Impressions

As I awoke from my nap on the overnight plane, I curiously opened my window shade, only to see the famed Eiffel Tower commanding the horizon. Little did I know how much the city below would offer me in the weeks to come.

We were all exhausted when we arrived, and the 100-degree weather did nothing to ease our collective jet lag. With no access to our hotel rooms until late afternoon, we wandered through the humid city, fatigued and dehydrated. Paris, at first, felt more like a trial by fire than a vacation destination. In the morning, we struggled to find somewhere to eat, and I didn’t feel comfortable until I finally collapsed on my hotel bed. That night, we ventured back out, only to find every street corner packed with drunk Parisians and booming EDM. Was this what living in Paris was like? Loud, hot, chaotic, and fast-paced?

Though the heat never left, and my first day in Paris may have been loud and chaotic, the days that followed changed that impression, revealing a city full of beauty and moments of unexpected stillness.

Experiences

Notre-Dame

Notre-Dame has become one of my favorite destinations in Paris. Its construction began in the 12th century, and it is renowned for its intricate architecture, resounding bell towers, beautiful stained glass, and its relic, the Crown of Thorns. Inside, over a thousand visitors move quietly around in awe. It is a truly humbling space to be in, and it is hard not to feel a reverence for God. I visited Notre-Dame twice; the second time, I even had the honor of kissing the Crown of Thorns.

Musée Méliès

In my opinion, the Musée Méliès is one of the most underrated museums in Paris. It guides visitors through the history of the first films, many of which were produced by French filmmaker and magician Georges Méliès. I watched every single film in the museum and learned about the revolutionary techniques Méliès introduced to the film industry: multiple exposures, stop-substitution, and time-lapse photography.

Château de Fontainebleau

Just a two-hour train ride from the city lies Château de Fontainebleau, a stunning French castle that was home to generations of monarchs. In my opinion, it was even grander than Versailles, and certainly less crowded. After exploring the castle’s lavish rooms, I found a bench next to the carp pond and quietly enjoyed a baguette in the shade. It was one of the most peaceful moments of the entire trip.

Sainte-Chapelle

Despite its smaller size, Sainte-Chapelle’s interior is somehow even more breathtaking than that of Notre-Dame. Stepping into the upper chapel, I was surrounded by fifteen magnificent stained glass windows, each about fifty feet tall, depicting over a thousand scenes from the Old and New Testaments. The more compact space makes it feel very intimate, and I gazed at all the intricate details for a long time, completely absorbed by its beauty and craftsmanship.

The Catacombs

Beneath the streets of Paris lie the catacombs, an expansive network of the remains of six to seven million Parisians. The bones were moved there in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, both to stabilize the city’s foundations and to make room in overcrowded cemeteries. I walked between the walls of stacked bones for an hour, yet only saw about 0.5% of the entire ossuary. Some might find the site creepy, but I found it to be very peaceful. As one catacombs visitor is thought to have remarked, “I have seen equality in its final form”.

Eiffel Tower

No trip to Paris would be complete without visiting the Eiffel Tower. The two-hour wait for the elevator to the summit was well worth it; from the top, I could see the entirety of Paris and beyond. Yellow street lights filled the cracks between the black buildings, and the dark gray sky stretched across the horizon, neatly halving the cityscape. I later returned alone, sat on the grass beside the pond in front of the tower, and watched it sparkle at night. It was magically peaceful.

Culture

The culture of Paris differs from that of the U.S. in many ways. For one, instead of driving, most Parisians bike or take the metro. During our trip, we all got Navigo passes, which allowed us to have unlimited access to the metro and travel like locals. Paris is also a hub for global cuisine. While we enjoyed not only French food, we also enjoyed Japanese, Italian, Vietnamese, Mexican, Korean, Greek, and Chinese dishes. Life in Paris moves at a more relaxed pace; as our professor said, they “work to live rather than live to work”. At restaurants in Paris, it is normal to stay as long as one desires, and there were a few occasions when “l’addition” did not arrive for a while. I also noticed that locals have a deep appreciation for art and history, which makes sense, as I have never been to a place where art and history thrive more.

Beyond these cultural differences, I also enjoyed exploring the smaller cultural details of Paris. I shopped at a massive flea market, wandered through the bouquinistes along the Seine, and sat alone in quiet gardens and parks. I even attended two concerts: an organ performance at the Saint-Germain-des-Prés church and a harp performance at the Musée de la Musique. These experiences gave me glimpses into the true culture of the locals and a side of Paris beyond the tourist spots.

Final Thoughts

During my time in Paris, I would like to think that I used my time to the fullest. I visited palaces like Fontainebleau and Versailles, sumitted both the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower, explored a bunker and an ossuary underground, and reflected in churches like Notre-Dame, Saint-Chapelle, and Saint-Germain-des-Prés. I visited ten museums: the Mémorial des Martyrs de la Déportation, the Musée d’Orsay, the Musée Méliès, the Musée National Picasso, the Musée du Louvre, the Musée de Cluny, the Musée du Napoleon I, the Musée de l’Orangerie, the Musée de la Musique, and the Musée de la Libération de Paris. I visited graveyards, bouquinistes, gardens, landmarks, bookstores, parks, boulangeries, concerts, markets, and restaurants with cuisine from all over the world.

I have come to more fully understand the importance of independence, being present, and embracing spontaneity. I have grown significantly in my ability and willingness to go explore on my own, whether that meant simply finding a place to eat to planning a two-hour train ride across the country. I have also deepened my appreciation for simply being present, whether I was watching the water from the banks of the Seine or closing my eyes to soak in the resonating sounds of an organ. And I have learned to embrace spontaneity when it arrives; more often than not, it has led to the most unforgettable experiences.

I will never forget my time in Paris; being far from home, I discovered pieces of myself I didn’t know I was missing.