An American In Paris

Surprisingly, the spouse and I are going to Paris over the holiday break. We never manage to go anywhere because something else (baseball camp, new roof, orthodontics, etc) always comes up. We purchased the tickets 6 months ago, when we had some cash on hand, and figured since the money had already been spent, everything else would have to bow to our selfish needs. Voilá, it worked!
It feels strange to be taking a trip as an adult. When I travelled in my youth, there was always the possibility that I could stay there forever. Now I know that I will never "go native" and that I have a mortgage, and a job, and that I am a tourist. Seems less fun somehow.