Paris Writers' Retreat 2019

Finally, after years of waiting to return to my Creative "home," I finally got the chance to go back this Spring not just to write but also to teach novel writing at my first ever Paris Writers' Retreat!

This is a first of a series of blog posts from the trip which will focus on my own personal adventures and experiences. But first, some history on why Paris has been my Creative Haven all this time. I first visited Paris after a summer studying abroad in Madrid years ago. I had always dreamed of visiting Paris with a special romantic someone but I quickly realized when I was there for the first time, that I didn't need to have a romantic partner to enjoy Paris---the City of Light had put a spell on me with its own brand of magic! I was a stressed-out, burned-out fledgling journalist when I took a sabbatical that year. But by the time I reached Paris, I immediately felt like I had come home! Back home to my creative writing self! Since I had been so mired in my journalism career, I had put my creative dreams aside. But long solo walks around La Tour Eiffel, around the Left Bank, La Sorbonne, and La Marais, proved that the literary ghosts of the past had haunted me, had guided me back to my creative writing self---my authentic self. When I left to go back home to the Bay Area, I had left a huge part of my heart behind. I couldn't wait to go back. 

So it was quite serendipitous when immediately upon my return home, I chanced upon a business card for French language lessons at a local French bistro and quickly signed up. Through Sara Villat and her French with Class, I was back in Paris within a year for a French class field trip. To my delight, I found that the magic of Paris continued to refresh my creative juices as I found myself writing, with pen and tiny notebook in hand, at places such as inside the sanctuary of Saint-Chappelle, surrounded by glorious stained-glass windows, and high up the towers of the Cathedrale de Notre Dame, with the precious gargoyles keeping me company! These first two trips to Paris resulted in the creation of my novels Not Just Another Pretty Face and Pretty as a Picture where Paris is very much a main character!

With my return to my Creative Homeland this Spring, I can say that it was well worth the long wait. I can't believe it took me so long to revisit Paris and now I can't wait to return for more of that Parisian literary magic!

And so with every blog post in my Literary Paris series, I shall continue to revisit Paris as I share my photos, experiences along with some literary musings. For more photos of the Paris trip, please visit me on Instagram @literaryyogini

à bientôt!