Homesick.

It sounds ridiculous to say I am homesick for a place I have never lived in. But I am.

Paris got under my skin in such a big way. Clarence and I are blessed enough to say we have been there twice. The first time we spent two weeks there as part of our around the world before we have children and settle down adventure. We fell in love with the place. We enjoyed the other places we visited, but nothing felt quite as right as Paris.

We went again last year when I was pregnant for our babymoon as our before we have children and our life changes forever trip. We loved it even more. The second time we didn't need to race around fitting in a million touristy things. We hung out. We walked around. We ate at the cafes local to where we were staying. We went back to the places we loved. I finally looked into the whole macaron thing and was pleasantly surprised.

That first day we arrived on our second trip there we headed straight to our favourite bridge. I can't tell you how normal it felt to sit there and watch the world go by.

Obviously, it's not real life and we weren't working and just doing the daily grind. But we want to. I would be happy to do the daily grind in Paris. I would be happy to make it work. I want to live there for a year sometime in my lifetime. Whether that's in the next ten years or when our kids have left the nest, I don't know. I think I would love it just as much either way. I would love to learn to speak French.

What is it that we love about it?

The old front door into the building you stay in, with the shop at the bottom and the narrow, steep, uneven wooden staircase. Stepping out into the street and the streetscape being beautiful. The windows. The sounds of people walking, shopping, driving, speaking French and the endless stream of sirens. The sounds of people doing life late into the Summer nights because it's light for so long. The way of life. The beautiful food, the cycling, the efficient public transport, the metro signs, the style of the people, the language, the shopping, the table linen, the small parks dotted around the place, the Berthillon ice-cream, Zadig et Voltaire, Kusmi Tea, the self cleaning public toilets, lunches in the department stores, the brioche, the crepes, the beautiful old buildings and footpaths. Basically all the sounds, smells and visuals the city brings.

My friend Aletheia is there at the moment and she is posting heaps of photos on Instagram. I am liking them all! It's making me homesick. I actually feel a bit jealous of all the people who were born there and get to live there without realising what a gift that is (whilst simultaneously being grateful I live in a great city and country here!). Check out her website of all things beautiful at www.mmerciencore.com, or mmerciencore is on Facebook and Instagram. She took the photos above. LOVE.

ps - this post is a tribute to a place I love. It is not a whinge. I am happy and grateful I have gotten to go there at all in my life - my point is I love it and want to go back, that's all. Just sharing what I love about the place. Hopefully my ravings about Paris inspire some of you to visit one day.