{"id":328,"date":"2019-05-20T12:00:17","date_gmt":"2019-05-20T12:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nomadicmatt.com\/?p=171809"},"modified":"2019-05-20T12:00:17","modified_gmt":"2019-05-20T12:00:17","slug":"life-in-paris-part-2-only-one-month-left","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ourfunjourney.com\/index.php\/2019\/05\/20\/life-in-paris-part-2-only-one-month-left\/","title":{"rendered":"Life in Paris, Part 2: Only One Month Left"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Matt
\nPosted<\/strong>: 5\/20\/2019 | May 20th, 2019<\/p>\n

It feels like only days ago I came to Paris<\/a> \u2014 and now it\u2019s the middle of May. <\/p>\n

And, with more time behind me than ahead of me (I leave June 19), as I look back on my time here, I can\u2019t say I\u2019ve seen as much of Paris<\/a> as I intended. <\/p>\n

I haven\u2019t visited one new attraction. Or taken one day trip out of the city. Or gone to another region of the country. Or even the outlying neighborhoods of the city, really. Nothing. <\/p>\n

I have<\/em> taken five walking tours (so I did something<\/em>). <\/p>\n

But that\u2019s it. <\/p>\n

That\u2019s the extent of my explorations of Paris. <\/p>\n

But, as I mull that over, I realize I don\u2019t really care about that stat. <\/p>\n

Because I\u2019ve done what I came to Paris to do: create a quiet life. <\/p>\n

My time here so far has been characterized more by writing, sleeping, and, overall, just generally \u201cchilling.\u201d <\/p>\n

I\u2019ve made a few friends \u2014 and, thanks to said new friends, exponentially increased the number of favorite restaurants and bars on my Google map. (So, I guess, if I have done a lot of anything, it\u2019s eating and drinking.)<\/p>\n

\"people<\/p>\n

Every place, every moment has a lesson in it. Every place is perfect for certain times in your life. Thailand was the place I need to explore my independent self. New York City was what I needed when I transitioned from nomad to non-nomad. They were the perfect bridges to a new phase of life.<\/p>\n

Paris is my bridge to a quieter life. <\/p>\n

But, more than that, Paris has taught me something about myself I didn\u2019t fully realize until now: <\/p>\n

I\u2019m the most motivated when I feel I have limited time.<\/strong> <\/p>\n

I came to Paris guns blazing, with a grand vision that I\u2019d have all this time to explore. I was going to do so<\/em> much. <\/p>\n

But three-hour lunches take up a lot of your day. So does work. So does dinner with friends. So do a plethora of visits from other friends. <\/p>\n

When you live somewhere (instead of just visiting), there\u2019s always tomorrow. When I feel like there\u2019s a tomorrow, I\u2019m less inclined to leave my comfort zone<\/a>. I work, read, sleep, and eat. <\/p>\n

So I always put everything off. I wanted to work anyways. I was in no rush. <\/p>\n

But eventually, you run out of tomorrows. <\/p>\n

Suddenly, you wake up and months have passed and you marvel at how quickly time went by.<\/p>\n

Now, the clock is ticking down rapidly and I\u2019m ready to kick things into high gear. <\/p>\n

\"a<\/p>\n

With only about six weeks in Europe<\/a> left (and only half of them in Paris), I\u2019ve begun to book more walking tours, museum visits, and cooking classes, plus trips to Bordeaux<\/a> and Normandy. (Booking all this in advance ensures I won\u2019t find a work reason to skip it!)<\/p>\n

Looking back, I don\u2019t think I\u2019d change a thing, though. I needed some R&R. Not only from travel but from life. I needed time to get my head right again. To wind down projects, relax, and get some motivation back. I needed to take a step back and hit the reset button. <\/p>\n

I\u2019m heading to Normandy next week. After that, I\u2019m off to Italy<\/a>. Then it\u2019s my birthday. <\/p>\n

Then it\u2019s home.<\/p>\n

For now, at least. <\/p>\n

After that, who knows?<\/p>\n

If Paris reminded me of anything, it\u2019s that I need to stop planning and accept that when I do make plans, I\u2019m likely to just do the opposite. <\/p>\n

I just need to see where the day takes me. <\/p>\n

\n

Book Your Trip to Paris: Logistical Tips and Tricks<\/h4>\n

Book Your Flight<\/strong>
\nFind a cheap flight by using Skyscanner<\/a> or Momondo<\/a>. They are my two favorite search engines because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned.<\/p>\n

Book Your Accommodation<\/strong>
\nYou can book your hostel with Hostelworld<\/a>. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com<\/a> as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. I use them all the time. Some of my favorite places to stay in Paris are:<\/p>\n