Night 1 in Paris

My non-stop flight to CDG from LAX was good. It was an 8pm departure and I had the window seat, stayed seated for the 10 hour flight. I was pretty much asleep upon take off, lol. Was served dinner and watched several movies. I didn't quite understand Arrival, but I'll save that for a Movies blog later. Had an awesome early morning view of daylight above the clouds. I knew we were about an hour from landing at 3:40pm Paris time on Sunday, March 12 but my brain wasn't understanding how it didn't seem brighter. It wasn't until the descent from above the clouds that the bright sunlight was able to be seen.

Arriving at CDG and collecting my bag was pretty quick and easy. Followed signs and took a quick shuttle ride to the Train Main Departure area. Spoke with a friendly young lady at the Information kiosk. I told her what my Metro stop was (which my Airbnb host provided before I left) and she gave me the system map, circled my stops, and told me how much it would be. Went to the machines to buy my ticket and it didn't take bills, only coins & credit cards. Luckily I remembered to bring the extra Euro coins I had and was able to use them there.    

Went down to the platform and was about 90% sure I was in the right spot. It did say "All Trains to Paris", lol. Hop on, grab a seat and off we go. First several stops were not on my map and I start second guessing myself. Figured I would get off at next station (not platform) and reassess. Then I hear a stop that's on the map and feel better, all good! Made the first train change, no problem. The second change was a little confusing, but after wasting about 10 minutes I figured it out and was back on track. I only had one stop to go anyway so figured worse case, I walk out and take an Uber. I get off at Saint Ambrosie, walk out and pull out trusty Google maps. The apartment was a short 5 minute walk straight down Rue St Ambroise. I followed the instructions my host provided and arrived around 5:45pm. The one crucial detail she left out though was which door exactly was the apartment, lol. Instructions were that the door was unlocked and they didn't have names/#'s. I had four doors to choose from. First one was locked, second one was the stairwell, I passed the third because I heard voices, then I pushed the last door and voila! it was open. Keys were where she said they'd be and I settled in. It's a small apartment, perfect for one person with a view of the courtyard below.

I didn't venture out too far tonight, just walked a few blocks around to see what was in the immediate area, some cute cafes and mental notes. I wasn't hungry so no big dinner tonight. Back to the apartment and laid out a plan for Monday. Feeling pretty good about this! More to come.        

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A Huge Thank You!

The Alvarado Family would like to thank everyone who helped with recovery and rebuilding after Hurricane Ike. Due to the generosity and dedication from friends and family the rebuilding was able to be done quickly and allowed Rita and Pete to return to their home. We would like to acknowledge Robert Alvarado, Andrew & Lorilei Alvarado, Elizabeth McVey, and Jennifer Alvarado for dedicating extensive periods of their time to complete this project. The photos below show the progress over a three month period. The stairway and minor detail items remain to be done. We are a blessed family to have each other and to have such wonderful friends who offered their support. With sincere heartfelt thanks, Pete & Rita Alvarado and the Alvarado Family

Pete: Happy to be home.

Rita: The hardest workin' woman I ever met.

Many Thanks

As I sat in church this morning, I was overcome by a feeling of thankfulness. We are so blessed. It helps me to remember these blessings in times of feeling overwhelmed.

Please do not feel pressured or obligated to do anything other than keep the Alvarado's in your thoughts and prayers.

There are three ways to donate:

1. Secure online payment (PayPal) Note: You must create a PayPal account if you don't already have one.

2. Check by mail - Check made payable to: Alvarado Family Hurricane Relief Mailed to: Jennifer Alvarado 2907 Humboldt St., Los Angeles, CA 90031

3. In person - Go to any Bank of America and donate to the Alvarado Family Hurricane Relief Account, care of Jennifer Alvarado, acct # 03353-74864