The moment I first met April Pett at a local Parisian cafe, I could feel her positive and magnetic energy, expressed through her approachable smile and sparkling eyes. We spoke passionately about Paris and it quickly became obvious that April was living her dream life, offering private guided tours of a city she loves deeply. It’s also her knowledge of Paris’s history, culture, and food that impressed me. April’s relationship with Paris is an intimate and intense one. And I advise anyone traveling to Paris to join April on one of her expert April in Paris tours. You can also follow her adventures on Facebook and Instagram. Meanwhile, how exactly did this Canadian linguist arrive to live her dream life in Paris? This is a story I’ll allow April to tell.

I first came to Paris during my high school career. I remember my first vision of the City of Light as I exited the métro at Place de la Concorde. My eyes grew wider and wider with bedazzlement as the busy city buzzed around me, the water from the Fountains of Seas and Rivers danced throughout the square, the gold atop the Luxor Obelisk shimmered brightly and the almighty Iron Lady stood high into the horizon. Never did I imagine that one day I would move to Paris and begin my life here!

Ever since I was just a child, I developed a knack for languages. My family is Italian, and as a child, much to my dismay, I attended Italian classes every Saturday morning in my hometown of Thorold, Ontario. (All I really wanted was to be like the other kids, watching cartoons with my dolls!) At the age of 9, I began studying French as well and from that moment on, I decided that when I grew up, I wanted to be a translator. I really loved studying languages and when the opportunity presented itself to visit Paris, France, I certainly seized it! In March 2002, I first set foot on Parisian soil and it was certainly love at first sight!

Naturally, I decided to pursue languages at Brock University, where I graduated with a degree in both French and Italian. When I learned about a study abroad program in France, I could barely contain my excitement. My parents, on the other hand, didn’t want to see their “baby” go. It took some convincing but they finally agreed and signed the paperwork. “This girl is going to La France!” I thought, and began daydreaming about all of the cheese and baguettes that I would consume! 

Now one thing that I have learned over the years is that nothing just falls into your lap in France. Endless amounts of paperwork can easily pile up in front of your eyes, and the Visa application for the year abroad seemed quite tedious. That’s when my Nonna suggested that I obtain my Italian passport, this way I would be part of the EU, and then I could spend as much time as my heart desired in Europe! What a genius plan! After a couple of trips to the Italian Embassy in Toronto, I found myself with a shiny new passport, butterflies in my stomach, and a ticket to Europe!

As it turned out, the Brock University Italian program was also offering a summer study abroad program so when the day came, I boarded the plane with about a dozen other excited students to Italy to learn about Renaissance Art and la vita bella! That summer, I experienced the wonderful Italian culture, learned about the greatest Italian artists and gained 15 kilos from all of the pasta, pizza and gelato. With summer winding down, I l was plump, excited and ready for the next chapter of my adventure! 

After a 19 hour journey of trains, planes and automobiles, I arrived at the Cité Universitaire in Perpignan. I am glad that the rest of the year went more smoothly than that first evening, after clobbering up two flights of stairs with two suitcases and plenty of other bags, only to realize that I was in the wrong residence building! I spent that year, honing my French skills, embracing the delectable French culture and making memories to last a lifetime. Leaving Perpignan was one of the hardest days in my young life, saying au revoir to my friends that had become family, to all of my favorite smelly cheeses, and especially to the country that I had called home for the past 10 months. But something in my heart told me that this wasn’t going to be the very end of my French love affair!

As the years went on, I had the opportunity to visit Paris from time to time and it always left the same feeling of love, romance, and enlightenment within. And in 2014, I decided to take the plunge and make it my home. At that time, I did not know if Paris was going to be my permanent home. And I certainly did not think that I was going to start my own tour company when I stepped foot back onto Parisian soil. In fact, I came to Paris to pursue my translation dream job. I just needed to brush up on my French first. In the meantime, I began working with an American tour company and that’s when it hit me like a ton of bricks…During my university career, I worked in the tourism bureau in my hometown of Thorold, Ontario (which is right next to Niagara Falls!), I traveled the globe, I loved meeting new people and above all, I LOVED introducing guests from all corners of the planet to my adopted home, Paris! It only made sense to start my own company. 

While I had the knowledge of Paris, there were so many aspects of starting a company that I didn’t know. I sat and stared at a blank canvas. I had ideas, great ones at that, but how to put them all together to create an experience that people would love and, how to even find these people?! And that’s when it began. The magic. People from all different walks of my life started to reach out to help with web design, graphic design, social media, introductions to potential business partners and collaborators. The interest, encouragement and willingness to help April in Paris Tours get off the ground was really overwhelming and heartfelt. Today, with thousands of tours under my belt, a wonderful network of business partners and guides, a handful of awards including the Best Tour Company in Paris by the Luxury Tour Guide and Expatriates Magazine as well as the perfect 5-star review rating on TripAdvisor, I truly feel blessed to have followed the path in life that brought me here, to Paris, the City of Light, the City of Love and the city where dreams do come true!

While the past year has been a challenge for the tourism sector worldwide, I have decided to focus on the positive! It has provided opportunities for growth, development, innovation and some R&R. During the pandemic, I have been working on new tour ideas for when it is safe for all to travel again, and once borders open, I will be waiting for tourists from around the globe with open arms! In the meantime, I have launched a Virtual Tour, which is perfect for anyone missing the bistros, baguettes and off the beaten paths of Paris!