Springtime in Paris: Painting a Dream
When Thanh and I honeymooned in Paris during the autumn, the city wrapped us in a quiet, golden magic. The crisp fall air, the fallen leaves along the Seine, and the timeless silhouette of the Eiffel Tower made every moment feel like a scene from a classic film.
During that trip, we made a promise to each other: We are going to come back here one day during the springtime, and we’re going to bring our kids.
Although Europe is a chapter we’re saving for when our kids are a bit older, my dream of experiencing a Parisian spring as a family never faded. Instead of waiting years to bring that vision to life, I decided to bring that future dream into our home through my paintbrush.
Turning Aspirations into Art
As an artist, most of the custom paintings I create for my clients celebrate their past adventures, capturing the nostalgia of an unforgettable trip or preserving a cherished family travel memory. But art doesn’t only have to look backward. Sometimes, the most powerful pieces we hang on our walls are the ones that look forward.
I painted this Parisian spring scene for our home as a visual love letter to where our family is going next.
In the painting, bright pink cherry blossoms frame a sunlit pathway leading toward the Eiffel Tower, with our family walking hand-in-hand beneath them. What surprised me most after finishing the piece was how vivid their personalities felt. Even though they are painted strictly from behind, everyone who sees it in person immediately says, “That is so Khai and Khang!” The boys love recognizing themselves in the canvas, too. A simple posture, the way someone walks, or how they lean into each other carries so much story, transforming what could have been a generic landscape into something that is unmistakably ours.
Bringing the World Home
Hanging this piece in our home brings a sense of wonder into our daily lives. Every morning as we walk past it, it serves as a gentle reminder of the places waiting for us out in the world. It keeps our collective wanderlust alive and acts as a quiet, beautiful promise to ourselves: We will walk under those blossoms together.
Travel is so much more than just the days you spend on the ground in a new city; it’s the dreaming, the planning, and the shared anticipation leading up to the journey. Painting our future trip allowed us to start experiencing the magic of Paris in the spring long before we ever board the flight.
Where is Your Dream Destination?
Whether it’s a destination you’ve already visited or a place that lives entirely in your future plans, there is incredible power in surrounding yourself with the stories you want to live out.
Where is that one place you and your family dream of exploring together?
