this week was media deprivation week, I got nervous. What would I DO with my time?! How would I fill it without books or articles or social media?!?! My anxious reaction told me that I probably needed this break more than I realized, that perhaps I was filling too much of my time being distracted by the external and could benefit from looking internally. I’m only on day 3, but so far so good. When I took away the thing I thought I needed, it has already become clear that I actually don’t need it. (But I still miss reading and audiobooks.)
Check out a museum. Musée d’Orsay is known for having a spectacular Impressionist collection, which I’ve seen several times, but today my jaw hit the floor when I spotted these Kehinde Wiley pieces. Wiley painted Barack Obama’s portrait, and these two pieces (An Archaeology of Silence) were unveiled at the Venice Biennale — a must if you ever have the chance — and are now in Musée d’Orsay for several months.
Un thing that made me happy: I took today off from work to spend time with friends who used to live here and are visiting for a couple of days. We met for lunch, visited Musée d’Orsay, and had dinner together. I love those friends who don’t care how much time has passed but are always willing to stay in touch and tell me when they’re passing through. I always make time.