There's a whole different feeling to traveling on Christmas. Over the years, I've had a lot of different celebrations but this year, with our return to Paris, I can safely say it's one of the most magical. Getting John up early is never fun - or easy - but knowing the destination made it easier. The airport was busy but wonderfully civilized and our flight to Dallas was the complete opposite from our summer leg. Well, save for the woman who couldn't find her seat in first class it was uneventful. Though I did want to just jump up and say that there were two seats open, pick one and sit in it! I would have added, "please," it being a holiday and all.  And, since it is Christmas, I really wanted to find some ravioli, and as luck would have it, DFW had a Maggiano's, so a win for both of us since they offered gluten free pasta. I couldn't wait to get to Paris so the menu at any restaurant will never be an issue.

Returning to Hôtel Beaubourg is like coming home. We know the neighborhood so well, and since the room wasn't ready, after checking our bags we went right out for lunch. I've said it before, but there is nothing like Paris and especially there is nothing like it with someone you love. At times, I lose track of my husband. He's either disappearing behind tall people or stopping to look at something without telling me. I've lost track of how many times today alone that I  have turned to say something only to find a stranger next to me.

We can already feel the difference between Paris in the summer and the city in the winter. Surprisingly, there are still people outside the cafes, but we're chalking that up to the pull of being able to sit at the cafe tables and smoke. We've already done some shopping and finally unpacked. Tonight, we're meeting a friend from LA who is in town for a few days and going to a concert featuring Mozart's Requiem at St. Sulpice. When I was at Boston College, that masterpiece was the first concert I had the pleasure of performing. The memory of those rehearsals and the final concert have stayed with me for over 40 years. What an emotional night it will be to hear it in John's favorite Paris church. It's going to bring me back to a special time in my life, and I'll marry that memory with the new ones made on this trip.

I recently told a friend of mine that I am beyond lucky to be able to return to Paris a second time this year. I don't take that for granted. If there's a lesson in this for anyone, it's to savor every special moment in your life. There's going to be sadness and disappointment in life but when the good times come again and again, they help dull whatever tries to put out their brightness. And from the looks of it so far, there's no stopping the lights in this Christmas City of Lights to do just that.