What happens when a girl meets her Mr. Perfect on Prince Street in New York City and then runs off to live with him in Paris? You ask her to write about it. Because I might love my L.A. boy, but I simply cannot be held accountable for what may happen if I encounter a sexy accent with a seductive smile in the coming days. Kasia Dietz writes about her musings in Love in the City of Lights and also designs these bold, reversible handbags including styles inspired by her adopted home.
Having lived in NYC for almost 12 years, excluding the one in which I left to travel the world, I often wondered if it was possible to find love in this city of over 8 million. (A fleeting romance certainly, but true love?) I was beginning not to think so. Until one unassuming day in March, on my way to yoga, I met with a pair of smiling eyes on Prince Street. And that is where the story begins. We took our time to fall in love. Six weeks to be exact. Five months later to the day, I moved to Paris, to live my love story. A city in which I had always dreamed to live. Little did I know.
It is now just over two years and life has proven even more a fairytale than my romantic mind could have imagined. In June we were married on the sea in Monterosso, Italy, home to my Italian. And now home to me. A place I first discovered and became enamored with during my travels. (Foreshadowing?) We are both traveling souls and have adopted Corsica as our island, exhibiting a mix of Italian and French culture. The Greek Islands have also become part of our love story, the setting of our engagement and honeymoon. France too we often explore. From the charms of Honfleur to the gardens of Giverny to the regal Loire Valley. Much more remains to be discovered in the years ahead, in Paris, in France, in ourselves and in the world.
As for life in Paris, it is not a city easy to conquer, even for a New York girl. Each day holds in it a challenge and more often than not, a reward. Life has certainly proven a unique and beautiful journey, and for this I am grateful.
My advice to those in search of love and adventure, don't be afraid to follow your own path and always smile at handsome strangers!
Images: courtesy of Kasia Dietz