PARIS, FRANCE • January 2017

Over the winter of 2016-2017 I studied abroad and was fortunate enough to stop by France while in Europe. I took the train (eurostar) from London to Paris on New Years Day and spent the first couple days of 2017 in Paris.

This trip was completely spontaneous and taught me a lot about being a college student traveling abroad as well as being a woman traveling abroad with other women. Some of the things I learned include:

1. Embracing spontaneity will enhance your travels

2. Ditching the lines and finding the places where locals spend their time will give you a more authentic stay even if you don’t make it to one of the more “desirable” stops

3. Trying food that is unpronounceable can be a good idea

4. Safety and being aware of your surrounding is vital

Of course I can’t go into detail on everything I learned or everywhere I went, but I did manage to go to all the standard tourist stops as well as some cafes and bakeries some friends told me about prior to my trip.

I stayed in an Airbnb (#airbnbforthewin) just a couple blocks from the Eiffel Tower where finding someone who spoke english was a little more tricky than expected, but that only added to the adventure.

Because of the help from my friends, we were able to navigate the subway system to make it to all the hotspots in the city. Including Notre Dame pictured above and Montmartre pictured below, home of the Sacré-Cœur. 

The view from Montmartre is only comparable to the view from the top of the Eiffel Tower. I have actually visited Montmartre in the summer as well and it is without doubt one of my favorite places in Paris. It is home to not only the only vineyard in Paris but has so much love and acceptance portrayed through artistic expressions from paintings to street performers.

Though short, this trip was very sweet (yum, Ladurée flashbacks) and I know this trip will not be my last stay in the city of love.