Saturday, June 15th, was International Day at the American School of Paris and also the day that Kelly Wayling showed up on the steps of 15 rue du Levant, Garches! Oh my goodness! Kelly Wayling arrived and surprised Greg and Brianna at 10am Saturday morning!! Greg walked out of the shower as Kelly was walking in from another hallway; Greg nearly lost his mind! Bri was still in shock from seeing him arrive while Greg was in the shower. It was the best moment ever to witness!!

Chris and I took Kelly up to the town market, and then returned after eating breakfast made in front of us at the market (a gallette complet).  Kelly enjoyed all the fresh food stands and beauty of the market right there in our little village.

Once everyone was ready for the day (after the shock waves subsided that Kelly was actually there with us, IN PARIS), we went to International Day at ASP to sample all the foods from countries around the world.  It was a sunny gorgeous day and Greg toured Kelly around the campus while Brianna volunteered at the Maple Syrup smoothie stand (go Canada!).

After Kelly had met a few of our ‘local’ parents and teachers (the Waters, Mr. Topazzani, and Filipa Pavic), and shared a few drinks, we went directly into Paris. He went ahead with Chris to the Louvre and to see Paris from Ponts de Neuf (bridge over le Seine). Then I met up with them after they walked the Champs d’Elysees for a while and Kelly and I hit the Arc de Triumph with attitude!! It was a vertical walk of 284 steps in tight circles to get to the top. His legs were burning and my head was spinning, but we did it with humor and grit, without missing a beat! It is the Arc de Triumph after all! We hit the metro train home and Kelly had a short nap before we pouring champagne and dressing in suits and dresses for a gala soiree taking place in Paris that night for ASP staff and friends.

We ubered to the soiree at about 9pm after Brianna and Greg had both set off on their evening adventures. Greg was going to a club in Paris and Bri was at a friend’s party.  So we were all out for the night in Paris, and I’m pretty sure us ‘grown ups’ had the best time! The Soiree was a whole evening event with food, drinks, entertainment and games set at the infamous Musee des Art Foraines.  It is the most beautiful setting for a party we’ve ever been too. The weather was perfect when we set off in our uber excited for the evening. The uber ride home was just as interesting as the one there…Oh, what a night! The Soiree blog has the photos of that night (and early morning!).

The next day was Greg’s graduation at the Lafayette Memorial in St. Cloud Parc.  The graduation was unbelievable in magnitude, style and tradition. Held outdoors with a grand back drop…Check out the graduation blog for more! Thanks for joining us for the best weekend of our year in Paris, Kelly!! You made it so special by being there to celebrate with us and we’re so happy you got a taste of our life in France. You jumped in with both feet and we didn’t give you much time to relax, but we hope you always cherish the memories as much as we do! It was a whirlwind of a trip!