What la vie en rose means to me is less about a song and more about a way of seeing, a quiet alchemy of beauty and belonging that Paris somehow stirs into my story and soul.

It’s early October, and the leaves along the Seine drift slowly downward, glowing in shades of gold, orange, and brown. They swirl through the air as I walk beneath the tall châtaigniers near Pont de l’Alma, wearing one of my many silk scarves and a trench coat, with my hair fluttering in harmony with the river breeze. The black, weathered lampposts stand like sentinels, the green, distressed benches beckon a pause, and I feel a gentle but persistent sense of gratitude. Thirty days in Paris, and already it feels like a lifetime: a mosaic of faces, flavors, and stories.

My daily routines vary, but they typically include a few consistent activities. After I dive into writing and consume three cups of hazelnut coffee, I visit Valérie and her son Jad, who run Le 44, des fleurs & des choses, my neighborhood’s cozy floral café. Here, my morning often continues with a café Americano and a slice of locally made banana bread or a freshly baked croissant. I return in the late afternoon as the day fades into golden hour, enjoying a glass of Pouilly-Fumé and a charcuterie board. It’s the kind of place where time slows down, petals fall as gently as conversation, and it serves as a haven where relationships are nurtured.

Then, if I am not exploring on my own, I have been fortunate to be introduced to Tyrese, my co-conspirator in vintage treasure hunts, roaming through the puces, Paris’s legendary flea markets. Another delightful person is Veronica, whom I met through Karina. We shared coffee on Rue Cler, and she offered her generous local wisdom, while Karina herself has become a connector of kindred spirits, like Brice, who guided me through the vineyards of Sancerre; Jennifer, who turned cheese into an art form; and Danielle, who speaks champagne like a second language. They have all made my visit truly special.

Paris continues to reveal itself as an endless museum, from Rodin’s gardens and Hugo’s house to the mirrored salons of the Louvre and the quiet intimacy of Musée Jacquemart-André. The new Galerie Dior, with its dioramas of couture dreams and sketches that seem alive, serves as a cathedral of imagination. At Fragonard, I lingered over notes of vanilla, rose, and amber, scents that seem to whisper, Remember this moment.

Throughout this process, I continue to encounter women who seem like living embodiments of the stories I’m writing. I visited Izza, an 83-year-old Moroccan filmmaker who is fierce, luminous, and entirely unbothered by time. We shared Israeli tea and Boterkoek, a classic Dutch butter cake, along with wisdom about endurance and reinvention. Dinner at the iconic Maxim’s, listening to jazz with Lauren, followed by cocktails at Le Meurice, created a perfect Parisian evening. This twenty-four-year-old, full of courage and conviction, reminded me that new dreams require risk. Two generations—Lauren from S.H.E. Book One and Izza from S.H.E. Book Two—are thriving in their individual creative revolutions. Each a SHERO in her own right, their lives weave into my Paris story like harmonies from different eras of the same song.

And always, the city nourishes me, through omelets and quiches, tartares, terrines, and croissants, each meal a lesson in simple perfection. Even the lemon capellini with caviar feels like a secret only Paris could create. Between extended meals, I wander through the Tuileries and Luxembourg Gardens, or drift through windows of silk and sparkle, where fashion here is less about fabric and more about spirit.

Maybe I see the world through rose-colored glasses. But isn’t that what La Vie en Rose really means? To choose wonder. To meet each moment with tenderness. To live as if art and life are the same. Each day here feels like a rehearsal for what’s next; the story I’m creating, a love letter to Paris and to possibility.

So, let’s start the music. Play Edith Piaf’s version of La Vie en Rose. Because right now, and maybe always, this is how I see the world: shining from within.