Remember how I started this trip with coming here to heal? Yeah, well, that’s not happening.

This has been among some of the most stressful times. This is my city. My love. My nourishing well.

I already said too much – boring – about my whole bank card experience. Well, we’re having yet another technological nightmare here. It seems ATT, T-Mobile, and Verizon are having service issues. In Europe. All of France. So, for two days now, I’ve not been able to use my phone, really. I have some (intermittent) wifi in the apartment, and ZERO outside. I mean ZERO. I can’t call, text, or use any apps. That includes MAPS!

I also cannot receive.

So, after my handbag workshop, I pulled out my app, and decided to take the bus home. The app stopped working. I got on the wrong bus, but reading the street signs, noticed I was heading in the wrong direction – 2ème Arrondissement? No! I exited the bus, still did not have any access to anything on my phone.

All I can say is, thank GOD I lived here for nearly a year because that is the ONLY reason I made it home. I knew which Métro lines to take, and found my way – eschewing the bus idea.

However, it is causing quite a ripple effect in my stay here. I am unable to do anything. It’s bizarre how we all are now FORCED to rely on these phones, whether it’s for calls, access to funds, maps, etc. I’m finding myself worried about my fellow Americans in foreign cities without a clue as to how to navigate their way around. Other than getting around Paris, I’m not doing great myself in a lot of ways.

I’ve been thinking of cutting my trip short. I don’t know. Maybe the phone will work in Amsterdam? But it’s been two very long days here without service. And 20 calls to ATT today failed. One got through, and after telling the agent about the outage, that phone call dropped out, too.

And how did I know, you may wonder?

Well, I went to the Apple Store (found my way without assistance), because I thought my phone was dying. Turned out that my phone is in excellent health, but the gentleman told me that his colleagues said that there are a few companies reporting outages.

The agent at ATT asked me to hold while he checked into what I was saying. He came back to tell me I was correct, right before the call failed.

So… it’s weird here. I’m typing, wondering if this will post. It all depends on whether I have enough “bars” to upload this blog.

But, I am exhausted. I came here to recover, and all hell broke out with my bank. Now, it’s my phone/Internet. I feel like I just got here, and need to recover from jet lag or something. I am so weary. I have so much emotional stress – from everything I was trying to get away from – and right into new problems.

No rest for the weary?

Still hoping I can make my way to the TS concert. At this point, I don’t know.

P.S. When I was lost today, and my phone stopped working, I did what anyone would do. I went shopping. Really, I just wanted a new lipstick, so that’s what I bought. Nice to know my card is working.