Paris is a city that caught me off guard entirely. As hard as it may be to believe, prior to my study abroad stint in this much romanticized city, Paris was no where near the top of my immediate must-see places. I was far more interested in spending a summer lounging on the beaches of Barcelona. But as fortune would have it, the program I was interested in taking was to be offered in Paris that summer. Arriving here well over a week prior to the start of my study abroad program, I was left to my own devices to explore the city. Having these long days of not much more responsibility than sitting in cafes and reading ahead for my upcoming classes is what lead me to start settling into the beauty and ease of life here. The next six weeks I spent in this city were nothing short of one of the best experiences of my life. I enjoyed every ounce of the Parisian lifestyle as I settled in my apartment hotel right along the banks of the Seine. The manner in which the culture, art, food, and history of this city are such a quintessentially distinct part of the life, is perhaps what lead me to fall fully in love with Paris. Without a doubt, this was one of those trips from which I returned with a remarkable degree of transformation. In the heart of Paris is where I discovered some of my greatest day-to-day joys and interests. The most remarkable part of this trip is that I had the fortune of meeting two of my very closest friends. I truly believe the people you meet, and the stories you exchange along the way is the very best part of traveling.
While there are far too many things I love about Paris, my favorites include the banana-nutella crepes, sunsets over the Pont Neuf, trips to the Monoprix for baguettes, cheese and wine, the art at the Musee de O'rsay, and the casual, chic street-style as finely showcased by the photo above of one of my very favorite style muses, Emmannuelle Alt.
Photos: the-northernlight.com, imbd, musee-orangerie.fr
