As I leave one of the most popular cities in Europe, I enter one of the most fashionable and exciting cities in the world. Amsterdam was an amazing experience. The food, the culture, the attractions, and the people made the time in Amsterdam so enjoyable. I wonder if I will experience the same in Paris as I will enter a completely new space that speaks a different language and upholds different traditions. Would I still be able to wander the city aimlessly looking for food or use the very accessible public transportation to simply travel around the city. I will miss the friends I have made and the late night food runs, but I hope I can do the same in Paris. I wish to experience Paris like the beautiful and magnificent city everyone makes it out to be. I hope to understand the true meaning behind the city, but also learn from my time in France.
I am excited to visit the many attractions that Paris offers. The most notable being the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and the Arc de Triomphe. Even though I have visited the city before, I wish to see it again after so many years as an adult. These sites are iconic and I wish to share it with all my peers on this trip. Another attraction that I would like to visit is the Parc de Princes. It is the home stadium of Paris Saint Germain soccer team and I think it would be cool to visit the biggest French team in the world. Some of the most famous players play for the club so it would be cool to get a jersey from them as well. Another aspect of the city I hope to explore is the food. Paris is known to host some of the greatest chefs in the world so I hope I will be able to try all different types of cuisine. Trying escargot and crepes are on the top of my list, but eating frog legs has also been on my mind. I think Paris is definitely the place to try different exotic foods.
Similarly to Amsterdam, Paris seems very walkable and accessible. The public transportation in Paris seems to be a little worse than the Netherlands, however, the metro still looks very viable to get around town. I will definitely explore the city after class to make due of every minute I am in the city. Being in the city, I hope to pick up on some of the phrases in French so I am able to order food and ask for directions if I need them. It is very convenient to have someone in the group that speaks French, however, I hope to be less dependent on them and be able to help others with the language. I wish to have the same feeling of contempt and feeling like I explored what I wanted to see in Paris as I did on the last day in Amsterdam. I want to make this European trip one of the most memorable trips and something to remember for the rest of my life.