A Passion for Paris with La Mom

A Passion for Paris, my series where I let expats and francophiles express, in their own way, the reasons why they love the city of light (as much as I do!). I like to host the series at least once a year because there are so many great bloggers out there and I never get tired of hearing the many different ways in which Paris is embraced.

I am really quite giddy about Stephanie of La Mom being the first blogger to share her thoughts for this round of A Passion for Paris. Stephanie is one half of the dynamic duo that makes up La Mom, an expat blog that is not only quite humorous but a hit on French TV!

As usual, Lindsey of Lost in Cheeseland did a wonderful interview with both Stephanie and Allison for her Franco File Friday series, so check it out to learn more about them.

Stephanie is also a Bay Area girl (aren't all the great ones?!) and I was thrilled that she agreed to share her perspective on her passion for Paris.

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Why am I passionate about Paris? Paris is my past, present, and future.

Paris represents fond memories from my single-girl days:

Before becoming La Mom, I was La Single Girl. This was the apartment I shared in the Latin Quarter with my good friend from Chicago. Lots of wonderful memories were made here.
When I first moved to Paris, I regularly jogged at the Parc Monceau because I had read in a guidebook that eligible Frenchmen also jogged here. I didn't find any single Frenchmen, but I did find a great view of the Arc de Triomphe as I ran next to Avenue Hoche.

Maxim's and The Villa Barclay were the clubs where my friends and I held court on the weekends. So many good times were had here as we danced to music from the late '90s. Our mantra was, “What happens at Maxim's stays at Maxim's!”

The apartment where I fell in love with my French husband, got engaged, married, and had babies on the Rue du Fbg Saint Honoré holds a special place in my heart. I still like to drive by it and show it to my kids. This was the amazing view from our living room.

My sweet tooth for pastries and macarons started in Paris.

Paris represents my present

Paris is where I started a family.

If someone had told me when I was learning French in school that I'd one day live in Paris, I wouldn't have believed it. Fast forward 25 yrs – I have a French husband and kids. We eat crêpes in the shadow of Notre Dame on Sundays. Someone pinch me because I still can't believe this is my life.

Paris is where I just became a French citizen!

I am on a fresh flower craze. I love our corner fleuriste and can't get enough of their flower arrangements. I buy some every week.

I'm still passionate about pastries and macarons. I'm currently having a love affair with chouqettes.

Paris represents my future

My children will grow up here. I plan on taking them on many, many, more school field trips around this historically rich city.

I'm honored to be a part of the start-up committee for the American charity Dress For Success – Paris affiliate. Dress For Success promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged French women by providing professional attire and a network of support and career development tools to help women thrive in work and life.

Fashion, fun, and entrepreneurship are in my future. I'm so excited at the opportunity to style French women's lives.

I will always be passionate about pastries and macarons.

Looking forward to sharing many more Dîner en Blanc with great friends!

Voilà! Merci à Andi for providing La Mom this wonderful opportunity to express why she loves Paris.

Merci Stephanie! (P.S. I am dying to go to a Dîner en Blanc, there is one coming up in San Francisco, but it is impossible to get into!)

You can catch more of Stephanie on her blog La Mom – an American mom in Paris and on Twitter too!