PARIS

There is something so magical that corresponds with the word “Paris.” Every time I hear that single word, my ears ring with a sense of happiness, a hope of possibility, and a desire for crêpes, croissants, and croque monsieur.

When I think of Paris, I think of the first time my parents took me there in the 8^th grade, and how my dad made us walk what felt like the entire city in one day. However, now I can appreciate the immense frustration and difficulty that goes into arranging transportation, accommodation, and an itinerary, in a foreign city, as I did it for the first time on my own with this trip.

As we pulled away from London’s St. Pancras station, I pleasantly dozed off and woke just in time to emerge among the spacious greenery of France’s emerald countryside. The clouds eerily began to cover the sky and reiterate my fears that it would be another wet weekend in Paris. However, as we exited the Eurostar and took in a deep breath of the city, from the slightly familiar language to the scent of fresh bread, to the slow-paced commuters (at least compared to London), there was a sense of excitement in the city I had just arrived in. That was until we got extremely lost.

Yet, that only set us back an hour, and soon enough we arrived at our hotel and were off to grab a much anticipated first dinner in Paris. After realizing that the reservations we made at an acclaimed restaurant were on the wrong day, we ran to the next restaurant in sight and had an extremely overpriced and mediocre meal. Regardless, we were all starved so it didn’t matter much (except I still cringe at the fact I paid 17 euros for a drink).

The next day, we got an early start and walked 5 miles around the city to get comfortable with our surroundings. One spot that I was excited to find was the Palais Royal, which contains a controversial art instillation, titled “Les Deux Plateaux” in its courtyard. Candy-striped black-and-white columns emerge from the courtyard’s interior, and the space is filled with tourists eager to step on top for photos.

As the rain started to fall, I found this as the perfect excuse to visit my favorite museum in the world, Musée d’Orsay. Every time I walk in this building, constructed from the remains of an old train station, I stand in awe to admire the magnificent natural light that floods in from the ceiling, the gold detail that coats the surfaces, and the grandiose clock that serves as a centerpiece to the collection of statues stretching from wall to wall. To my excitement, on the fifth floor, there was a beautifully curated collection from some of my favorite artists, Monet, Manet, and Cèzanne, which I gazed at for much longer than expected.

My ideal day continued when I got to try escargot for the first time. I am usually very open-minded when it comes to food, but I was proud of myself for trying something so new and unusual. This was the one thing I was eager to do while in Paris, and must say that snails now rank amongst some of my favorite foods!

On our last morning in Paris, we woke up at 7 am so we could catch the sunrise over the Eiffel Tower, and bid farewell to a city that I hope to come back to again in the Spring. After my first weekend away from London, I had a great time exploring new parts of a city that I had only ever visited with my family. However, I must admit that I was overjoyed to come back to London at the end of the weekend. The sense of ease and comfort that came with jumping off of the Eurostar at St. Pancras, and the familiarity of getting back on the tube that I’ve learned to maneuver so well, allowed me to admit that London is home now.