Simply a vacation, or more? A pilgrimage, perhaps.

Three generations of women traveled across the Atlantic to fulfill a dream and a promise. A promise made to a nine-year-old when she wanted to be a part of the “girl talk.” That promise became a dream to travel together and experience the wonder and magic of Paris.

Something about the dream always felt like more than planning a vacation. Instead, this promise held the essence of a pilgrimage for ourselves.

We often think of a pilgrimage as a spiritual journey tied to a specific destination and religious beliefs, but if you look closer at the definition, you see the journey through a broader lens. Pilgrimage comes from the Latin peregrinus, a journey to a place connected with somebody or something that you admire or respect.

Yes. This was a journey of love for a place we longed to better know and understand. That longing extended to spending time together, to enjoy the place with the people we cared about.

The pilgrimage to Paris was as much about the city as it was about being present for each other and the people who lived there. Of course we each identified our “must-see” historical sites, but equally, if not more important, was slowing down, sitting at an outdoor cafe, creating a field guide of the sights, sounds, smells, and all the feels of this iconic city.

During our first dinner (three hours of fine food and wine), I posed three questions for us to consider:

What do I want to gain from this time in Paris?
What do I want to let go of?
How will I change because of my experience in Paris?

As we travelled through our days, each of us, in our own way, answered these questions. The purpose was to take home more than a phone full of photos. This dream, the promise longed for, planned, and lived, became more than a vacation.

I can’t answer for my daughter and granddaughters. I can only tell you I gained a deeper respect for the French approach to living each day with that slight air of “ces’t la vie.” This is life, this moment, live it well.

I also saw so clearly the strength and kindness of these young women. Their energy, enthusiasm, and curiosity inspired me and filled me with gratitude.

As for letting go, one more time, I have vowed to let go of worry, control, and trying to fix what isn’t mine to fix.

Have I changed? I believe I have taken another step toward becoming more kind, more courageous, and wholeheartedly me.

Thoughts of Paris

“I had forgotten how gently time passes in Paris. As lively as the city is, there’s a stillness to it, a peace that lures you in. In Paris, with a glass of wine in your hand, you can just be.”
—Kristin Hannah, The Nightingale

“A walk about Paris will provide lessons in history, beauty, and in the point of life.”
—Thomas Jefferson