A Paris Holiday in Lisa’s Lane

Well its official, I finally hit the big 4-0! I must say I actually feel different. I feel renewed! I spent the last year trying to prepare for this one day. I had a few items on my “to-do” list to accomplish before the big day and luckily for me they were completed, the biggest being our move. I needed the move completed because I wanted to jet set and not have to look back (and jet set I did)

I told my husband I wanted to spend my last days in my 30’s and my first days in my 40’s in my favorite city, The City of Lights. Upon arrival we were greeted by a transportation strike and a week of expected rain, none of the things I love about Paris. Luckily for me I enjoy a challenge! If youre planning to enjoy a Paris and you find yourself in my situation, below I have a few ways to still make the most of this amazing city when you can’t sit in a park, eat from the stands and sip wine while catching a few rays.

Winter in Paris packing list

Stylish and warm coat Most of your photos will have this coat as a focal point so make sure its one worthy of a fashion week and not a museum lol
Stylish and warm walking boots Again, this will be a staple in all of our photos not to mention the weather can have sunshine for 5 minutes then a downpour so being somewhat waterproof would be a plus.
A backpack As you walk the streets of Paris you will need a place to store all of your things. Having a way to take photos and get your tax benefits require more stuff than your pockets can handle and holding it all in a handbag will get daunting
A compact umbrella to fit in your backpack As I said before, one moment it will look like a pretty day is heading your way and then the next you will wonder if it is ever going to stop raining.
Gloves Stylish gloves are great but you will be using your hands a lot (especially when its time to whip out that umbrella) so be sure they will protect your fingers from frostbite
A Scarf This is another one of those things that will appear in all of your photos so make sure it is camera worthy. I always wondered why you would see people with a collection of scarves and I now see why! Walking away from the wind can feel like the day is tolerable but as soon as you turn a corner and begin walking into the wind, it will feel as though the wind monster is trying to rip your clothes off starting at your neck and working its way down. The wind was the most brutal part of the weather, in my opinion, so you will need to make sure there is no entryway into your coat for it.
Thermal undergarments So if you’re from a cold weather place this may not be that big of a deal, but if your a Texas or warm weather gal like me then these will be the difference between enjoying your vacation and not wanting to go outside.
A hat that covers your ears I spent days using a ear cover with no hat (after all my coats were to stylish to have attached hoods) and finally one day I put on my hat for fashion reasons and it cover3e my ears. This was the most amazing discovery ever. My head never experienced another cold moment.
Socks Socks Socks!!! Bring as many socks as you can fit. You may even want to pack a pair a day in your backpack. When those downpours come our shoes can get a little damp and dry socks will keep you from losing your pinky toe.
A flexible attitude nothing for my trip went as planned (and I’m a planner). although I am a planner I kept an open mind about our plans for the day and I went with the flow. The strike made a lot of things difficult but the weather also made sticking to a set plan rough. We found ourselves planning to go to one restaurant and there was a 45 minute wait and the only waiting space was outside in the the rain. Obviously that was not going to work so we had to make adjustments, and we did!