Paris

Hello All! 
I would like to share with you my time in Paris this summer. Before coming to study in Rome, I took a week to see the beautiful city of Paris and visit my friend, Camelia. I arrived on May 11th, and stayed for six full days. The first day I arrived, along with my time in the airport, I was not nervous at all. Once I arrived, along with my roommate Marissa, I called for an Uber to take us to our AirBNB. We were amazed at the differences in living spaces between suburban America and urban Paris. We decided it would be a good idea to assimilate to the time difference by going to eat dinner, which is when our first wave of culture shock hit. We realized we didn't know any of the language, and ended up walking around for over an hour before we got the courage to just sit down and give ordering a shot. We started to feel a little homesick and decided it would be a good idea to look up an American bar nearby to try and feel more at home. Most of the people at the bar were Americans traveling, and we started to feel a lot better after speaking to them. It was an amazing place, called the Yellow Mad Monkey, and they would set the bar on fire every half hour! I ordered a Nutella crepe on the way back to the apartment and felt a lot better than I had upon arriving. 
Paris is absolutely beautiful. I have never loved a city so much, I actually didn't think I was going to like it at all. I am more into nature and beach areas. The Seine river is what sold me on Paris, the inhabitants of the city sit on the walkway and ledges along the river all day and night talking, eating, drinking and relaxing. It is absolutely beautiful, and I enjoyed watching all of the boats pass along. A few of the activities my roommate and I spent the next few days doing included Notre Dame (multiple times), the Louvre (taking selfies with Mona Lisa), the Palace of Versailles, the Eiffel Tower (at night and during the day), a boat tour on the Seine, the Presidential Inauguration (we just happened to be there at the exact moment), and of course, SHOPPING. Paris is a city of fashion, and I cant remember seeing one person that was not dressed perfectly. My favorite activity was seeing the Eiffel tower at night. My roommate Marissa and I brought dinner from one of the local food stores and a big blanket and just sat underneath the tower all night. The best part is when it sparkles on the hour starting at 9 pm. From then on I felt a lot more comfortable about my trip and the places I would be traveling to. I got to spend the last two days in Paris with one of my favorite people in the world- Camelia. I met her after I nannied the cutest, most perfect little boy last summer. She came from France to take over my spot as I left for Ohio and school, and I got to spend two weeks with her training. I would drive back home from school just to see her, go to the city, and hangout. She is the most genuine friend and my whole family loves her to death. She spent our last two full days with us, going to the top of the Eiffel tower, the river cruise, seeing the boy we nannied, and shopping. I cannot wait to go and visit her again!
 I also heard from some friends back at home that the people in France would not be nice because I am American, and did not like tourists. That could not have been further from the truth, I experienced kindness everywhere we went and met wonderful people. Everyone will have a different experience, however I had a full week with no plans made in advance and it ended up being the best week of my life. I am attaching some pictures from my favorite place in the world, so if you have the chance to travel to Paris, TAKE IT (and take me with you)! 
~Christina