I’d been to Paris somewhere around 12 times before moving here.  Sometimes for a week, two weeks, weekend visits when I lived in France ’04-’05, etc.  It’s always been an unspoken rule, written deep in my heart, that I would never ever commit the oh-so-American crime of wearing huge hideous running shoes (this is akin to wearing snorkeling gear in Paris.  You’re not snorkeling, why would you walk around wearing flippers and a mask?).  People just don’t wear them.  If you’re not jogging or clearly exercising in some form, you just don’t wear running shoes.  It’s a cardinal rule which I knew I would never break.

Before moving, our manager had emailed at some point to tell us about our work uniform that we needed to wear every day, a Fat Tire t-shirt and closed-toe shoes.  I’m pretty sure I gasped slightly in horror, scoffed openly, and thought to myself about how I would clearly have to walk to work in normal cute clothes and then change once I got to the office, because I wouldn’t be caught dead walking through this glorious city wearing a t-shirt and jeans.  It just wasn’t going to happen.  Part of the cardinal rule.

Well…(A) I had no idea how physical this job was going to be (B.) We’re having an unusually warm Spring and AC is non-existent (C.) I brought ZERO Spring/Summer clothes with me because it’s usually cold until June, so I was going to have a friend bring that suitcase in the summer.

Conversation w/ my friend Anne last night (fellow new office girl who I trained with) at a wine tasting event:

Anne: “Hey! You look cute!”
Me: “Thanks, you too!! Our group really cleans up well!”
Anne: “Yah because we look so disgusting every day?”
Me: “I don’t even recognize anyone without the t-shirt.”
Anne: “Hey remember when we both thought that we were going to wear regular clothes to the office every day and then change into t-shirts once we got there?”
Me: “It’s almost hilarious.”
Anne: “Yah I saw you walk into the office the other day, and you were wearing the t-shirt with gym shorts, white tennis shoes, and a huge backpack, and I thought, ‘Oh how the mighty have fallen!'”

It’s true.  I thought I’d never even wear tennis shoes except on a jog…and now I’m 5 days a week wearing a tshirt & running shorts, w/ tennis shoes & a backpack.  Took about a week.  And I don’t even think about it anymore.  And I still haven’t jogged yet.  Pastries first, jogging later.