An American in Paris....for 2 1/2 hours!

When I found out I had a 6 1/2 hour layover in Paris on the way to Jordan, I thought to myself "there is no way I'm staying at that airport!".  So i found a quick way to get into the city and spent a lovely afternoon roaming around.  It was a little tricky finding an outfit that would be romantic enough to frolic around Paris in but still be appropriate to arrive in the Amman airport. ;)
It was a really rainy day but mother nature was on my side and skies were clear from a few minute after I arrived in downtown until I got back to the airport, what a blessing!
I took the RER to the St. Michel stop and took a stroll through the twist and turns of the Latin Quarter.  I stumbled upon a few restaurants and cafes we went to on my first trip to Paris last winter and picked up my favorite, an almond croissant and cappuccino, at one of the cafes and took it over to enjoy the view down the River Seine.  I continued on to Notre Dame to take a few pictures before walking up the hill to the Luxembourg Gardens.  It was my first time visiting the gardens, they were absolutely stunning.  I took in the view and found a nice little tree to sit under and write in my journal.  It was a glorious and peaceful afternoon.  It fun and liberating to roam around so comfortably in this foreign city.  I was even asked out to lunch by a handsome man sitting nearby, I didn't have time to go since I had to get back to the airport but it was flattering nonetheless. :)

On my way into the gardens I had my new phone in my hand(that I'm still figuring out how to use) and accidentally took this picture.  In the process I discovered the setting that allows you to turn the lense around to take pictures of yourself, this provided for some amusement. :)

                                                         Hmmm.....where to next???

                                                             The little tree I sat under.

I was a little nervous about being an American woman flying into Amman by myself at 11pm at night.  Luckily I was seated next to a lovely nurse from Operation Smile, Shawna, on my connecting flight from Paris who had been on 2 other missions with the organization.  She filled me in on what to expect and we both felt better about starting off our adventure in the Middle East together.  All was smooth and easy once we landed, exchanged our US$ for Jordan Dinars, went through customs, and our suitcases were sitting at baggage claim.  Adam(our fearless mission coordinator) was just outside of security waiting for us with a big hug and got us a taxi to the hotel.  Ahhhh......we made it!