It was about 2 weeks ago now that Sina and I started toying with the idea of living in Paris for a year. We had just spent the summer in Mallorca and found ourselves longing to spend some more time in Europe. The stars all seemed to align very quickly. The house sitters from the summer are able to stay and take care of our pets while we are gone. It works out quite positively professionally and I was able to get the green light from the powers that be to go. We now have plane tickets for early October and are in the process of finding a school for our 2 girls and a place to live. Not so easy…
AiBnB’s options are extremely limited given the last minute nature of our move. We have been dealing with one agency called LODGIS which has some good reviews in Tripadvisor but so far they seem extremely busy and it is difficult to get someone on the phone. We were finally able to submit an application today for an apartment. There is another agency called VINGT in Paris which has some pretty scary reviews. This morning I spoke briefly with the owner Susie Hollands and her curt demeanor matched the reviews. She literally said “I am not in a position to spend any more time on the phone with you.” I’m thinking maybe she should not be having conversations with customers. A few moments later though I received a call from Tycen in their office and he was extremely nice and helpful.
We have narrowed it down to 2 schools, but the idea of sending our girls to a school without seeing it, without meeting the teachers and knowing how we will get to school everyday from our apartment is just a little too much risk for my level of tolerance. So today I booked a ticket to head to Paris on Sunday. Luckily United Airlines had a ticket available using miles that wasn’t terrible. Finding a place to stay was a bit more challenging. The hotels are quite pricey and I did not want to spend over $1,000 for a hotel room for 5 nights. I found a decent apartment in AirBnB for $60 per night but as I was booking it someone snatched it out from under me! So I had to spring for an apartment for $109 per night. About $600 for the 5 nights.
I’ll arrive early Monday morning and have the week to visit the schools, meet the teachers, look at neighborhoods and hopefully secure an apartment. Given that we are going until next summer, I don’t feel confident signing contracts for schools and apartments without seeing them first.
Stay tuned for more updates next week, where I will be on location in Paris scoping out our life for the next year.