Travel Day: Georgia to Paris
About This Stop
Our 53-day European adventure got off to a rough start when our car decided to break down at 4 AM on the way to the airport. Nothing says 'family vacation' quite like scrambling to find another vehicle in the pre-dawn darkness! Thankfully, we managed a quick car swap and kept our travel plans on track - sometimes the best adventures start with a little chaos.
Once we got past the early morning drama, everything smoothed out beautifully. Atlanta airport was a breeze, and then came the highlight of our departure day: Aubrey's determined quest to find 'the best Chick-fil-A ever' before leaving American soil for two months. She took this mission very seriously, and honestly, it did turn out to be pretty amazing. There's something perfect about starting a European food adventure with one last taste of home.
JFK went surprisingly well too - no crazy delays or lost luggage disasters that you always worry about with international connections. The JetBlue overnight flight to Paris was actually really comfortable, which was a pleasant surprise. We spent the flight going over our massive European itinerary and getting excited about all the places we'd be visiting over the next seven weeks.
Waking up to see the French countryside out the airplane window was one of those perfect travel moments. Landing at Charles de Gaulle at 6:45 AM felt like the real beginning of something special. The excitement of hearing French being spoken all around us and knowing we were finally in Europe after months of planning was incredible.
Of course, our European learning curve started immediately. First challenge: figuring out how to buy subway tickets, which was way more complicated than expected. Then, like total tourists, we sat right by the train doors when it was empty. As the train filled up heading into the city, we quickly realized we were in everyone's way and getting some serious dirty looks from the locals. Note to self: sit anywhere but near the doors on European trains! It was our first taste of European public transit etiquette, and we definitely failed that test.
Despite the subway mishap, collecting our bags and making it out of the airport felt like a victory. From car trouble to Chick-fil-A missions to overnight flights to subway fails, it all felt like the perfect chaotic launch for what we knew would be an amazing European adventure across 12 countries.
Once we got past the early morning drama, everything smoothed out beautifully. Atlanta airport was a breeze, and then came the highlight of our departure day: Aubrey's determined quest to find 'the best Chick-fil-A ever' before leaving American soil for two months. She took this mission very seriously, and honestly, it did turn out to be pretty amazing. There's something perfect about starting a European food adventure with one last taste of home.
JFK went surprisingly well too - no crazy delays or lost luggage disasters that you always worry about with international connections. The JetBlue overnight flight to Paris was actually really comfortable, which was a pleasant surprise. We spent the flight going over our massive European itinerary and getting excited about all the places we'd be visiting over the next seven weeks.
Waking up to see the French countryside out the airplane window was one of those perfect travel moments. Landing at Charles de Gaulle at 6:45 AM felt like the real beginning of something special. The excitement of hearing French being spoken all around us and knowing we were finally in Europe after months of planning was incredible.
Of course, our European learning curve started immediately. First challenge: figuring out how to buy subway tickets, which was way more complicated than expected. Then, like total tourists, we sat right by the train doors when it was empty. As the train filled up heading into the city, we quickly realized we were in everyone's way and getting some serious dirty looks from the locals. Note to self: sit anywhere but near the doors on European trains! It was our first taste of European public transit etiquette, and we definitely failed that test.
Despite the subway mishap, collecting our bags and making it out of the airport felt like a victory. From car trouble to Chick-fil-A missions to overnight flights to subway fails, it all felt like the perfect chaotic launch for what we knew would be an amazing European adventure across 12 countries.
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