All Signs Lead to Paris

 The path to Paris is a road that leads to that certain little
"je ne sais quoi"
you've heard about again and again.
  
What exactly is this indescribable essence of Paris that is so
 hard to explain to someone who has never experienced the french capital?
I think 'it" is that special connection, the one that always brings a
bright smile to your face and a warmth to your soul.
  "It" may be the relationship between what you're already
familiar with and what is yet to be discovered.
  Just like when you first see a Monet painting, you get a rush of
emotion that stretches the imagination and all its God given
possibilities every time you think of "it".

My husband easily recognizes the symptoms of Paris fever.
  I see the City of Light in all that surrounds me.
  A rainbow pops up -- "Remember that time we saw one in Paris...It's a sign!"
 Channel surfing, an old movie whispers to me -- Paris, Paris...
  Bien sur, it's a sign and it's fair to say I can read "sign" language.
Crazier still, if I'm already in a state of Paris 911 emergency and
someone mentions a song, a name, a dream, a baguette -- whatever --
I get all worked up as if it's a direct message from the Universe.

  Coincidence or magic?
 Whatever you choose to call it -- predestination or fate -- it's
a reminder that you can't waste one more minute sitting still.
  Get your buns to Paris and get them there now.

When we finally get there, we're determined to use all
1440 minutes of the day to make it count.
The happiness of returning to Paris
feels like the discovery of a long lost love.

But it always makes me wonder,
what if I had first fallen in love with Lisbon or Ljubljana?
 From Brussels to Budapest, I've seen a lot of world capitals --
but of course it's Paris that has marked me for life.

It's the "what ifs" that have me thinking out loud.
What if I had never seen the gilded luxury of the Opera Garnier?
Or the imperial lineup of queens in Luxembourg Gardens?
What if I didn't know what it was like to get goose bumps
over the utterly delectable hot chocolate at Jacques Genin?

Too tragic to contemplate, I'll just be grateful that
I get "it" and will always come back for more.

CHOICE versus CHANCE,
those are lessons learned from years on the road.
  The control freak in me often rears its dictatorial head
with too much pre-planning and hand-wringing.
When will I learn from time to time Mademoiselle Fate has it in for me and I
 can't expect clear skies just because I want to ride a bike along the canal?
  But then again, that same Mademoiselle is the clever one who introduces
me to a charming dining companion at Chartier or talks the waiter into
bringing a different type of oyster -- "just to 'ave a leetle taste."

It comes down to this, while it's important to choose the right path -- accept
in good faith that it's okay to get off course from time to time.
Reinterpret your day and soon you'll see,
the changes forced upon you can be a good thing.
I choose the infinite possibilities of Paris but am happy
to take my chances on the uncertain weather - or transportation
strikes - or, God forbid, threats of terrorism.

  Every day your life starts all over and you get
just one life (maybe) to get it right.
  Not perfect, just the best you can do -- and that's usually
a balance between choice and chance.

"It's your road and yours alone.
  Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you."
Rumi, 13th century Persian poet

One thing is without question.
  When you love Paris, it loves you back.
So there's really no reason for me to wonder -- what if?
That's like wondering what if I hadn't given birth to my precious daughter,
the thought too horrible to consider.
What if I had a son instead?
OK, that might be good -- but not good enough given that
I know how great it is to have a daughter.

That's how it is with Paris. 
No ifs ands or buts about "it".
We know just how good it can be.

And that's one road map I'm glad I followed.
Say the magic words -- Let's go to Paris.
Yes, that's a sign I can read in any language.