Paris is hard. There’s a common joke in the Foreign Service that people serving in Paris often complain about the difficulty of living there, only to be met by rolled eyes or a scornful look. After navigating the RER with some large pieces of luggage and two young kids, I can confirm, Paris is hard.
On the way back from our trip to Florida we had decided to break up the trip to give ourselves a few days in Paris. Having transited through here multiple times at this point while living in Africa, we realized it would be a waste to not take a little rest, while also giving our eldest daughter a taste of a different culture. Plus it had been 8 years since Angeli and I had spent any meaningful time in Paris, so we had been sorely missing out as well. With the wheels in motion, we booked ourselves a cute AirBnB in the Latin Quarter and made a plan to have no plans.
After our flight rolled into Paris, we took a 45 minute ride on the RER, which spit us right next to the AirBnB. Paris is such a rich and beautiful city. Even just getting to the apartment from the train station slaps you with rich beauty and culture.
Having a one year old meant we really wanted to do things at a more relaxing pace. Our main objectives were to take our daughter to the Eiffel Tower, enjoy Parisian café culture (with perfect timing in the heart of spring). Mission accomplished.
The time went by too quickly, and 4 days later we were wheels up to Nouakchott. My eldest daughter was mesmerized by the city, and even though it wasn’t the easiest thing navigating a big city with small kids and lots of luggage full of Disney souvenirs, it was well worth it. I’m pretty sure I’d be able to survive a tour in Paris. –Nick
