Waiting for things to happen is very tiresome and

Waiting for things to happen is very tiresome and very stressful. To be fair, a great many things are out of our control and require patience, but when you really think about it, there are so many more things that are in your control. They say that you find the right person when you stop looking - but if you stop dating altogether in the meantime, how are you supposed to know yourself and your relationships well enough to recognize the right thing when it does come along? Job hunting is a job in and of itself, but if you stop doing interviews, then how are you going to practice for the interview that will get you your dream job? Eventually, something will work out, because if you don’t give up, it has to. And isn’t that the best reason in and of itself to not give up? ✨
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#glitteringparis #emilyinparis #writersofinstagram #momentslikethese

This might be the first weekend of the year that i

This might be the first weekend of the year that it’s been sunny and I’ve felt well enough to get out and walk around on a Saturday, and I almost forgot how much I love it ☀️
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#glitteringparis #saintgermaindespres #parisjetaime

In my Ariel era 🧜🏻‍♀️ I’ve wanted re

In my Ariel era 🧜🏻‍♀️ I’ve wanted red hair ever since I saw The Little Mermaid when I was about 3, and have always cursed my predominantly Irish genes for giving me the ghostly complexion but not the copper locks of my dreams. So, I decided that it was time for a change, and with a hand from @salome.a_coloriste, made it happen! What do you guys think? 🦁
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#hairtransformation #redhead #parisienne #coiffeur

Taking care of myself. Now that I’m in my 30s, t

Taking care of myself. Now that I’m in my 30s, that’s becoming so much more of a priority. I used to drop everything for my social life, to the point of frequently double-booking, running myself ragged and trying to eye-cream away the short nights and hungover days. These days, I’m trying to be more intentional with not only my chosen social activities, to nourish my relationships, but also with my nights in, which are becoming more precious and more necessary. The time to recharge, to do my expensive face masks and watch reruns of favorite shows, has become indispensable in my self-care routine. I may still have FOMO for the nights out that I won’t get back, but I have to admit, I feel… better. And isn’t that the whole point anyways? ✨
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#selfcare #skincareroutine #selflove

As someone who began air travel at around a year o

As someone who began air travel at around a year old, I’ve been fortunate to never have a fear of flying. I sympathize with those who do, but I’ll never be able to empathize, as I just find it too magical an experience to be frightening. Even just from a scientific perspective, it’s mind-boggling how something so heavy can stay airborne for that long. But from the moment I feel the tires lift off the ground until the moment I feel them touch back to earth again, It’s like time somehow stops. For at least a few hours, I am unreachable by conventional methods and can only watch movies, sleep, and eat. Even turbulence reminds me of roller coasters, so as long as my seatmate doesn’t spill red wine on me, I’m happy as a clam. And if I choose the correct side of the plane to catch sunrise or sunset? Well then, I’m treated to the experience that you see here, which I had between Baltimore and Reykjavik last June, and I’m reminded once again that despite the elbows in the ribs, the stiff legs, the screaming babies, there are always pockets of magic that request only patience and a keen eye. ✨
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#theglitteringunknown #voyaged #sunset #goldenhour #playairlines

Making friends while living abroad is hard, and it

There’s nothing quite like a Parisian sunset, is

There’s nothing quite like a Parisian sunset, is there? And while summer sunsets have the advantage of warm temperatures and late hours to be able to enjoy them from a park or from the banks of the Seine, winter sunsets are more of a surprise. You almost feel like you have to earn them - after spending all day freezing your butt off or hiding from the rain, the clouds suddenly move from their seemingly-permanent cover over your head just enough to allow that bit of light to burst through at the end of the day, painting the sky in all shades of pinks, oranges, and reds. It’s like nature’s way of saying, « it might be cold right now, but I still know how to put on a show. » ☀️
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#glitteringparis #parissunset #coucherdesoleil #summersunsets #wintersunsets #parisjetaime #parismonamour

There’s a quote that says we are all a mosaic of

There’s a quote that says we are all a mosaic of everyone we’ve ever loved, and for me, it couldn’t be more true. I once told someone I’d briefly dated (and who I am lucky to now call a friend) that I had loved him. His eyebrows shot up to the top of his forehead and he quickly searched for the right thing to say in response, a reaction I had anticipated and thus had a follow up. “I don’t mean I was in love with you, I mean that I loved you in the way that everyone who ever means something to us leaves their mark on us.” The 25-year-old me will always love the man she loved back then, even if the current version of me doesn’t speak to the current version of him. The girl who taught me to use chopsticks at our joint birthday dinner at the best cheap Chinese place in our hometown, the former flames who are now happily tied down, the group of friends from college with whom I fell out of touch when I moved to Paris. Regardless of how they feel about me, each person who has ever occupied a piece of my heart has a version of themselves that still lives there. And I take comfort in the idea that the same must be true for me, with someone, somewhere. Bits of my soul and my self scattered to the four corners of the globe, to live and love on forever. ✨
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#glitteringparis #writersofinstagram #momentslikethese

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About Me

Hi, I'm Emily! Storyteller and endlessly curious, I love to travel but I also love getting to know the heart of a city. Since 2014, I've called Paris home and have learned the ins and outs of the city, as well as exploring around Europe. Here I share my favorite discoveries, expat and visitor advice, and photo diaries from my travels.

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