Life is beautiful.

I’ve been blessed with a job that has me traveling the world.

My very first business trip was full of hyper-excitement: plans of non-stop meeting up with friends in between work, sacrificing sleep for a life brimming with social activities in another city.

Years of extreme socializing created for many thrilling, unforgettable memories: memories of hysterical laughter, too much good food, too much bad food, and too much Beyonce.

I wouldn’t trade it for a thing. Life was a wonderful, exciting adventure.

But the past few months, I’ve discovered that life is also beautiful. There is a deep beauty in the quiet moments of life: the moments when it is just me and the sun, laying together, soaking in each others’ presence in complete contentment; the mornings when my lips meet my latte to share a few minutes of unspoken words of appreciation.

These are beautiful moments.

When I travel, I now look for moments like these – moments between just me and the city.

In Savannah, I walked into a Parisian café for dinner. As I waited for my open-faced sandwich and coconut macaron, I took in a deep sensual breath of the wonderful buttery aroma of the croissants, the curved steel chairs dancing with the feminine lime-green foliage, the adorable and adoring Parisian accent of my waitress.

As I held onto the breath, I heard a whisper of glistening music.

Though in French, a foreign language to me, the music and I began a pure and light-hearted romance, sharing with each other our stories, smiles and dreams – simply enjoying each others’ magical presence.

It felt like fate, and it overwhelmed me with complete and serene joy.

And – it was fate.

It has made my mornings even more beautiful: French accordions gently romance me out of slumber and we exchange a half-awake smile. The words of La Vie en Rose wrap fresh lavender to my shower head, and the sun’s rays softly brush my skin. Mercure Au Chrome Et P’tits lovingly watches me as I brush my hair and put on my lipstick.

And before I head out the door, I turn around and blow my San Francisco apartment a kiss.

Life is beautiful.