Our Parisian Adventure
“Paris is a doable dream, and your writing is a doable dream. Both require the same nurturing and the same attention, the same courage and the same perseverance. Both come with a cost.”
– Eric Maisel, “A Writer’s Paris”
Bonjour mes amies!
Well, I did it…I went to Paris and wrote part of a screenplay, then stayed at the Ritz for a few nights! My friend, Heather, joined me and I dare say, we had the adventure of a lifetime!
I’m not quite sure why I am so in love with Paris, but I am 🙂 And I am beyond grateful to have had the opportunity to go back again to see some of my favourite sights and a few new ones, too, including Monet’s gardens at Giverney. Magnifique!
The writing project I was working on is a screenplay entitled, “Falling,” and is partly about Voltaire and Emilie du Chatelet. I made tremendous headway! I would work for a few hours in the mornings, then Heather and I would meet up in the afternoon and evenings to see the sights, wander the streets, sip wine at sidewalk cafe’s and watch Parisian life go by. Heaven!
“Going to Paris requires some months of your time and some thousands of dollars; writing requires some years of your time, ugly drafts, nasty rejection letters, and bitter disappointments. Are these costs too high? Not for Paris, and not for a writing life.”
– Eric Maisel, “A Writer’s Paris; A Guided Journey for the Creative Soul”
After five nights in our own hotels, Heather and I moved over to the iconic Ritz.
Oh. My. Goodness. It is unbelievably beautiful.
If you are a regular reader, you may recall in a recent blog my initial hesitation with staying at such a fancy hotel…and how just thinking about doing so scared a limiting belief right out of my subconscious mind, like a pheasant out of a bush! All sorts of wonky and non-useful thoughts of unworthiness came rushing to the surface. Ugh. It was an uncomfortable exercise but a very useful one…because it forced me to see those limiting beliefs in the light of day. Then give them the heave-ho.
And let me tell you, our actual experience of staying at the Ritz was absolutely incredible. I didn’t feel unworthy or that I wasn’t “rich enough” to stay there. In fact, the hotel staff are so skilled at what they do, I felt like I was back staying with family that I hadn’t seen in a long time. We were made to feel welcome and special…and that we did belong.
To be honest, we got a terrific deal on the room (probably because I booked it when Covid restrictions were still in place). But at the end of the day, it’s not about how much we paid to stay at the Ritz. It’s about the experience of staying at one of the world’s most beautiful hotels…and having the wisdom to appreciate and enjoy every precious moment.
For your viewing pleasure, I whipped a short video (3-min) about our Parisian adventure!
Here is link to view the video.
As Edith Piaf sang, “Non, je ne regrette rien.” No, I do not regret anything.
How about you?
Have you ever splurged on an experience or extravagant item that you absolutely treasured? Click To TweetMerci & take care!
Related blogs by Maryanne
BAM! How to Scare a Limiting Belief Out of Your Subconscious
Au Revoir Paris – Photo Finale
Maryanne Pope is the author of “A Widow’s Awakening.” She also writes screenplays, playscripts and blogs. She is the CEO of Pink Gazelle Productions and a co-founder of the John Petropoulos Memorial Fund. To receive Maryanne’s blog, “Weekly Words of Wisdom,” please subscribe here.