Here’s the truth…
The past year and a half in Accra has been really hard on me. While I’ve developed amazing friendships, picked up new skills, grown closer to my husband and exposed my children to an incredible international community and world view, it’s been a struggle to be happy here. I miss my family terribly. I miss hugging my mom and being close to my nieces and nephews. I miss my friends (who give more to my life than they could ever know). My businesses have suffered. Parenting is more difficult (because picking up your children and dropping them into a new place comes with a unique set of challenges). Needless to say, I’ve been a little down. Not “woe is me” but my light had been dimmed. Now before I go further, I want to make clear that, despite what you just read, I absolutely recognize the awesomeness that is my life. I do. It’s just, sometimes we need little reminders.
Enter Paris…
Photo courtesy of Lucille from Flytographer!
- The fact that I took my first trip to Paris is insane all by itself. Paris is one of those bucket list places and after being there, I absolutely see why!
- The fact that I took this trip, while living in Africa with a husband and 4 children is straight up bananas. Like, who’s husband sends his wife on a trip to Paris… for a week… while he stays home with 4 kids?! Mine does!
- Add that I was meeting one of my dearest friends who I hadn’t seen in what felt like a lifetime — a friend who coincidentally is a travel professional (Milk and Honey Travels) and plans the best vacation experiences imaginable — and you’ve got a recipe for the Best. Trip. Ever!
Needless to say I had ALL the feels from the moment I knew I was going. But I think it was brunch at Ladurée that really did it.
Ladurée
You know how people have places they’ve always dreamt of going? For some it’s the Taj Mahal, for some it’s front row at NYFW, for you it may be the moon. For me, it’s Ladurée. For years, I’ve literally thought to myself how dope it would be to have the type of life where I could spend any given afternoon in Ladurée, looking effortlessly chic, eating Macaroons… And there I was. Sitting in this place that couldn’t have been more beautiful, across from one of my best friends in this world, eating THE best macaroons I’ve ever had, and I’m thinking to myself, “How is this my life?!” And for someone who’d been a little down in the dumps for the better part of the past year, it was the most incredible of many, many reminders that life is pretty amazing.
Resting my feet outside The Louvre.
My Ace. My boo thang. My ride or die for 18years. This is what friendship looks like!
Photo courtesy of Lucille from Flytographer!
Clockwise from top left: The Panthèon, The Louvre, Paris nights. Mon Cherie Nik & Bri!
The Eiffel Tower, Versailles.
Look, I don’t want to sound cliché and tell you I took a trip to Paris and it changed my life… but I took a trip to Paris and it changed my life! For the first time in a long time I soaked in everything around me. The architecture, the food, the sky. I paid attention. I made an effort. Like actually got up with excitement and got cute every day. I just… lived! It felt amazing. However, it also made me realize that for the past year and a half I haven’t felt that. It’s a crazy thing to be aware of the fact you haven’t really been living. Particularly for someone like me who focuses so much on making life balance a priority. But I haven’t. What I’ve been doing is moving from task to task, obligation to obligation, going through the motions, essentially just passing time until I “can move back home” and live again. Pardon my potty mouth but that shit is whack as hell, because it robbed me of fully appreciating all the dopeness that I’ve experienced in Accra.
This trip, aside from showing me (again) how incredible my husband is and giving me time with my friend that I didn’t even realize I needed so desperately, reminded me how to live. I’ve been home for a few weeks now and you can see the change all over me. No more schlumping around. No more Frumplestilskin. No more autopilot. No more robbing myself of fully experiencing this amazing life I get to live and the people I get to live it with.
Its been the greatest gift.
-Nicole Updegraff
Illustrator & Life Stylist
Drawing the life you want!
