Shopping in Paris is exhilarating, but without a plan, it can quickly become overwhelming. With endless boutiques, beautiful streets, and impossibly good window displays (the French really excel at this), it’s easy to wander for hours and still walk away empty-handed.
As a self-proclaimed Type A traveler, I’m the one with an icon-coded Google map, a meticulously organized itinerary, and at least three backup restaurants for every meal. So, spending an agenda-free afternoon in Paris felt like I was rebelling against my natural wiring. It was equal parts liberating and mildly terrifying—with a definite emphasis on terrifying.
There’s a particular moment when researching Paris restaurants, a point where the sheer abundance of options begins to blur, dining details get disorganized, and only a select few restaurant names consistently surface.
When Alaska Airlines added a nonstop flight between Nashville and Portland, it took less than a week to make it out of the group chat and planning to commence. While I’ve had the opportunity to explore Napa and the English countryside, Willamette Valley is one place that has been on my bucket list for quite some time.
After a long day spent wandering the Parisian streets, there’s something especially satisfying about unwinding with a glass of fine wine or a meticulously crafted cocktail.