Dreaming Of Paris (#SoloTravel)

Dreaming Of Paris

I have lived in the same place my whole life; Phoenix, Arizona. Unfortunately, my family never had enough money to travel anywhere. Ever since I was a little girl I wanted to get out and see the world, so I saved a dollar a day for 3 years in anticipation of my upcoming trip when I turned 18. Well tomorrow is my 18th birthday and my plane ticket has been purchased. I can't believe that the day is almost here and that I get to see the place that I've always dreamed about...Paris, France.

Of all the places that I have seen in my books, Paris looks to be the most beautiful. Being a baker at home, I've heard that nothing quite compares to Paris bakeries. I can just picture myself sitting in front of the Eiffel Tower, nibbling on a croissant. A breeze drifting the leaves from the trees as I take in the warm smells of the bakeries nearby. My day dreaming led to the kitchen sink overflowing with bubbles and a disapproving look from my parents. That night I couldn't sleep, worrying about what a plane ride would feel like and of all the stories I had read about plane crashes.

The next morning, I woke at the crack of dawn and sat in line waiting to board my plane. Some of my family came with to say goodbye and protest my leaving. This was the reason I had to go alone. My family would worry themselves sick and try to hold me back from the life changing trip that I was going to have in Paris. After giving my family a reassuring smile and hug, I handed my boarding pass over and boarded the plane, leaving my comfort zone behind.

The plane was really crowded for such an early morning flight. I clutched the instruction manual that held all the escape routes and listened intently to the flight attendant as she explained what to do in an emergency. I was starting to get stressed and noticed my armpits were wet with sweat. When the plane took off it was the most frightening thing that I have experienced and I thought about the fact that I would have to do all of it again on my way back home. It wasn't until we were high in the sky that I started to enjoy myself and not clutch tightly to the armrests. The rich looking business man next to me seemed to get a kick out of my worrying and smirked as if he couldn't believe I had never been on a plane before.

The nice thing about my flight was that it was non-stop right to France. There was even a small TV on the back of each seat where I watched movies and played games the entire 12 hours. The passengers were all so calm, like they had been on hundreds of flights, that it made me realize that a huge part of my life, traveling, had been missing all along. When the plane descended landing in France, I tried my best to remain as calm as all the others. Hitting the ground, I let out a yelp of surprise and everyone in my section stared at me like I was an alien. I forgot that landing was a lot scarier than taking off, according to all the things I had read, which now I agreed with.

Leaving the airplane, I took in my surroundings. It was now 4:00 in the morning because of the time difference but that didn't stop the hustle of the city. I signaled for a cab and hopped in. An older man, my driver, started talking quickly in French. I found my language app and communicated to him through it where I wanted to go. He muttered under his breath and seemed rude. When I arrived at "Hotel Eiffel Rive Gauche" I was so exhausted I slept for hours and hours.

I woke up eleven hours later to realize I definitely needed to fall into a good sleeping pattern from then on to get rid of my jetlag. I was a five minute walk from the Eiffel tower but my stomach grumbled unrelentingly so I decided to give in. Walking outside, I was hit by cigarette smoke and some tacky billboard posters. It wasn't exactly what I thought I'd be greeted with in Paris, but I knew if I followed my nose it would eventually lead me to a mouthwatering bakery. I glanced at an older lady who was biting off chunks of her baguette as she walked her dog, and asked where she got it from. She gave me a strange look but pointed across the street to a little corner Bakery. People didn't seem like they wanted to talk to tourists here!

Nevertheless, I was so excited to taste the yummy pastries that I had waited so long for! After picking a variety of the best looking ones at the Boulangerie, I headed to what I had been dreaming of my entire life...the Eiffel Tower. Just like in my daydream, I found myself nibbling on a croissant and sitting on the grass gazing at the Eiffel Tower. It was one of the coolest things I had ever seen, but, even there, I was starting to feel lonely. I sat until it got dark out and the tower lit up with a million lights. I was struck by the realization that no matter where I went or what beautiful places I traveled to, I wanted to experience them with people I love. I looked around at all the families and it gave me hope that one day, I could bring my family or husband to a place like this. My Paris trip is one that I will cherish for the rest of my life, and hopefully I won't ever forget what a croissant tastes like in front of the Eiffel Tower.