So, over Christmas vacation I had time on my hands and was pondering some new year travel dreams. I could feel the footsteps of March Break running up from behind so I decided on a little trip research. I had designs on warmth, comfort and learning… As by mid-March old man winter begins to tire on the soul. However, concerns about the exchange on the Canadian Dollar were pressing against the entire idea. March Break is fixed, so I knew the dates we had to play with and the lack of “wiggle room”.
Noodling through the all inclusives, I checked out the packages for Mexico, Cuba, DR and Jamaica. Nothing grabbed my attention to the point of purchase, although I did ponder a Hard Rock in the Maya Riviera that I thought the kids might really enjoy. However, I really wanted a pick with an “educational” component that challenged our little family a bit more!
Soooo… Attention turned to airfares. With a group of 4 adults, this would mostly likely formulate 1/2 the cost of any trip. While running a few combinations out of Moncton International (I often do this as NB has a different break than NS and choice and cost are sometimes impacted positively) I stumbled into some very reasonable tix to Paris. If we chucked in some points we had the makings of a solid airfare deal across the pond.
Paris had been in the media since a terrorist attack in November of 2015. The images, politics, and voices of the city and France reverberated with us in our daily news and in online content. Rick Steeves says a great way to combat that type of terrorism is to visit… Hard not to agree. Janie and I had been to Paris for three days in 2008 and have always held the city as one of our most memorable. Beyond that… What a perfect opportunity for our kids to use the French Immersion instruction they had participated in throughout their years in school.
Thus … the stars seemed to align and we purchased return tickets. With the wheels in motion, I’m going to try and chronicle our planning through to the actual trip as an exercise in process! Want to keep track of all my mistakes I guess… Stay tuned!