Parlez-Vous Anglais?

I have the travel bug but no trips in the works. So instead, I’ll blog about THE trip in my books.

It’s a trip I always knew I’d take; Paris in the fall. Maybe it came from watching season six of SATC one too many times. Seeing Carrie traipse around the city of bridges, eating French desserts under grey skies. I had attempted to take this trip many times over the years, with many different people. But despite these efforts, it just never seemed to work out. And to be honest, it was a trip I had always envisioned taking alone anyways.

So as circumstance would have it, I found myself in the right time and place this past October and took my trip to Paris, one week after my 26^th birthday.

notre dame

arc de triomphe

i know, right

gardens at the chateau versailles

at the louvre

my expression may not be telling enough, but this was a HUGE moment for me

jardin des tuileries

night life

the one and only

Just a few here. Please excuse my poor quality photos. I’m working with a sub-par point and shoot.

My time in Paris was everything to me. It was exactly what I’d hoped it would be, and yet surpassed all of my expectations at the same time. The city, sights, art, people, food, shops, gardens, beauty, just all of it. Oh, and the men, my god. I have never seen so many beautiful, well-dressed men all in one place. Really.

And there is definitely something to be said about traveling a city this beautiful, all alone. You’re given the opportunity to make your time only your own, and absorb every aspect of every experience so fully. Especially considering my understanding of the French language, or lack thereof. Being tongue-tied for a good 8 days will definitely heighten the rest of your senses. From the intoxicating French music playing during my boat ride along the Seine River, to standing underneath an illuminated Eiffel Tower, and every bite I took of a chocolate croissant. I reveled in it all. Then there’s the romance. Whether you’re walking alone or hand in hand, you’re falling more in love with every step.

Before I left, everyone wished me well and sent me off with love. I promised I’d check-in when I landed and come home with a laundry list of stories to tell. Except what I arrived home with eight days later was a suitcase full of goodies and a smile. It was too good, too much, too beautiful for me to give all of the details. After all, it’s taken me nearly 8 months to post this. These memories are all mine, and I think about them all of the time.

I know I’ll go back to France sometime and visit Paris. I’ll go back to my fav spots from this first trip and discover a million more. In the meantime, I'll start working on my french. Mais oui!