Your Survival Guy in Paris: Pack Your Hermès and Louboutins

By
E.J. Smith - Your Survival Guy
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The Arc de Triomphe in Paris. By andersphoto @ Adobe Stock

Your Survival Guy leaves for Paris tonight, and I’m about 90% packed. In a few hours, that’ll become 100%, whether I like it or not. Packing has a way of making you appreciate the ease of an apartment where you can leave behind a Hermès scarf or two. Think of it as a hedge against packing and the U.S. dollar. Staying at a Palace Hotel costs a small fortune.

OK about that small fortune. Yes, France owes its lenders a ton, but join the club. Is America’s debt load any different, other than having the dollar as a reserve currency? Both governments punish the successful, redistribute the proceeds, and keep at it until they can’t anymore. In the end, the markets will have the final word, as we’re seeing in real time.

As for this trip, I’m not letting riots or debt ruin it. Here’s the deal: Paris is big. It has 20 districts, or arrondissements that curl around the heart of the city like a snail. The center is where you find the tourists, the money, and the heaviest protection. Move farther out, and that protection thins. It’s no different from any blue-blob city in America.

And a word about the French. Through our many visits, the people we’ve encountered have been helpful, hardworking, and professional. Yes, they’re in the service business, and that’s their job. But just like here, there are the protesters—and then there are the everyday people who get up and go to work. Don’t mistake what’s being reported for the whole story. The truth, as usual, is somewhere in between.

So here we are. Don’t let fear make your decisions for you. Take the trip. Spend a little money foolishly. And act like you’ve been out of the house a time or two. You’ve got this.

Action Line: Want to know where to go when your Louboutins hit the ground?

Email me at ejsmith@yoursurvivalguy.com, and I’ll give you the lay of the land.

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E.J. Smith - Your Survival Guy
E.J. Smith - Your Survival Guy
E.J. Smith is Founder of YourSurvivalGuy.com, Managing Director at Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd., a Managing Editor of Richardcyoung.com, and Editor-in-Chief of Youngresearch.com. His focus at all times is on preparing clients and readers for “Times Like These.” E.J. graduated from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, with a B.S. in finance and investments. In 1995, E.J. began his investment career at Fidelity Investments in Boston before joining Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd. in 1998. E.J. has trained at Sig Sauer Academy in Epping, NH. His first drum set was a 5-piece Slingerland with Zildjians. He grew-up worshiping Neil Peart (RIP) of the band Rush, and loves the song Tom Sawyer—the name of his family’s boat, a Grady-White Canyon 306. He grew up in Mattapoisett, MA, an idyllic small town on the water near Cape Cod. He spends time in Newport, RI and Bartlett, NH—both as far away from Wall Street as one could mentally get. The Newport office is on a quiet, tree lined street not far from the harbor and the log cabin in Bartlett, NH, the “Live Free or Die” state, sits on the edge of the White Mountain National Forest. He enjoys spending time in Key West (RIP JB) and Paris. Please get in touch with E.J. at ejsmith@yoursurvivalguy.com To sign up for my free monthly Survive & Thrive letter, click here.

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