About
Have you ever dreamed of going to Paris? Maybe you’ve put it off because you didn’t have a travel partner, or you felt intimidated because you don’t speak French, or because you’ve never traveled abroad? Maybe you have visited before but this time want a less touristy, more authentic experience? If so, then Meet Me in Paris is just for you…
Meet me…
Formally trained as a school psychologist, Joelle dedicates her work to supporting children with learning disabilities, ADHD, autism, and developmental delays. When summer arrives and classrooms grow quiet, she and her Yorkie, Zoé, trade routine for la joie de vivre and make Paris their home. During these months, Joelle opens the door to an intimate Parisian experience, inviting guests to join her for a week immersed in the beauty and enchantment of the City of Light.
As your personal host, she invites you to explore Paris together through guided walks, food tours, wine tastings, evenings in Parisian jazz clubs, and other thoughtfully curated experiences. From the moment travelers arrive at the Paris airport, every detail is seamlessly arranged — transportation, hotel accommodations, daily activities, and everything in between. Guests simply arrive, relax, and soak in the Parisian rhythm.
Meet Me in Paris is not just about seeing monuments—it offers an authentic taste of Parisian culture and joie de vivre. Guests spend time in local neighborhoods hearing stories, exploring different arrondissements, visiting French markets, experiencing the live music scene, and savoring Paris café culture. As a French speaker, Joelle helps guests navigate conversations with locals, from bonjours to bonsoirs and beyond.
Your home for the week is a boutique hotel in the elegant sixth arrondissement, surrounded by delightful cafés, shops, and bistros within walking distance. Meet Me in Paris is the perfect Parisian escape for first-time and returning visitors alike—whether traveling solo, with family, or among friends.
… in Paris.
"C'était le coup de foudre"—it was love at first sight. I remember the day I fell in love with Paris for the first time. It was April 2002, during a trip with EF Tours—my first trip abroad, in fact. Our group of 40-plus travelers had just arrived from London to the City of Light via Eurostar. On the coach ride from Gare du Nord to our hotel, I gazed through the windows and felt immediately enchanted. The cafés, the bridges, the stylish people, the architecture, the language—there was a certain mood, an ambiance I had never experienced before. I instantly felt at home.
“It was love at first sight. I remember the day I fell in love with Paris for the first time.”
— Joelle G.
Fast forward to 2011, the year I started traveling to Paris and France as a solo traveler with Zoé, my little Yorkie princess. I knew that this time there would be no tour guide to translate for me, so I decided to prepare by taking French classes at the Alliance Française. I'm so glad I did—not only did I meet some of my best friends there, but when I arrived in Paris that summer, I realized that knowing basic French phrases was a total game changer. I could go to my local boulangerie and order "une baguette tradition, s'il vous plaît," chat with merchants at the weekly farmers' markets, and even build friendships that still exist to this day.
Zoé in her Paris apartment
It was also during this trip that I developed a passion for French wine—first through an impromptu visit to La Bordeauxthèque, the wine gallery attached to Galeries Lafayette, and later that month, while visiting famous wine regions like Burgundy, Provence, and the Rhône Valley. I knew then that my life would never be the same.
The Pont Neuf
Since that summer in 2011, I've deepened my relationship with Paris and France by spending as much time there as possible—usually a month or longer at a time, staying in my favorite Parisian neighborhood, Saint-Germain-des-Prés. When in Atlanta, I enjoy hosting French-themed events. Wine continues to be "a thing" for me (it always will be!), and in 2013 I pursued formal training at Emory to become a French Wine Scholar. The COVID-19 pandemic opened up opportunities to train remotely with schools based in France, including the Comité Champagne, where I specialized and became certified in Champagne. I also studied French at Sorbonne University in Paris via Zoom. Now, as a full-time educator with summers off, I invite guests to join me each June and July in Paris, where we experience joie de vivre together!
