Postcards from Paris
A quarterly offsite turned magical retreat in Paris
I landed in Paris very low-tech (my wifi glitched and my cell service was non-existent), and despite that (or maybe because of that), what unfolded was pure magic. With a paper map in hand, I navigated old-fashioned style through the streets of Paris, past the iconic Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe, and into the 17th Arrondissement. Final destination: The Hotel El Dorado (significance explained in this post).
When I first started planning this trip and mentioned it to one of my besties, Megan, she offered to find me the perfect hotel for the occasion.
What was the occasion? I’m so glad you asked.
I was going for a quarterly offsite (a concept I had read about in the book Essentialism by Greg McKeown). The idea is that every three months you should set aside a few hours to think about the bigger picture. Only I had decided to turn it into a week-long retreat (in a foreign city, no less).
Knowing the vibe, and knowing me, Megan casually sent me a link to the hotel that she picked out for me, and it stopped me in my tracks: The Hotel El Dorado.
WHAT?! Did Megan know about the significance of the word El Dorado? TL;DR: it was my first in what would be a long history of using WORDS as my intrinsic motivation (aka: my one thing, my first domino, my intention). It was an oldie but a goodie and it wasn’t the kind of thing I shared widely. Sure enough, when I asked her, she said: No, I just thought it was the perfect spot for you.
It felt like a sign: Paris was going to be a place of fabulous opportunity for my first official quarterly retreat.
The Juxtaposition of Perspective
Beyond the Hotel El Dorado, the whole idea was to get out of my current surroundings and put myself in a fresh new inspired and energized environment. This trip for me was a little bit of DOING energy (I had to look over my goals after all) and a lot of BEING energy (being present in the current moment without regard to my goals at all).
It feels like a juxtaposition: the whole point of the trip is to review my goals, but the only rule was not to do anything to move them forward. I’m calling it the juxtaposition of perspective.
Like the phrase: you can’t see the forest for the trees. When you are in the trees, you can’t see the forest, but to see the forest, you have to acknowledge that there are in fact, trees. This is like that.
And my whole point is that there was space for fun, following what lights me up, and inviting a little magic of the unexpected.
Little Magic Everywhere
If I had to sum the trip up in 5 absolutely delightful experiences, it would be these.
1- The Amanda Upgrade
If I had to describe my sister in one word (and you know I love words) it would be WANDERLUST. It’s not just that she loves to travel — it’s that she needs to travel to be her authentic self. Maybe it’s in our DNA (our mom was a travel agent, after all), but Amanda took that Wanderlust gene and elevated it.
She travels for work constantly, so when she travels for play, she does it right — elevated, intentional, and (more often than not) with a view. So when she found out I was going to Paris, she didn’t hesitate. “Want company?” turned into a full-blown upgrade to my offsite vision — complete with the dreamiest hotel room I never would have booked myself. Of course the hotel had a spa. Of course she manifested a room upgrade. Of course the balcony had a view of the Eiffel Tower. I cannot even begin to describe how Amanda upgraded the entire trip, and it wasn’t just about the hotel room — she elevated the vibe for the entire trip.
It got me thinking: how can I invite more luxe into my life for the rest of the year?
2- La Tour Eiffel
Speaking of the Eiffel Tower — what a showstopper! Some landmarks are one-and-done: you see them once, you check them off the list. But not her. She’s giving main character energy, and there’s no such thing as too much.
We organized our days around sunset (very Steph-coded) and her every-hour-on-the-hour sparkle & shimmer that followed. It was like wherever we went, there she was: our room, strolling along the seine, we even dined in one of her restaurants.
The Eiffel Tower may be made of 10,000 tons of metal, but she is beauty, she is grace, she is a spectacular sight from any angle.
It got me thinking: how can I embody more of this main character sparkly energy in the rest of my year?
3- Hotel El Dorado
Speaking of being Steph-coded, where do we begin with the Hotel El Dorado? While I didn’t end up staying there (see: Amanda Upgrade), I knew it was where I’d do my quarterly planning. And when I tell you the vibes were vibing — I felt from the moment I walked in.
