It's Finally Happening

In June of 1970, I graduated from college and headed off to the mountains to be an assistant camp director for the summer before heading to Europe on a backpacking adventure.

Steve and I had been dating for a few months and he convinced me to cash in my ticket to Europe promising that we would go together.

Costa Rica 1995

We have done a lot of traveling in our 48 years of marriage and we have both been to Europe, but never together as Steve promised. 

In less than 2 weeks, that will change.

Since the moment the tickets were ordered

I have made our destination pretty obvious around the house - didn't realize I had so many books about France and Paris.

The tote bag full craft supplies was a gift from my sister

so I can journal each night 

in the apartment we have rented in the 6th arrondissement.

I haven't been to Paris since 1999 on an 8 country adventure with my sister and our daughters so I look forward to creating a new journal of my adventures with Steve, our son and his wife.

The timing was perfect when I was contacted last week by Mapiful asking if I was interested in collaborating - it was fun to design a map to be part of my journal. 

I originally used the super easy Mapiful website to design a map of Paris where we will spend the majority of our time.

We will fly to Pau in the south of France to visit friends - thus the second red dot on the map.

Via

They plan to take us to Spain for lunch one day 

via

which is why I settled on a map of France that includes the coast of Northern Spain.

We are both counting down the days until we arrive at this 17 century building that we will call home for 10 days.

In the meantime I have lots of Paris inspiration - but I welcome all ideas from you.

A Map and a Plan

Earlier this month I was approached by Mapiful about a collaboration and I jumped at the chance

because the website was so easy to use, you can create almost any map and you choose your own labels for the map.

I love the label @juliennelle chose for her map and the caption for the map shared on #mapiful by @siwzen is so touching.

Mapiful requested that I post a pic on Instagram 

and share my story as to why I chose the particular map.

Part of the joy of a vacation is the anticipation so it's fun for now to look at this little display in the guest room.

After hanging the map on the old door, 

I hung a wire basket and went to my shed to find faux flowers -

tulips seemed like the obvious choice in my homage to Amsterdam.

While I was in the shed I spotted the book, A Paris Apartment 

which led to me looking around the house for other books with a Paris theme or title.

This little display will remain until Christmas decor takes over, but by that time, we should have our dates nailed down and the tickets purchased.

By then my daughter-in-law and I will be busy actually looking for a Paris apartment to rent.