How The Universe Took Me To Paris

Hello, to all my dear friends from around the world. 

I just got back from five beautiful days in Paris--and let me tell you that the trip was beyond our wildest dreams--it was everything I hoped for, and then some. We explored through the Luxembourg Gardens,  dined by the Eiffel Tower, and spent days traveling through museums, city streets, and cafes. 

But there was a story behind the trip: I was not intentionally planning on going to Paris. 

Originally, the plan was to go on a business trip to Barcelona with my husband. I would have been speaking at an engagement on fitness as the keynote speaker. The trip was locked in for months--we had our hotels booked, bags packed, flights scheduled. Somewhere along the way, something in me had nudged to book a couple of extended nights in Paris--I would have the conference on a Thursday and Friday, and then we would take the train to Paris for an additional couple of nights. In my head, the plan sounded fun, romantic, and a good opportunity to get away.

On Monday, my husband and I set off together for the Newark Airport, ready to take an evening flight that would take us to Barcelona by the following morning.

But, little did I know about the situation on the ground in Barcelona. Not only was there a political issue going on with some riots in the streets, but a strike happening at the airport and most of the surrounding public transportation. We stood at the Newark Airport, Eric and I, when I received a text message that all flights were cancelled from Barcelona. How was that possible? Not wanting to alert the fellow travelers around us, we decided to go to the bar and have a drink. There was nothing we could do but wait, and then try to discuss with the airline workers. How we could possibly get to Barcelona, and if there was a way around this whole fiasco.
    
We ended up speaking the airline officials, and they said there was a possibility they could transfer us to fly to Madrid. BUT, they had to hope that there was transportation from Madrid to Barcelona.

I stood there with my husband, unsure of what to do. And then I thought about the intentions I had set not too long ago for the trip.

More than anything, I wanted a chance to get away with my husband--to combine business and pleasure. I wanted fun, relaxation, and ease and flow. I had set my intentions on these following feelings and released it out into the universe. Hopefully, if I rode within the flow of life, this trip would happen with this intention.

Well: how the universe throws everything out of whack in order to shift itself in your way! I had a long talk with Eric and we figured out that--yes, even if we didn’t get to Barcelona, we could still spend five days in Paris. We would be relaxed together. I would not have to spend days preparing for a conference, leaving him explore Barcelona alone. We would fly into Paris, check into our hotel, and worry about nothing. We could truly get away, for the first time in fifteen years--just the two of us.

I know that Eric would have never justified taking a trip to Europe purely for pleasure, if it meant taking off of work, and frankly, I think I would have some trouble justifying it myself. Neither of us would have dropped that money and taken off of work if it had only meant to just get away for pleasure, and I realized then that this was the perfect opportunity. The universe had literally opened up an opportunity of fun, romance, and ease and flow. We had to seize it, and everything in it felt right. We told the airline workers that we could switch our ticket to fly directly into Paris instead, a couple of days later. That way, we would be spending our entire trip in Paris, without the worry of work or business in our way.

It was also a moment of growth for my son. He has never spent this long alone with his grandparents, and not only was he unsure and apprehensive about breaking his routine and not having us home, but I was worried about leaving him for so long. But I had to tell myself that I had to trust the process--this would be good for him, and Eric and I too (and sure enough, after the trip, we found out that he had a blast. He realized that we didn’t need us home with him, and that he was almost completely self-sufficient on his own).

All I can say is that I am amazed, how, over and over again, the universe provides exactly what I asked for, and then some. It wasn’t how I planned or even would have done things, but it was beyond incredible. How does the law of attraction get you what you want? I am not sure why I am always so shocked when cool things like this happen, or why I have to be pushed so hard just to have fun without justifying that I deserve it. But time and time again, I have to find myself feeling that I have to earn it, work really hard for it, and then yes, I’ll be allowed to have joy.

Silly me.

I followed my intention, and knew why I was meant to have this trip. I set myself into a mindset of ease and flow.

We are all supposed to feel joy, happiness, ease and flow. Don’t try to justify otherwise for yourself--that you’re supposed to be working hard or in a grind. Let yourself be happy now, let yourself feel entitled to it now. We are all human beings, on this one earth, and each and every one of us is allowed to feel joy and feel abundance.

I am truly grateful for all my blessings, and this was just another BIG reminder to let go and enjoy all the beauty in this world.

In the end, Paris was absolutely amazing. Check out some of the beautiful sights we saw below.

Yours,

~ SJW