Paris, you took my breath away. You distracted me. You entertained me. You awed me. Thank you.
Paris has never been on the top of my list but it has also never been not on my list.
So on a weekend that was supposed to look a lot differently than it ended up looking, I needed to get
out of London and what better place to go than Paris?
out of London and what better place to go than Paris?
Day one was filled with being in the most magical place in the world and reminded me of the good in
all people. While Paris may have a stereotype for having rude people, Disneyland is quite the contrary.
I reunited with a friend, Sophia, from 7th grade who I hadn’t spoken to or seen since we were 13, and
it turns out, we had a lot more in common lately than maybe ever before. We got some scream
therapy we both needed to let out on Rockin Rollercoaster and laughed and smiled and sang and
skipped our way through the parks. I was nostalgic for May when I went to Disneyworld with my family,
and it was honestly the best feeling. The day was a weekday and pretty foggy which meant fewer
people, smaller lines, and shorter wait times- all good things for us! We pretty much saw every show,
rode every ride, and enjoyed crepes and mulled wine at the Hollywood Studios Christmas market.
The parks encompass some of the best rides in Disneyworld in addition to some unique attractions to
Paris, like Crush’s Coaster, the Ratatouille ride, and a hilariously cheesy Armageddon experience that
I’m pretty sure Sophia only took me on to laugh at.
all people. While Paris may have a stereotype for having rude people, Disneyland is quite the contrary.
I reunited with a friend, Sophia, from 7th grade who I hadn’t spoken to or seen since we were 13, and
it turns out, we had a lot more in common lately than maybe ever before. We got some scream
therapy we both needed to let out on Rockin Rollercoaster and laughed and smiled and sang and
skipped our way through the parks. I was nostalgic for May when I went to Disneyworld with my family,
and it was honestly the best feeling. The day was a weekday and pretty foggy which meant fewer
people, smaller lines, and shorter wait times- all good things for us! We pretty much saw every show,
rode every ride, and enjoyed crepes and mulled wine at the Hollywood Studios Christmas market.
The parks encompass some of the best rides in Disneyworld in addition to some unique attractions to
Paris, like Crush’s Coaster, the Ratatouille ride, and a hilariously cheesy Armageddon experience that
I’m pretty sure Sophia only took me on to laugh at.
It's a Small World after all: London, New York, and Hollywood
The next day, my lovely host Nora and her family were going to take me to the Eiffel Tower but this
particular Saturday was one of the first to begin weekly protests happening all throughout Paris.
(This is the second time while traveling I've visited a country just weeks before it was unsafe to be in.
Venice had severe floods just two weeks after I left and the riots in Paris got increasingly worse after
I left.) These manifestations caused delays in several areas across the city, making it hard to explore
certain areas. Steering away from original plans, Nora took me to see Notre Dame, her family’s
delicious restaurant, and the Louvre, where I saw Mona Lisa. The entire day felt surreal, and I
hadn’t even seen the Eiffel tower yet. Later, Sophia and a friend took me out for typical Moules-frites
and swing dancing at this hole-in-the-wall jazz club with a live band.
particular Saturday was one of the first to begin weekly protests happening all throughout Paris.
(This is the second time while traveling I've visited a country just weeks before it was unsafe to be in.
Venice had severe floods just two weeks after I left and the riots in Paris got increasingly worse after
I left.) These manifestations caused delays in several areas across the city, making it hard to explore
certain areas. Steering away from original plans, Nora took me to see Notre Dame, her family’s
delicious restaurant, and the Louvre, where I saw Mona Lisa. The entire day felt surreal, and I
hadn’t even seen the Eiffel tower yet. Later, Sophia and a friend took me out for typical Moules-frites
and swing dancing at this hole-in-the-wall jazz club with a live band.
Sunday, the protests has eased up so I was able to get an early start to see Sacred Heart church and
the beautiful hill it lays upon. The views were incredible and the church was just the perfect serene
setting for a day of worship. The place was flooded with prayers and the streets with music, tourist
shops, and crepes on every corner. In the afternoon, Nora’s family and I went to see a special
exhibition of newly-discovered Miro paintings at Grand Palais and on the last night, in my last
remaining hours in Paris, at last, I saw the Eiffel tower. After a 3-4 hour wait in the cold and dark,
I made it up the two elevators and several queues (yes, I say queue now) to take in the breathtaking
view. By the time I reached the top, the sun had set and the city was lit up so I took it all in while
indulging more French pastries (one of the highlights of the weekend).
the beautiful hill it lays upon. The views were incredible and the church was just the perfect serene
setting for a day of worship. The place was flooded with prayers and the streets with music, tourist
shops, and crepes on every corner. In the afternoon, Nora’s family and I went to see a special
exhibition of newly-discovered Miro paintings at Grand Palais and on the last night, in my last
remaining hours in Paris, at last, I saw the Eiffel tower. After a 3-4 hour wait in the cold and dark,
I made it up the two elevators and several queues (yes, I say queue now) to take in the breathtaking
view. By the time I reached the top, the sun had set and the city was lit up so I took it all in while
indulging more French pastries (one of the highlights of the weekend).
The entire weekend feels like a dream. I know this entire journey has felt like a dream but this
particular weekend was filled with so much happiness, music, magic, and picture-perfect views,
it was the best distractor I could receive. From the kindness of my host, Sophia taking me to Disney,
the pastries and endless crepes, the wandering Parisian streets on a Sunday morning, to the
unexpectedly gorgeous fall weather that treated me well, it was all a dream. One of the best weekends
I’ve had while abroad, in the most needed of times. I’m so incredibly grateful for this weekend and
time given to me.
particular weekend was filled with so much happiness, music, magic, and picture-perfect views,
it was the best distractor I could receive. From the kindness of my host, Sophia taking me to Disney,
the pastries and endless crepes, the wandering Parisian streets on a Sunday morning, to the
unexpectedly gorgeous fall weather that treated me well, it was all a dream. One of the best weekends
I’ve had while abroad, in the most needed of times. I’m so incredibly grateful for this weekend and
time given to me.
Paris, You distracted me. You entertained me. You awed me. Thank you.
Many of your recent experiences are "dream like." Isn't that how travel is? You experience new adventures, then go back to"real life" thinking, "Did that really happen?"
ReplyDeleteI'm so pleased Paris was magical for you! Love, Maeme
Paris was definitely filled with the magic everyone talks about, especially in comparison to some other not-so-nice trips I've had on my journeys abroad. Disneyland helps as well! ;)
Delete