January Mood

…Paris on my mind. As always. January is a month that always feels long and dark for me. Each year, my thoughts inevitably turn to the place I’m happiest. Dreaming of Paris is a form of escapism for me that is often much-needed, especially in January. My memories of the French capital often sustain me almost as much as physically being there does, which is an incredible thing to contemplate when I actually write it down.

But – this January, Paris is on my mind because we will be packing our bags for a visit there next month. [Insert happy dance here.] Historically, we’ve flown to Paris almost annually in mid-to-late March. And it’s remarkable to me how much closer the trip feels simply because our departure date is in late February. There’s something about a holiday being two months away rather than three that really does seem to make a wonderful difference.

I started planning our trip the minute we booked our tickets in November. My focus this month will be on refining those plans. We’re only in the city for nine days, and we want to make every second count. And all the while, I’ll be figuring out how to fit in the (possibly excessive) number of outfit shoots I want to do while we’re there. Oh, and making plans to see all of our friends in the city, too. Plus crossing my fingers for sunny – or at least not rainy – weather.

January is not a busy month in terms of activities. But my brain will be working at full speed. And I will be loving it. Particularly because – and I am aware I said this last year, but I mean it this year – we will not be travelling as often in 2019. We have some big goals, including more home renovations, for the coming years that require a serious commitment to judicious saving if we want to achieve them. And so seven holidays this year isn’t realistic. I will learn to live with that. But first, I am going to truly enjoy Paris. And, I hope, January, too.