I'm back from Paris!

Hi everyone!

So – again, it has been a while since my last blog. I’m so so sorry! I had a final coming up and it was a really tough one, but now that is all said and done! (I hope, since if I didn’t pass it I’ll have to re-take it..)

But, that is beside the point. As I’m writing this, I’m sitting on the Champs Elysées, in the middle of Paris. We just arrived after a long night of driving and are having some tea to fully wake up. Even though it’s still kind of early, the city is alive and bustling all over. There are tourists everywhere, it’s insane! We have a pretty full schedule ahead of us – there is just so much to see and do! We have until 22:30 hrs. to explore Paris, and then we have to be back at the bus to head back home. Yes – it is very much possible to visit amazing cities for a day and be back home the next day! And if you know where to look – it doesn’t have to be expensive at all!

The city is alive, but not in the same way that London is alive. London is a harsher pace, more sober than the classic feeling of Paris. History is all around you, alive, beckoning you further into the city. Inviting you to turn yet another corner and see so much more beautiful things. Everything is absolutely gorgeous in Paris, although I couldn’t see myself living there, I’d love to visit it again.

So, we saw a lot. Champs Elysées. Arc de Triomphe, Trocadero, Tour Eiffel, Hôtel des Invalides (Napoleon is buried there), Science Po (my friend will be studying there in September, while I’m in Manchester, so we were curious where it was!), Shakespeare and Company (if you ever wanna get in there.. prepare to get in line.. it’s ridiculous!), The Notre Dame, Louvre, and Sacre Coeur.

Yes – I know what you’re thinking: my gosh! Could you be even more of a tourist?! Well, FYI, I walked around with my camera snapping a whole lot of pictures throughout the day – so… yes. I had never been to Paris in this way before, so I wanted to take everything in, and memorize it, take pictures of it. And you know what, even when I look at those pictures I remember the great times we had there that day; so, playing the tourist was so damn worth it!

We even invented a new word: ussies! It’s like a selfie, only with the both of us in it taken by us. I don’t care if there is another word for it – the ussies are a lot of fun and will be wonderful memories for later.

Sitting here – behind my computer, writing my blog while I’m sipping some tea makes me realize something. I was always looking for something in my life, and I’m not saying that my life is absolutely perfect the way it is (let’s face it, I’m in college and “real” life hasn’t even started yet), but I have reached that state of peace that I was always looking for. No more second guessing myself, wondering if people behave differently because of me. Because you know what, I hardly ever change my behavior because of someone else. Of course it’s always influenced by each other and by the atmosphere you move in, but it never really hinges on one person. At least, it doesn’t for me right now. And that’s good. So I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing. Travel, even though it’s just in Europe, and later I can go further. Develop, learn, get to know myself and well, stub my toes a few times – probably. But it feels good. And if it feels good, well then why the bloody hell not.

So – like I promised once before – this time for real. A lot more time on my hands, so I will make an effort to post something at least twice a week. Once a blog, the other an article or review. I’ve read a ton of books – so that shouldn’t be much of a challenge. Who knows, maybe next time I’ll write about some TV-shows I watch, do a sort of review of those. What would you guys think of that?

Until we read again!

Xxxx Brooke