The Auspicious Peacock: Peacocks have always been a sign of rapid change for me. The most significant of which was in 2020 when one literally crossed my path during a pivotal period of change right before I started a venture with my sister (buying an airbnb) and ultimately decided to relocate to Florida (from NYC).
So when I walked into the hotel and saw peacocks on the lobby wallpaper, I just thought: of course, it’s El Dorado.
Peacock casually walking by the patio I was perched on (May 2020) | the lobby of the Hotel El Dorado (March 2025) The Palm Tree Aesthetic: I have this thing with palm trees. It’s new, since the floods. I realized that many magical and significant places and spaces for me have one thing in common: palm trees. When I moved last year I decided to blow up my photos of significant palm trees in my life and make it the theme for my home decor. What can I say, I’m in my Palm Tree era.
The current state of my wall decor, can you guess which one is Disney World? Imagine my surprise when I sat down for lunch, in a courtyard shaded by palm trees and they brought me a menu, the cover of which was a Palm Tree. Of course, this is right where I belong.
What If It’s Better. One of my core beliefs in both life and coaching is this: get clear on what you want and then stay open to something even better. It’s easy to say, but sometimes you need a little anecdotal evidence (can I get an amen!). Enter: the scallop carpaccio.
I was torn between two raw fish options, and after asking the waiter for clarification, I chose the tuna. But somewhere along the way, something got lost in translation—and out came the scallops.
I’d never had scallops raw. It sounded frightening, tbh. But I wasn’t going to send it back so scallops carpaccio it was. And 👏 it 👏 was 👏 divine. It was better than what I’d asked for.
He brought me what I didn’t even know to want—and I loved it.
It got me thinking: If all the signs are there that I’m right where I’m supposed to be, how can I trust life’s unfolding a little more and be open to it being even better than I expected this year?
4- Disneyland Paris
Speaking of Disney (see Palm Tree art installation above), did you know that Disneyland Paris is a 45 minute metro ride from the city?! We grew up in Orlando with parents who worked for Disney, so summer often meant being dropped at the front gates to roam the parks. Amanda even worked there one summer. We are, without a doubt, Disney kids.
So when our mom offered us tickets to the Paris version of “the most magical place on earth" it felt like the perfect addition to retreat week. We went into it thinking we would be back by mid-afternoon, but we were like kids again: ride-hopping till we dropped and only leaving once we had ridden every single roller coaster there was to ride.
It was younger-me meets today-me and it turns out that she is the same but different.
The only ride I wanted to ride for sure was Thunder Mountain, but when that was closed, we were left with no choice but to branch out. The rollercoasters felt wild-er there (and mostly unexpected). I screamed, I laughed, my stomach got caught in my throat. WHO AM I, and did I just become a thrill-seeker? It was a blast, I would do it all over again!
This one had me all in my feels: the same-but-different aspects, running around carefree and having the time of my life, and having an experience that was curated for happiness…it was thrilling!
It got me thinking: if the uncertain route can be both scary and thrilling, how can I embrace the uncertainty this year?
5- The Corner Table at the Corner Cafe
There was a little café across from our hotel that caught our eye on day one. We noted it as a spot to come back to for French onion soup… and then we kept coming back. Every single day.
It was quintessential French onion soup: the broth was rich, the cheese layer crisped to perfection, and the bread was the perfect balance. But it wasn’t just the soup. It was the comfort, the service, the people watching (OMG!), and the vibe was just effortless. It had everything we wanted, and nothing we didn’t.
And they always gave us the best table: a corner spot by the window, perfect for watching the comings and goings. That corner table became an easy place to land between Parisian adventures.
It got me thinking: How can I invite more ease, comfort, and curiosity into the magic of what I’m trying to bring into existence this year?
What’s Next?
Next week, I’ll share exactly what my quarterly offsite looked like in case you want to plan one of your own. Good news: You don’t have to hop on a plane to do it. But also… if you do want to hop on a plane, I’m inviting you on my next one. ✈️
Any guesses where we’re headed?
Want to get the full retreat structure (or steal the vibe for your own version)? Stay tuned—or better yet, subscribe so you don’t miss it.