American Girl Meets Paris-Premier Jour

"You know you're in love when reality is better than your dreams."
-Dr. Seuss

Two nights ago, I was in suburban Virginia watching Idol with my sister. Abruptly there was a change of scene. I woke up. To where? Only in the picturesque Odeon Saint-Germain, with a view of the infamous city of romance: Paris. I realize how literal I am with this Dr. Seuss quote, but I was truly stunned to wake up to something far more enchanting than what I had dreamt. This trip to Paris is my Dad's 18th birthday gift for me; how lucky am I?! Considering this will/and has already been the best trip of my life, I will share all my insights :) and if you find them boring, stop reading here because...!


Here's to le premier jour, the first day:

Shopping has ventured beyond a verb in the city of Paris. It might as well be considered a sport, an art, a lifestyle!

The food, I swear, must be sent from Heaven. Nothing in the world can compare.

Even the locations of cafes are magnificant! For lunch I ate on the rooftop of a nine-floor shopping center, with a view of the Effile Tower!

Bought a pair of shoes for over $100 (and euros too!)... never spent more than $30 on shoes until then.

Decided those shoes MUST be lucky because...!

... I got terribly lost when taking the metro, but met this really attractive guy that should be named the kindest man of the city, considering he helped me find my way to the Effile tower! I need to tell Nicholas Sparks about this so I can be in his next novel/movie...

Which therefore proves the stereotype that the French are snobby a myth. Because personally, I have met very warm-hearted individuals here!

I SAW THE EFFILE TOWER! Not just in hindsight, more like, I was literally in front of it!

I had dinner at 11 pm, on a Thursday night. Apparently that's the norm over here.

Ironically, I've probably consumed every cultural cuisine, except true French cuisine. But I still have three (and a half) more days here!

I have, by far, mastered the usage of: bonjour et merci!

Overall, I just have one question: Can I live here, forever? If I could sum up le premier jour, I would describe it as: unforgettable.

It's Not Me, It's You

"It's not you, it's me.": An infamous arrangement of words, possibly considered the most universal, renown break-up line.
**that is my personal definition, not just a copy and paste definition from urban dictionary.

Remember how I decided to do a "word of the month"? Well last month, my "word of the month" helped me acquire a part of myself I had never realized until now. With every failed relationship I was in, whether friendship or more, I have questioned myself. With every failed relationship, it seems as if I have dissected every little action I contributed to. My mentality: what did I do wrong? Notice this question does not consider the other side of the relationship or the dilemmas partaken during the relationship. Rather, this question investigates only myself. If you are wondering, my "word of the month" was empowerment. But where does empowerment chime in? Empowerment answers my profound, never-ending, contemplating question: it is and should not always conclude to what I did wrong. I should not believe "it's not you, it's me", but instead look at it as: "it's not me, it's you."

You, being my past.

The past like weight on my shoulders. But this gravity, I am letting go. And as a new month approaches, I will embark upon a new word. My "word of the month" for April is allow. You see, the single and yet most major flaw to emboding empowerment was my urge to perfection, which is how I came about my perversed mentality of reflecting over what I did wrong. This month, instead of aiming for unattainable perfection, I will simply allow. Allow new experiences, ideas, relationships, and even mistakes into my life. Starting this April, I cannot and will not control everything; I cannot and will not try to mold everything to perfection. However, I can and will allow whatever comes my way, whether good or bad.

So April, if you allow me to, I am ready.