Paris is an amazing city with so much to do. And trust me, I tried to do it all! Before I get into Paris, I will give you all a little life update - I am curently studying abroad in Rome! I traveled from Chicago to Rome to spend about 5 weeks studying philosophy at the John Felice Rome Center. I will share more about my time in Rome in another blog post, but for now, I will get back to Paris! As I went abroad knowing no one in my program, I was determined to present as my most sociable self and round up a group of friends to journey around Europe with! I met some people who were interested in exploring Paris and we booked our tickets and the joureny began!
We flew to Paris early Friday morning and hit the ground running. As someone who loves a good schedule, I took charge and made a full weekend itinerary. Our first stop was at the famous Cafe de Flore. We ordered a round of hot chocolates and croissants. Since reading Kristin Hannah’s The Knightingale, I have been looking forward to having my "first taste of Paris". And oh my, that first taste of Paris did not disappoint. My flakey chocolate croissant and my rich hot chocolate reminded me of how far I’ve come and I embraced every decadent bite.
The rest of Friday was spent exploring the Louver, the Tuileries Gardens, and of course, taking in the stunning view of the Eiffel Tower. Near the Tulleries Garden, I found a hidden gem - a free-entry exhibit in a place called La Petit Palace. The palace itself was a grand building, decorated with beautifully intricate details, trimming, and artwork. While each room had breathtaking art, I particularly loved looking at the statues placed in the entryway. Each statue had a plaque explaining the story behind the scene in the sculpture. I was captivated by seeing beautiful satues and reading the stories that explain the significance of the people in the scene. As I was taking it all in, I was reminded of a quote, "Once you know someone's story, you can't help but love them."
"Once you know someone's story, you can't help but love them."
At night, we stopped at a local bakery and bought a delicious French baguette. The photoshoot with the baguette was a blast and I enjoyed the crunchy outside and doughy inside of the loaf. To wrap up the evening, we embarked on a night cruise with a fabulous view of the city as the sun was setting. I enjoyed seeing all the famous landmarks light up as the darkness descended on the city.
Saturday was by far my favorite of all the days spent in Paris. I recconnected with a long-time friend from home named Maggie. After meeting up with Maggie, our morning started at the Palace of Versailles. I used a TikTok hack which I am pleased to say, was definitly worth it! The hack was to make a reservation for the restaurant in the palace and to purchase entry-tickets to the museum as you were paying for the breakfast so that you can skip the line and walk right into the museum once you finished up. The restaurant was called Ore and served delicous mimosas (my first ever mimosa!), crossoiants, and eggs. Exploring the palace was amazing. The elaboratly decorated bedrooms and the beautiful marble floors made the visit very enchanting. Although we did not take a tour, I will definitly take one on my next visit as there is so much history behind the palace.
Saturday afternoon was filled with white wine and debriefs. Catching up with Maggie was a much needed reset during my travels. On saturday night, we ventured back to the Eiffel Tower to watch the sparkly landmark illuminate the sky. Every hour, on the hour, the Eiffel Tower twinkles and I definitly reccomend watching the magical event on your next trip to Paris.
On Sunday morning, we ate at a local cafe and I enjoyed my absolute favorite corissant of the trip. The doughy yet flaky pastry tasted delicious! And paired with a capucino, I was ready to take on the day. After walking around the city to see the Pantheon, Shakespeare and Co. and stopping in many shops including zara, urban outfitters and a place called subdued, we took a lunch break Paris's chain restaurants called Cojean. I enjoyed my food, however, it was kind of expensive for what it was. Nonetheless, we were fueled and ready to contiue our adventure. Up next was the Arc de Triomph. By far the most "touristy" of attractions in Paris, the Arc de Triomph was cool to see howvere, we did not need much time to take in the sight.
In the evening, we found a local crepery and I tasted my first Paris crepe. As a crepe finatic, I can happily say that my expectations were exceeded. I ordered a banana and nutella crepe and I enjoyed the ratio and flavoring of the treat! Our night concluded by wandering the streets of Paris and falling asleep to the show Emily in Paris because "duh" ahah. Monday was filled with a quick walk around the city and saying one last see ya later to my favorite sights.
My weekend spent in Paris was filled with growth, joy and happy memories. I am so grateful for each opportunity I am given and I am trying my best to embrace each of my blessings. But since this is my personal blog and I like to keep it real, I will share a bit more personal glimpse of my weekend from a tactical level.
(Just as a side note: I find that it really helps me to place into words certain experiences. It is quite literally impossible to keep emotions concealed within our minds forever. Although its tempting to try, the truth is that our emotions will eventually come out. Our power is in how we decide to let them come out. I used to keep them in and eventually my emotions would bubble over and explode in unpractical ways, so I am finding that words make these experiences more beneficial and healthy for me. I encourage you to find a way to express your emotions in a healthy and beneficial manner thats individualized for your needs.)
I felt so strong and confident in my recovery this past weekend. But I became increasingly frustrated as the weekend went on. Journeying to another country was already extremely scary for me. New foods, new structure, new schedules and new people seemed like quite the leap for someone who strongly dislikes change. And it just so happened that the group of friends that I traveled with turned out to have some mental health problems of their own, and I was placed in extremely triggering situations. Between certain group members skipping meals, making comments, and placing judgments on things that do not need to be judged, I advocated for myself and tried to be the stronger person in these uncomfortable situations. Despite these struggles, I managed to live in my mind and embrace the moment throughout my adventures in Paris.
That does not mean that it was easy or that I am completely over it now. Hearing comments that sound similar to the lies and misconceptions I used to constantly tell myself about food and my body has caused me to grow increasingly frustrated and uncertain. But like I have done time and time again, I am riding the wave because that is the only choice. And its a good choice. My most free self is not my smallest self. My body is the least interetsing thing about me. I will never be able to shame or shrink myself into becoming someone I love. All these truths are on repeat in my mind as I navigate the chaos that comes with new experiences.
"my most free self is not my smallest self."
A special shoutout to the God wink that I recieved which was that my friend Maggie happened to be studying in Paris at the same time! Reconecting with someone from home reminded me of all that I have worked for and just placed a much needed sense of peace on my heart. My experience allowed me to appreciate all of the wonderful friends I have made at Marquette. Oh my, the strength and confidence that surrounds me while I am at Marquette is one of the most impactful contributions to my success in how far I've come. I didn't realize how helpful it was to be surrounded by a group of girls who nourish their bodies in a way that is both healthy and fun. I have grown so much just because of the environment that God placed me in and that makes all the difference.
Anwyways, Paris, you were amazing and I will definitly be back!!!! And to my readers, if you have made it this far, I hope you enjoyed the post and have a wonderful day!!!!
Xox,
AG
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