A Pittsburgher in Paris - Preparing for the Trip

This is the first of a series of blogs detailing my recent trip to Paris.  I got so much out of the trip, so I might as well get a few blogs out of it too!

So it finally happened - I made it out of the continental United States and Canada. Mr. Rip and I took our vacation in Paris this year.

Yes, I said Paris.  I couldn’t believe we were going there before we went, and I still am shocked to hear myself say it now, after spending a glorious week there.  

Was it wonderful?  Mais oui.  But first we had to get there. This was so much more complicated than the time we threw some stuff in the trunk and drove the two hours to vacation in Cleveland.
Getting ready was a study in crisis management - imagining the worst possible scenarios and preparing for them all.

First came the deciding to actually go through with it, despite the increased terrorist incidents throughout Europe.  Mr. Rip never wavered, but I did.  To humor me, he consulted with a friend who works for the State Department.  He reported back to me, “John says it’s okay!”

I eagerly read John’s message, which started out with “Well, that’s a tough call…,”  went on to outline the myriad of threats to American travelers in France and other foreign countries, and then concluded with something along the lines of “I cannot in all good conscience tell you to go - only you can make that decision, but if we don’t travel, then the terrorists win.”  Not terribly encouraging, but far be it from me to let the terrorists win.  He also recommended that we register with the State Department, so they knew how to identify us and notify our loved ones back home in the event that we fell victim to a terrorist attack.

So we registered with the State Department, so that they could regularly send us friendly if terrifying updates that basically told us that we traveled to our Europe at our own risk.  We also notified banks, credit card companies, scheduled excursions ahead, got some euros, and made copies of our important papers and lists of medications.  

Next step was extensive research to prepare ourselves for traveling to Paris.  What would the weather be?  How to dress?  How to avoid confrontations with Parisians angry with Americans? Stuff like that.

Because I have more than one of every conceivable wardrobe item in black, lots of dark shirts and a handful of scarves in my closet, it seemed I was set for roaming the streets of Paris. It was scheduled to be cool and rainy when we were there (just like home!) so I bought a packable rain jacket for good measure.  I memorized a few stock French phrases to indicate my solidarity with the French people just in case it came up.

My research also showed that the most immediate threat to tourists in Paris came in the form of pickpockets.  Reportedly, they are everywhere but especially around places that tourists like to hang out, and they are particularly ruthless.  They will pick your pocket without you ever knowing, read your credit cards through your purse, and actually slash your purse and run away with the contents.  

Aha!  Now here’s where I have some experience.  I’ve been to Times Square on Black Friday.  The bad guys could shoot me or blow me up or run me over, but I would be damned if they were going to get my purse!  I bought a slash-proof, RFD-blocking, crossbody bag with locking zippers, and  a neck wallet, to complement my typical paranoid vigilance in holding my purse close to my body when in crowds or on city streets, and sometimes in remote rural areas.

As it turns out none of these things happened, but I do love that purse.

Next up:  “Escape from Charles DeGaulle”  - getting there.