My Paris Project Review

 

As I begin a new year, I am reflective about the journey I have taken to write about Paris that began in 2018.

 

Yes, I have been doing this for 5 years now (with a library of almost 200 blogs)!

 

 

This all started with an idea to create my so-called “retirement project.” 

 

I have been an overachiever all my life so “retirement” seemed like an elusive prospect to me.  I began my career as a journalist and TV News Correspondent covering the newsmakers of the day in Canada, the US, Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, working my way up from a local reporter to a political journalist and then positions as a national and international bureau chief.

 

 

I loved it.

But 20 years later I was ready for a new challenge, so I started my own communications business which I called The Success Story Program™.

 

In this, I found a way to keep writing stories but now I was helping companies and individuals tell their success stories.  This suited me even more than covering the news.

 

Twenty wonderful years later, as I was closing in on retirement age, I pondered what could I do that would still ignite a fire in my belly that would carry me into this new chapter of my life.

 

I think one of the hardest things for people like me when they consider retirement is finding a way to feel relevant, especially after having a successful career.

That was my initial intention, to find something where I continued to do what I love and feel like I still had a sense of purpose.

 

 

 

I am not even sure why Paris came up as an idea.

 

I have been a Francophile all my life since my first trip to France in my early twenties. Paris was also a city that just kept drawing me back.  It didn’t feel like home exactly but it felt like me. I felt I could be more of myself there. It just spoke to my soul.

 

I know you can relate in some way.

 

That’s when I realized Paris is not just a place to visit. It is a state of mind. It is a way of being. Of course, I also wanted an excuse to keep visiting the City of Light and to write and share about that too.

 

 

Especially with women of a certain age like myself who had grown up with the fantasy of Paris.

 

It was Leslie Caron in Gigi and Audrey Hepburn in Charade.

 

It was Chanel No. 5 perfume and the Chanel suit.

 

It was an elegant strand of real pearls, a Hermes scarf, and a beret jauntily worn to the side.

 

And it was leisurely walks along the Seine, hours in the Louvre, and sipping drinks in awning-covered cafés.

 

 

My blog had maybe five readers to begin with but people eventually found me and I realized there is a wonderful community of women (and some men too!) who love Paris and all things French as much as I do.

 

You know the rest.  One thing led to another. I sought out every memoir I could find written by women about Paris and France and realized I had quite the list. So I started a Book Club Page.

 

That list is the only one of its kind in the world. It continues to expand as I read every new memoir that comes on the market.  (Let me know if you have read any new ones?)

 

 

 

Then I started a Video  Series which has evolved into The Paris Fan Club Channel.  I host 5  professionally produced broadcasts annually about all things French. They span subjects like What To Do In Paris, and Where to Stay, as well as highlight aspects of Parisian Fashion, Customs, Language, and Culture. 

 

 

Understand that I paid for all of this on my nickel until I started the Paris Fan Membership Club in 2023 where I now derive a little income to keep my passion project going!

 

I want to keep going.  I have not fully retired yet, but my “retirement” project is reaping the fruits of my labour and I am feeling excited and purposeful for 2024 to better make that transition.

 

So here’s to “retirement”, my way!

 

My Heartfelt Thanks

 

I want to thank all of you who have been so loyal to me and my endeavours. Whether you are simply subscribed to my FREE blog; you invested to be a member of the Paris Fan Club; or you buy books from my Paris Fan Club page, I appreciate you all.  Thank you for another great year.

I hope you will help me continue to nurture and expand this community of women who love all things French.

 

Please Leave a Comment Below

 

Are there French-themed things you would like me to write about in 2024? Are there subjects that you would like me to highlight in my Paris Fan Club Channel Broadcasts? Or do you just want to share your “retirement project’? I do want to hear from you.  You can so below where it says “Leave a Comment” or “Read the Comments.”

 

Final Giveaway Draw

of 2023

And the WINNER is …

 

Four times a year (March, June, September, and December) I have a Giveaway Draw for Level Two and Three Members of the Paris Fan Club!

The WINNER of the Final Draw for this year is — Patricia Cervini from Washington D.C. 

Patricia has won a gorgeous Gift Box from My French Country Home!  

It is called La Petite Box, An American In Provence. It has four beautiful items inside, including a jewelry box, necklace, and oil diffuser.  (Retail Value 175 USD/250 CAD)

 

 

 

Congrats Patricia!

Thank you for being such a loyal supporter of the Paris Fan Club!

 

 

 

Not a Member

of the Paris Fan Club Yet! 

Check out The Three Levels

of Membership by CLICKING HERE!

 

See you Again

on January 7th

 

I will be taking a break over the holidays to prepare for another year of blog posts, to read some more Paris Memoirs, and to prepare for the upcoming Paris Fan Club agenda of offerings for 2024.

See you then!

Happy Holidays to all.

A la prochaine mes amis!

Brought to you by

womanofacertainageinparis.com

 

Disclosure Policy: I purchase gifts or Giveaways unless otherwise specified as in the above French Country Home Gift Box. I also use affiliate links that may generate small commissions based on clicks and purchases on my book club page.  The commissions help in a small part to pay for the expenses for this blog and website. So I appreciate it when you buy books through my book club page for instance.  I respect my subscribers’ privacy and do not share their information with any other party or organization.