Weekly roundup 5: Moments and Memoirs – October 2-8, 2017

My fifth weekly roundup, y’all! My coworker told me yesterday that I get to start calling this a habit at week 6… and I’m ALMOST THERE!

This week included more lunchtime strolls and even a SUPER EARLY MORNING BEFORE THE SUN stroll on the way to a work event. As in, this project got me out of bed even earlier on a day when I had to leave really early. That’s a miracle! Please give me *all* of your how-to-be-a-morning-person tips so I can experience more morning strolls like this one!

I also blogged a bit—posted about our surprise wedding and have been working on a few other posts.

Here is a quick recap of some of my favorite moments and memoirs of the week:

1- I’ve been thinking about how I depict Paris, and how I WANT to depict Paris, a lot—the stereotypical stuff is easy, but it can also be really shallow. On the other hand, it has a place in my daily life and in my Paris story. So, I try to keep a balance.

I try so hard to see Paris through the details and different perspectives, but sometimes you just can’t keep from those stereotypical shots that bring you back to the moment(s) you feel in love with this city to begin with.

Life here is so much more than the Mona Lisa and the Eiffel Tower. In fact, I’ve only been to the Eiffel Tower twice since moving here. And the only time I’ve been to the Louvre since moving has been for work (coolest job ever, right?!). But those places, the images of those places, also helped me get through the hardest moments of my life, pushing toward the life awaiting me in Paris.

So, le Louvre, le Tour Eiffel, they are a big part of my “Paris story,” and will always be special, no matter how touristy they may be!

A post shared by MELISSA ╳ An American in Paris (@bonjour.melissa) on Oct 2, 2017 at 1:46pm PDT

 

2- This restaurant has my “name” all over it! I stumbled upon it on my way to a friend’s house and their logo stopped me dead in my tracks. Someone even ran into me on the sidewalk because I stopped so abruptly to take a picture!

This is basically an outline of my design business logo… as seen on the streets of the 10th. So, since they went to such extents to design their logo after mine *annnndddd* they have the same wallpaper that we had at our wedding (see my story!), the Universe is definitely telling me to check this place out! 😉 Dinner soon, @sdeflores ?

A post shared by MELISSA ╳ An American in Paris (@bonjour.melissa) on Oct 3, 2017 at 5:06am PDT

 

3- I BLOGGED ABOUT OUR SURPRISE WEDDING! It only took (nearly) a year.

Last November, we threw a surprise wedding disguised as a surprise birthday party for Jérôme. . The original idea was that it would simplify planning. It didn’t. But, it did make for a wonderful, unique and unforgettable weekend with our closest friends and family! So fun and zero regrets!

Annnd… I finally blogged about it! Link in bio!

@ingridlepan

A post shared by MELISSA ╳ An American in Paris (@bonjour.melissa) on Oct 3, 2017 at 9:57am PDT

 

4- Speaking of love, this is one of my favorite pieces of street art I’ve ever found in this city. So understated (would also make for a great tattoo!).

Moi aussi.

Love this simple street art in the 2nd arrondissement.

A post shared by MELISSA ╳ An American in Paris (@bonjour.melissa) on Oct 3, 2017 at 2:40pm PDT

 

5- I checked out a new farm-to-table lunch spot this week. It’s a favorite at our office (and we even get daily secret promo codes that are sentences we can use when we check out for a discount. One this week was “Vive l’été indien !”

This new lunch spot next to our office sources their ingredients daily from local farms and producers. I won’t be tasting these meats, but I love their concept and the salads are 👌. Yay for farm to table, even for takeaway lunches!

A post shared by MELISSA ╳ An American in Paris (@bonjour.melissa) on Oct 4, 2017 at 4:59am PDT

 

6- Had an early morning work event this week. Was able to explore the area around République and the Canal Saint-Martin a tiny bit en route. I LOVE Paris in the morning. I feel like being up and about before the rest of the world is kinda like having an exclusive pre-release access!

