Merci, Suivant

I think what I resent the most about having to sit in an office all day doing pointless work, is not being able to move about. Sure, one can refresh their cup of tea for the thousandth time that afternoon, or once again, pretend to go to the toilet, but being able to take a solitary stroll, inhale all that polluted air, and gaze longingly at Parisian facades is what really takes the biscuit R.E. being an intern prisoner / slave.

So, of a sombre, wintry morning, I decided to wake up an hour early for the purpose of enjoying the sunrise in Montmartre. Living just a five minute walk away from Toulouse-Lautrec's old stomping ground really does have its perks. While I can find myself enjoying the spectacular view from the summit of Sacré-Cœur in just a matter of moments, I have a clear-cut path of where my morning wanders will take me when the feeling strikes! I decided to skip breakfast chez moi and instead, head to Gontran Cherrier, one of the best boulangeries to be found in the 18th arrondissement. Opting for the classic choice of un croissant aux amandes (and a matcha-white chocolate scone, oops), I breathed in my surroundings all the while inhaling layers of delicious, flaky pastry. Talk about multi-tasking, potes.

When you can, take time to do something just for yourself. Although forcing yourself into the land of the living one hour before you absolutely must may seem to be a deeply unappealing slog, you'll say a little merci when you find that the empty morning streets are a perfect setting of pre-work reflection, and limb-stretching. Looking back on my time in Paris, these will be the moments I remember, not rushing to apply winged eyeliner in the dimly lit salle de bain of my apartement while blasting Ariana Grande's 'thank u, next' for the gazillionth time.

xoxo