Arrived at Chicago's O'Hare airport (huge in comparison to Nashville) and headed straight to Macaroni Grill to eat because I was hungry and it was way past my lunch time. After eating, talking to Tina again, calling my bank to let them know I was traveling internationally, I headed up to the Admiral's club. The first person I met was Sherry, She was so bubbly..The mark of a woman with no small children..LOL.. We had an awesome conversation, she has some amazing children, Go Sherry. Bethany (BJ from now on), Danni and Candice arrived from St. Louis and then they ran and got something to eat. After they ate, it was finally time for us to board our plane headed to Charles De Gaulle!
The Plane ride was long and rather uncomfortable, had I had the choice I would have definitely upgraded to at least business class. If you can afford it, I strongly suggest when traveling for over 4 hours, you go business or First class if you can. BJ couldn't even put her feet under her seat as there was some odd block underneath it, she also had to contend with a piece of gum stuck to the tray table (people are just nasty).
After an 8 hour flight we finally arrived in Paris and I couldn't be more happy, after all I've wanted to visit Paris since I was 15 years old studying French at Clayton High School with Madame Garganigo.
The conveyor belt stopped and some of the ladies luggage didn't come up, so a few of us waited until they were able to get their bags and a few of our other travel mates (there were 8 women on the trip, the 4 of us and 4 solo travelers) who had to use the restroom. Well then we headed out the door. I didn't see the Trip Coordinator, all I knew was everyone was walking, Saw Sherry so started following her and then I saw a blurb past by me, turned out to be the Trip coordinator. Ok, so my issue, if you are welcoming a group of travelers to a foreign country, standing there with a sign would have been helpful.
Well then we boarded a taxi with no indication as to where we were off too, its 8 am Paris time and our last meal was at 6, I was hoping we were off to breakfast. Boy was I wrong, we arrived on a really nice Paris street and the taxi driver kept asking us if this was the place we were supposed to be going. None of us knew and he just left us because that was his job and there was no place for him to park.Of course after he left, I realized I had left my brand new hat in his taxi, Oh well. Finally one of the women was able to contact the coordinator on her phone and she informed us she was on her way, she had gotten stuck in traffic and after we stood there in front of someone's apartment (yes people kept coming out asking us in French what we were doing, yeah lady, I'm hungry and tired and I'm not trying to understand you or speak to you in French right now). It was rather embarrassing that we didn't know what to tell the ladies (because I did understand what they were asking, again, tired, hungry and now head cold because of my hat being left in the cab). Unfortunately BJ ended up getting sick :-(. Um, but Ok, I'm in Paris, I'll let this slide..
Breakfast was not on the horizon we were walking Paris streets, tired and hungry so that we would know where everyone was staying..Um Ok...I'm hungry, but I'll let this slide after all, I'm hungry in Paris..
Part 2 of this day later...
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