I am not a morning person (as in, I’m slow to rise).

But I *love* mornings. I love being awake before the rest of the world. I love watching the world come alive. I love getting a head start on the day.

But I’m *not* a morning person. Or maybe I am?

How can I become a morning person so I can experience more early mornings? Give me all your tips!!!!!!

More of my early morning walk to work in my stories. I was even able to leave a tad earlier to have a few minutes to explore en route!

A post shared by MELISSA ╳ An American in Paris (@bonjour.melissa) on Oct 5, 2017 at 4:50am PDT

More from my sunrise walk to a work event this morning. Took a quick detour to the Canal St. Martin.

A post shared by MELISSA ╳ An American in Paris (@bonjour.melissa) on Oct 5, 2017 at 10:17am PDT

 

7- I discovered a new street near my office. Fellow expat and blogger/Instagrammer Corey Frye tells me there is good coffee at the end of it. Now I have more exploring to do! (PS: check out his site and Instagram! He is one of my favorite feeds to follow both for the visual content and for the stories behind it!)

Lunchtime wandering. Taking time to explore.

It’s too easy to get in a routine and never check out what’s down the road across the street.

A post shared by MELISSA ╳ An American in Paris (@bonjour.melissa) on Oct 4, 2017 at 9:06am PDT

 

8- There was a movie being shot outside my office this week. I stumble upon camera crews pretty frequently around here.

This guy stepped out of his office to check out the action down below. (They were shooting a movie on the street this week!)

A post shared by MELISSA ╳ An American in Paris (@bonjour.melissa) on Oct 6, 2017 at 9:41am PDT

 

9- French bread is sacred. Check out the fun fact in the caption! 

Bread is a staple for nearly every meal. With boulangeries on every corner, we never eat bread that has been out of the oven for more than an hour or two. We never buy up bread in advance or save it for the next meal, either. Fresh bread is an institution and sacred here. You don’t buy it in a plastic bag at the grocery store!! 9 out of 10 French buy fresh bread daily.

Consequently, I’ve also become a bread snob. If it’s not super fresh, it’s just not worth eating.

👉 Fun fact: 320 baguettes are consumed in France every *second* … that adds up to 10,000,000,000 baguettes a year! And that consumption is down from 3 times that just 10 years ago!

A post shared by MELISSA ╳ An American in Paris (@bonjour.melissa) on Oct 6, 2017 at 2:42pm PDT

10- We joined the Paris group of the Worldwide Photowalk. Kinda full-circle as I learned SO much from the KelbyOne team when I became a graphic designer, so this was a fun thing to participate in for me. We met people from all over the world and hope to even stay in touch with some of them! I still haven’t looked at my photos from my Fuji, but here are a few iPhone shots.

The end of our Paris Worldwide Photowalk 2017… a group of about 30 people from all over the world met up yesterday and took a walk along the Seine with camera(s) in hand.

So nice to meet, chat and shoot together… and even talked about making a group so we can do it again before the official #worldwidephotowalk next year. If you are in Paris and interested in being part of a group like that, let me know! #wwpw2017/ #kelbyonepics / #birhakeim

A post shared by MELISSA ╳ An American in Paris (@bonjour.melissa) on Oct 8, 2017 at 12:07am PDT

This is first real Eiffel Tower shot I’ve taken since living here. First of all, I *never* make it over there, and second, I try to find other things to shoot. But sometimes, you are standing on a bridge on the Seine and she lights up and the next thing you know, you have a photo of the Eiffel Tower!

Taken yesterday from the end point of our Paris #worldwidephotowalk / #wwpw2017 / #kelbyonepics

A post shared by MELISSA ╳ An American in Paris (@bonjour.melissa) on Oct 8, 2017 at 11:21am PDT

Voilà my week in Paris! On to week 6 (and being able to call this a habit!)…

For even more moments and memoirs from this week, check out my Instagram @bonjour.melissa (and @project.aimfly for my health/fitness journey)!

  for the ♥ of moments,

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