A View from the Top

Leaving Dallas was hard, but easy compared to what it what like when I left for the first time. I was actually ready to get back to Paris and learn the city. There was new motivation. I cried twice during my stay. First when I saw Marla, second when I said good by to Ruthie the Great. Why is it so hard for me to leave my dog?

Luckily, my flight back to Paris was direct. I've never experienced a direct flight, so I was pretty excited about it. My flight left at 5:45pm and I was ready to sleep when I sat down in my seat. It happened to be on row 10, which is directly behind first class. Yes, so I got to see them receive their hot towels to wipe their faces or wash their hands. I watched them get refills of wine and champagne. I also saw them recline their BEDS and sleep, while I sat cramped in my uncomfortable seat attempted to curl up, but not having the room. I was able to stay awake for my lasagna dinner and my friendly neighbor even bought me red wine. How nice. He said the healthiest thing we had for dinner was the wine. He told me about his travels, which he goes between Lebanon and Dallas quite frequently. I asked what occupation he had which allowed him to be so flexible. He said that he is a retired heart surgeon and he grew up and studied in Lebanon, which is where his family still lives. We had some interesting conversation for only a short bit, before falling asleep. I woke up occasionally only to see the movies being shown on the flight - No Reservations and Elf. I saw about five minutes of each.

I woke up when they announced that we were flying over London. The view was fantastic. We were flying into the sunrise, just above the clouds.

Here we are, just above London...you can see the lights in the distance.The sky over the English Channel.Over the beaches of Normandy.
The sunrise in France as we descended through the clouds.The landscape of suburban Paris.
We arrived an hour early thanks to a wonderful tailwind. It was a bit misty out, but great to be back. I had about an hour in a half until I would be back into my apartment. Baggage claim, bus ride via Roissybus, and a taxi from Opera to the haven of rue de Grenelle. I have decided that I will never haul suitcases through metro stations. I will splurge on a taxi from now on. It's not worth it.

I had 120lbs worth of luggage to carry up to my six-floor flat. Once completed, I wanted to die. I opened my suitcases and attempted to unload, but instead hopped into bed and slept for four hours. Hello jetlag, nice to see you again.