Memories are timeless, especially the ones we made in Paris over the course of 2 weeks. The simple task of walking through the neighborhoods of Paris had left us in awe, and the ambience of the streets were welcoming, almost surreal to believe. Each caf\u00e9, each boutique, and each establishment catered its own unique style. The diversity of Parisian streets were surely noteworthy, as well as the people who proved themselves to be welcoming and patient towards anyone who simply said \u201cbonjour.\u201d Being a tourist, engaging in a conversation was intimidating with a Parisian; yet, locals displayed a strong willingness to listen, to correct, and to communicate with us regardless of our terrible pronunciations or etiquette as Americans. Nothing screamed \u201ctourists\u201d more than a group’s fascination with architecture and the wandering eyes from place to place. However, the gawking was a newfound appreciation for something unfamiliar to us: the art of a new society, a new world we had never been more immersed and interested in until now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Museums hold hundreds and thousands of artifacts from our history, whether it is in the form of a painting, sculpture, statue, or a hand crafted object. Each piece of art signified a memory, acting as a time capsule of what once was. We visited many museums in Paris: Mus\u00e9e d\u2019Orsay, Mus\u00e9e du Louvre, Panth\u00e9on, Versailles, etc. The places themselves held a story, one that cannot only be described but visualized as well. Some stories were as beautiful as the artwork, and many were tragic. Mus\u00e9e d\u2019Orsay taught us the tragedy of Hitler\u2019s reign and Nazi power. The clothes, the guns, the plaques with stories, the letters, and many other items collected to be displayed held a dark history we were learning from. Mus\u00e9e du Louvre, with many of its large and grand paintings also included both the beauty and tragedy of French history. Some art can describe themselves based on details we decipher from that era. The Louvre being the largest art museum in the world, had walls completely filled with art and thousands of pieces from the past that had been maintained for decades, centuries even. We cannot help as humans, to be mesmerized by beauty. Paris had captivated us, not only for its arts but the stories being told as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Artwork can be expressed in many forms, not only through brushstrokes and still objects, but words as well. Extending far beyond paintings and sculptures to include literary pieces\/books, music, and other creative expressions that humans use to preserve emotions, history, or our personal creative flow. Particularly, literature holds the power of preservation, through words that can define and challenge society through a universal language. We learnt about people who advocated and lived for writing, like James Baldwin and Ernest Hemingway. Both influential writers inhabited Paris, shaping today\u2019s literary world and contributing towards artistic freedom. We got to see the liveliness of Paris that we had only known by completing our reading about beforehand. The caf\u00e9 that once had Hemingway working day in and day out, was preserved and still open to the public in Paris. One thing was certain about Paris: inspiration could be found everywhere and we as students were truly inspired. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Time is fleeting, and we felt those fleeting moments on our last day together as a group. We had spent 2 weeks of constant adventure, accompanying one another to conquer the unfamiliar streets of Paris. We had learnt the metro together, shared new destinations, ate food we could not read off a menu, used citymapper religiously, and most importantly made memories that could never be replicated. We started off as strangers, but quickly became acquaintances who were willing to help one another and traverse through the experience as a whole. We will never forget line 4, stopping at Porte d\u2019Orleans on the metro that would lead us back to our hotel, and through that empty cobblestone road we trekked down everyday. The toot bus, our first look as a group to see every major attraction we could possibly think of. Of course, how could it be a Paris experience without visiting the Eiffel Tower and being bombarded by scammers or people selling sparkly Eiffel towers for 1 euro. At night, wine would be the next big seller at the Eiffel Tower. We had made so many memories together, through the itinerary and not. Our best memories are not the ones planned, but the ones we do not discuss. The friendships that were silently being made, the conversations and niche jokes we had developed were the true memories that would stick with us. As time passes and we continue our lives making more meaningful experiences, when we reflect on this trip it will not be the monuments alone that we think of, but the people we met, the moments we shared, and the feeling that, for a little while, we had truly become part of the city. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Memories are timeless, especially the ones we made in Paris over the course of 2 weeks. The simple task of walking through the neighborhoods of Paris had left us in awe, and the ambience of the streets were welcoming, almost … Continue reading