Rire à Paris---- Laughing in Paris

Paris- The best memory of perhaps the entire trip was in the very beginning. Jack Attack and I didn't know each other very well, outside of having a few classes together, but once we both discovered our traveling habits of rarely sight seeing, and drinking lots of wine, were in sync, we bonded just fine. On about the 2nd or 3rd day in Paris, Jackie and I thought we were brave enough to tackle wondering around the big city by ourselves. She's traveled just about everywhere, so even though my sense of direction is...shall we say, off...we both decided one out of two was good enough. Plus, we were desperate. The D'Orssey was entirely too boring to stand- call me "uncultured" if you want, I'm sayin it like it is. If no one told anyone that those paintings were famous, no one would give a damn! Anyway...off we went, the two of us on our own, when we came across the prettiest garden we had ever seen in our lives. People were out and about, sitting peacefully by the fountains, everyone enjoying such a wonderful day in our newly discovered place. "All of our classmates are stuck at some boring museum, and we just found this great garden that no one else will probably even see!" Jack said. After wondering ahead for a few more minutes we saw a pyramid we both remembered hearing a lot about.....our secret garden wasn't such a secret afterall....Jackie and I were at The Louvre.

After walking around a little more, we decided that L'Arc De Triumphe didn't look so far away so we headed toward it. One hour, and one very long walk down Champs de L'Elysee, Jack and I were there. A few snapshots to say we've been there, and we were over it. Blistered and tired, Jackie and I thought heading back and grabbing a bottle of wine on our way would be the best fix. When we finally figured out where the Metro was, I raced on it, as it was about to take off. As I turned my head back to make sure Jackie got on, all I see is the doors shut in her face. Shit. I'm LOST in Paris, ALONE! I turned back to the Metro full of people, all of which were laughing at what had just occurred. I sat down, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. In the midst of this thinking, a live little Italian band started playing their guitars on the Metro of which I can only remember playing something that sounded like the Mexican Hat Dance (I'm sure it wasn't).

Ok, I think I know my stop. I think I know it....that name definitely sounds familiar, and what have I got to lose anyway? I got off. Should I have just got off at the next exit to wait for Jackie? Everything looks familiar, but everything looks the same. I can't remember ANY of the 3 years of French I learned in high school besides j'mapelle....and merci...which won't get me very far when I'M LOST! I am going to end up lost and hungry and I won't have any way to find anyone- oh wait. I'm at the hotel.

I went up the elevator so extremely happy I made it back, but worried that I should have waited for Jackie. She's really really travel-savvy, but WHAT IF? As I forced my tired body out of the elevator onto my floor, a door opened. MY door opened, and Jackie's head popped out saying, "J.J.? What took you so long?" We had no words. We dropped to the floor dying of laughter, not stopping even as we both showered, wrote postcards, read, drank, and slept.

We'd later be told by a German in a Munich beer garden that we "laugh a lot."