we'll always have paris

As some of you know, I spent a considerable portion of my summer 2013 in Paris. As I reflect upon the time I had there, a full six months removed from the trip, I cannot help but to miss the girl, the woman I was when I was there. There is considerable truth to the notion that in a foreign city, surrounded by people you have never met, you get the chance to reinvent yourself in a way. And as true to myself as I stayed, which I made a conscious effort to do, the people I met there got to know the Paris Hailie, the 2013 Hailie, without any past ideas or history shaping their view or opinion of me.

Additionally, while I was there, my routine changed, my worries were different, my motives and desires and objectives were much different than they are whenever I am home, and a distinct part of me misses that version of me, a version I know I will never have back.

And while being back in Texas with my best friends and my wonderful family is the best thing in the world, that I would not trade for anything at all, a part of me will always be homesick for a city that has only had me for seven weeks. Little things here and there remind me of Paris: a double espresso with extra sugar, sidewalk chalkboard menus, a whiff of Hermes perfume, a historic site stumbled upon by chance, a trip to the art museum. But what brings me the closest to my Paris self is hearing the most iconic song for Paris, La Vie en Rose.

Take a listen for yourself (the Louis Armstrong version will always be my favorite) and be transported to the banks of the Seine at twilight. As silly and truly cliché as it is, this song seemed to play constantly in Paris, especially when doing something très français. I tear up a little bit each time I hear it now.

tout mon amour,
HAD