08/08/2026
So… why Paris? 🇫🇷
Honestly, it started with a cheap flight. 😂
When I was planning my birthday trip, Paris was the cheapest international flight I could find. Before I could really consider it, I realized I had to break through a few preconceived notions I had about traveling abroad.
✈️ You don’t have to take a ton of time off to have an incredible international trip. Yes, the flight is long, but we met a couple who were literally just going to the Louvre and flying back. Yes, a summer abroad would be ideal but reality says, shorter quick trips are more manageable for my family.
🇪🇺 Just because you’re in Europe doesn’t mean you have to see all of Europe at once. Five days in one place can be so much more enjoyable than trying to cram five countries into one trip.
💰 International travel doesn’t automatically mean expensive. Flights to Paris in February can cost less than some domestic flights. Lucky for you, I figured that out solely because my birthday is in March. 🤣 The conversion rate is minimal, and once you’re out of the touristy areas, prices can be pretty comparable to the US. And no matter where you are, you have to eat. 😘
Of course, there are plenty of other reasons I chose Paris—the art, history, food, architecture, fashion—but what brings me back is the experience of simply being somewhere completely different and somehow feeling at home, learning, growing and being surrounded by beauty and history.
What really landed with me was this:
Travel can change you for the better. Art can change the way you look at and feel things. And those experiences do not have to feel out of reach.
One of my goals with Darling Retreats is to make extraordinary opportunities to grow through travel and art more accessible and affordable.
You can see a lot in five days. But seeing everything isn’t the goal.
Experiencing something extraordinary is.
And you don’t have to figure it all out on your own. ✨🙏🏼
🇫🇷 Curious about Lumiere Paris: A Travel Retreat for Women? DM me “PARIS” and I’ll send you the details.
Have you ever taken a trip that changed you? Was it the place itself, or was it saying yes to giving yourself the experience? ✨
