Time Zone Challenges, Goofs, and Good Times in Paris

Nous sommes arrivees en Paris!  We arrived from the Hague by train yesterday.  We were unable to get high speed reservations from the Hague because the trains were full.  However, we were able to take a slow train 30 minutes earlier than the high speed from the Hague to Brussels and catch the same high speed in Brussels.  How's that?  Turns out the high speed lines from the Hague to Brussels haven't been built yet so the high speed train isn't exactly high speed.

Each of us has a back pack and a suitcase on wheels.  The kids are pushing the smallest suitcases with wheels possible.  Still, when we arrived at our metro stop and found 4 flights of steep stairs topped with a last flight containing a broken escalator followed by about 1/4 mile walk to our apartment building we were all at our wits end.  We were very glad to see the apartment manager soon after we arrived who let us in to a very happily decorated apartment with geranium filled balcony.

I was scheduled for 3 clients the next day.  Here is the lesson learned. Completely exhausted after our arrival in Paris, I turned on my computer to look at the next day's schedule.  There I saw two clients scheduled.  One client emailed to let me know that my time change (which has caused us to move appointments to her early mornings) was not working for her.  Down to one appointment I thought.  With this schedule in mind we went off sight seeing.  I returned in the afternoon to another email from a second client asking where I was.

What happened was that in my exhaustion I did not notice my calendar was set to the wrong week.  Although her appointment was correctly placed for today, I was looking at last week.  Total goof.

If I were to do this all again, here would be the change.  I would try to give myself a little more leeway between arriving at a new location and speaking with clients.  I have not planned sufficiently for how much energy it takes to move from one place to another.  When I'm tired I make mistakes.

As for the client who is unhappy with the new schedule - we have decided to postpone until my return to the US.  I am happy to retain this client but it is also money lost this month.

It's going to take a bit to perfect this!

In the meantime - we've seen some great things.  Click on the pictures on the left of the Eiffel Tower and Le Jardin de Luxembourg.

Comments

[Shirley]

It sounds like you and the girls have been having a lot of fun. Unexpected things always seem to happen when we are traveling. I enjoy reading about your trip. I feel like I'm right there with you and the girls. Please tell the girls Charlie and his family all say hello!