It's never the Destination.

As the plane slowly makes it's decent into Charles De Galle Airport, I desperately look outside my plastic window, as my heavy eyes squint, unsuccessfully trying to avoid the early morning sun beams. I was in search for something, anything Parisian, A distant Chateau, tiny streets filled with tiny little ant like dots, those famous "Round About", and yes even The Eiffel Tower.
However, much to my disappointment, flying into Charles De Galle Airport is NOT as excited as I had imagined. It was much like flying into Montgomery, Alabama and even that was a bit more eventful. The scene outside my private window slowly became clearer and larger, as the French flight attendant begins to prepare for landing, something is said over the intercom which the only thing i can make out is toilet... 7 minutes later... tires screeching.

My first couple weeks in France was quite stimulating to my very Americanized mind.
Seeing modern stores awkwardly placed in classic, vintage buildings, some which even date back to 1700. I quickly learned spiral staircases are NOT as fun as I had always imagined. They are very impractical, especially if you have large feet!

Cliché that are true:
The French do actually walk around with at least two large baguettes in hand.
The French take pristine care of their dogs.
The French also do NOT pick up after their dogs. ( it is not fun nor is it safe to constantly be watching what you step in)
Most French folk do not like Americans.

Cliché that are false:
Don't have any.

Adjustments:
Coming from a city where you can get a Starbucks Coffee at eleven o'clock in the evening, or if you really wanted you could get a sirloin steak at nine in the morning. Then suddenly being in a city where the closest Starbucks is an hour a forty-five minute drive into Paris, and only choice of fast food is McDonald's or KFC (which just opened in our town a week ago, it was very exciting, I even got dressed up for the event, It was a big deal!)

It's like I keep telling myself... It's NEVER the destination, it's ALWAYS the journey!


Copy link and past in URL bar to see the town we currently live in.
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/TRAVEL/getaways/06/23/reims.france/index.html