Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Little American Girl in Paris: We're Engaged!


Well, my peanuts, I am back from my epic European journey. My show in Amsterdam was a huge success and I couldn't be prouder of the work I accomplished there. But I don't want to talk about work! I want to gush about my time in Paris with Cody, Anna, and Florian!


The 4 of us packed as much as we could into our 2 days in Paris together - all the while the 3 of them keeping a fairly large secret from me the entire time! But more on that later...


We arrived in Paris and started our trip properly - with croque monsieur and madame sandwiches all around. We found a small cafe right by our hotel that had them and went for it. It was JUST what we needed after a 3 1/2 hour train ride down and they were delicious! So delicious we had them for brunch again the next day when we visited the famous Cafe de Flore.


That first day was packed with stops on the metro - we started at the Nortre Dame and I lit a candle for my mother, sending some prayers of strength her way. I like to light candles for her at every historic church I visit. She loves it when I do it and it always means a lot to her. I've also started sending her and my dad pictures of beautiful stained glass windows in churches like the Nortre Dame. It's become our thing when I travel and visit churches.


From there, we wandered a bit before heading to the Eiffel Tower. I really loved the streets lined with shops and cafes. They were all so cute and I only wish I had more time to explore them all. There was SO much and Paris was SO much bigger than I anticipated.

Can't take her anywhere...

At the Eiffel Tower, we snapped as many photos as we could - though the harsh sunlight bothered me. Cody always tries to get me to break away from my perfectionist ways but I'm a photo geek! I can't help but be picky with my lighting! Regardless, we caught some good photos and good laughs.


I couldn't help but notice how different Paris felt from what I expected. It was very much like DC or NYC and so much of the beautiful sights are now fenced off or guarded (due to the recent attacks, I am sure!). Not as romantic or pretty as I thought because of that, I suppose! Still, it was surreal kissing beneath the Eiffel Tower!


That night we had a delicious French dinner - Cody fell in love with his Beef Bourguignon (we were SO not vegan on this trip!) and I got to have escargot with a bowl of French onion soup. Yum! I love exploring with food and will hardly ever say no to trying something new. I have had escargot before but it was quite fun having it in France!


After dinner, we found the Arc de Triomphe and wrapped up the day with some fun gelato made with liquid nitrogen that came with syringes of caramel syrups that you could inject yourself.


The next day, we headed out to the Lourve. We did not go in (we decided NOT to actually go into any museums so we could do as much as we could in our two days) but explored the grounds. I found the gardens outside so beautiful and peaceful and expressed to the group how romantic it felt and how THIS was how I imagined Paris to be.


By the way, can we just acknowledge how beautiful my boo, Anna, looks in these photos? I love spending time with her for a couple days and snapping pics of her and Florian. While it's been a whole year since my visit to Germany, it was as if no time had passed when we both arrived in Paris. We just picked up where we left off!


After taking pictures of Anna and Florian, Florian offered to take photos for Cody and I. Of course, I was all for that and put on some lipstick to pose away, oblivious to what was about to happen.

See that box in his hand? See how oblivious I am to its presence? Oh I was oblivious...

As we were snapping photos galore, Cody suddenly pulled out a red box and asked me to marry him. I was absolutely shocked! I had no idea it was going to happen! My response?

A very precise threat of: "If this is a joke, I am going to fucking kill you!"

You can see my threatening finger rising to the occasion in the 2nd photo followed by tears as reality set in

CLASSY, NO?


Finally, he opened the box and it was when I saw the most perfect ring in the world that the waterworks started. It was real! He was really proposing to me in Paris! I am still a bit unsure that it wasn't all a big dream!


As I came back to Earth, I spied Anna and Florian pouring champagne (albeit, alcohol free as Anna is pregnant) into cups for us all to toast with. It was perfect! Apparently, they have known for months. The same goes for a couple of our friends! I am still shocked and cannot believe they all went this long without saying a thing!! I have some sneaky people in my life...


That evening, to celebrate, we went to le Relais de l'Entrecote - a restaurant famous for their steak frites. So famous, they don't have a menu and steak frites is the only thing they serve! Cody and I got there just in time. A line was forming before it even opened! We got one of the last tables and all night, a line was waiting outside to get seats.


The best part about the restaurant? When you finish your plate, the waitresses come around and give you second helpings! Needless to say, it was such a fun night and a great way to celebrate our engagement.


As you can see, it was QUITE the whirlwind. I am currently battling a bit of a head cold as I write this and my body is so tired from all the work and stress that went into the event combined with the excitement of all the travel. I look forward to this Saturday - hopefully I can sleep in a bit!!

But not too much sleep - I've got a WEDDING TO PLAN!!!!