This is the epilogue to a series of diaries I wrote on a solo trip to Paris in 2017. They say hindsight is 20/20. My trip to Paris had turned out to be serendipitous for a few reasons: Colette, an iconic concept store in Paris closed permanently a month after…

This is part of a series of diaries I wrote on a solo trip to Paris in 2017. This morning, I decided to have breakfast at the hotel. In the elevator on the way down, a French woman in her late twenties walked in, impeccably dressed, of course. She smiled…

This is part of a series of diaries I wrote on a solo trip to Paris in 2017. This morning, I went to Baguett’s cafe near my hotel for breakfast. I had a sad serving of porridge and a latte which was about twice as big as the porridge. …

This is part of a series of diaries I wrote on a solo trip to Paris in 2017. The sun is out! I woke up nice and early and walked to Le Marche des Enfants Rouge hoping to have breakfast at the market. But I was too early, it was…

Prologue Only in Paris will you witness people do the following: Be deeply immersed in a book while walking down a busy street, strategically dodging traffic and other pedestrians. Sit and stare pensively into space while waiting for their takeaway order. Drink a glass of red wine alone at a sidewalk…

Things women do when they’re pre-menstrual: Break up with our boyfriends. Or talk about breaking up with our boyfriends. Commit to painful cosmetic procedures. PMS makes us feel tragically unattractive. Impulse-buy. The best remedy for low self-esteem is a designer luxury good. Quit our full-time job. The modern day woman…

The ambitious woman is often portrayed as a wild, untamed beast, thanks to the modern phenomenon of “doing the hustle.” I’m referring to the relentless, vertical climb to the top of the corporate ladder that we are all encouraged to jump on. …

Not long ago, I transitioned from the “18 to 24” age group to the “25 to 34” bracket. Something happens when you hit 25. You finally let go of things that aren’t important in life. Things like: Do boys prefer lipstick or lipgloss? Did I sound too smart? Thigh gaps! …