La Vie Parisienne

Two weeks ago I was in Paris. Le sigh. Such a good time almost entirely on my company's dime. Sometimes being a grown-ass woman isn't so bad. 

My trip to Paris was my very first time visiting a country for which I have absolutely NO language skills. None. Oui? Oui. But that didn't stop me from making lots of new French friends. And by French friends I mean coworkers from various offices around the world that happened to be in France. Does that make them French? Anyway...

Really the main purpose of my trip was to attend a conference with my group and "network" (vom) with my team's global offices. Nothing I love more than breaking into working groups in which everyone pledges to do something better or to create protocols no one plans on implementing. But I'm not a hater. Send me to any country and I'm down to talk about whatever.

Professional take away messages most applicable to me? Hierarchy disappears on the dance floor. My sweet moves are what I bring to the proverbial table. I'm convinced that's my one true competitive advantage. In reality, after the hellish weeks we've been having at work as of late, my friends and I probably looked more like this:

But that's okay. I'm positive we looked great doing it. Golden Girl at stage left is doing my signature move--in case anyone was wondering.

Other than the conference:

I was the princess of Chantilly;

I saw the Eiffel Tower;

I ate my weight in cheese, wine and baguettes;

I met my long lost twins;

I owned everyone/everything;

I found myself at a place called VIP Room, where one of my cultural spirit animals, Nicki Minaj, has performed. Obviously didn't know this at the time--or I would have made sure I never washed the dress I wore there ever again.

Ready for my next adventure!

--Fin.--