Blog #1: Lessons in an unfortunate series of events.

To begin I would like to say that my trip to Paris, France was wonderful, amazing and one of the most meaningful experiences I will forever cherish, but let's say that it began with a rough start. I spent my first experience outside my comfort bubble thousands of miles away from my close family and friends; everything and I mean EVERYTHING that could go wrong on my first day did and I would like to discuss with my fellow HPU colleagues on how to overcome these challenges and maybe prevent them in the first place.

 Things began going south literally and figuratively as I landed in Frankfurt Germany from Vancouver, Canada. I landed in a very large airport to catch a connecting flight that was to depart within an hour of my arrival. Usually, I would use my time wisely, but a few things got out of hand and out of my control. For example, to list the following:

1) My previous flight was delayed!

2) I was exhausted after 15 hours of flying, 10 hours of layover with no sleep

3) I did not know how to prepare or what to expect when I landed

4)  I got lost + left the connecting flight region of the airport, which meant having to go through security AGAIN

5) I did not keep track of time closely...and soooo yup, I MISSED my last flight to Paris (this is where everything would go wrong). 

If you find yourself missing your flight, my first tip to you, fellow traveler, is to go to the service center of the PREVIOUS flight. It’s important that you catch the next available flight as fast as possible and the service lines can be very long (30-45 min), so don’t waste your time and make sure you’re in the right line. In my case, the airline that delayed my flight was responsible to communicate with the next airline to get me to Paris. Just so that you are aware, once you talk to the service center with all of your previous flight information, they will probably reserve you a seat on standby. This means when you check-in for your flight, it will say that there are no seats available. That is FINE! Just print your boarding pass and they will give you a seat right before they start boarding. I lost so much time trying to figure all of this out. I ran across the unreasonably huge airport several times (note: make sure your carry on has wheels if it is heavy) and waited in long lines. I ended up catching my makeup flight 3 hours after my original time. Another important note: When traveling internationally, your phone may not be able to use data at all so you can use the airport’s WiFi, but sometimes it doesn’t work during their busy hours!

 Once you arrive at your destination, there are some important questions that you should ask yourself. What time are you landing? Where will you be staying overnight? Can you use data or phone service? My original plan was great: I would land at 3 pm and I would have 3 hours to figure out my transportation and my data plan before the office that held the keys to my housing would close. Sadly, I arrived 3 hours late so I had no time to get my keys that day. Luckily, I emailed the office quickly and explained to them my situation. They responded and were very kind to agree that I can use my room without signing any of the legal documents so I could have a place to sleep. All I had to do was contact my roommate to let me into the apartment. It was another great plan, but things went horribly. First, most of the stores closed at the time I arrived so it took me much longer to get my data plan and almost as if the airport was mocking me and my struggles, it went completely on lockdown as I was leaving due to some luggage issues; I only brought a carry-on, so it shouldn’t have affected me. Next, the transportation system by the airport was very expensive and I tried to conserve money by taking a bus service to reach the city and walking the remaining 30 minutes. I am usually very good at using my GPS, but with no surprise, it took me to the wrong location. I learned to never trust my GPS in a scenario like this. I was lost for a very long time as I didn’t know how to use the local buses or metro to reach my apartment and my roommate was getting upset because it started getting late and he was jet-lagged by 7 hours (I was jet-lagged by 12!!). I learned that you should just take an uber or a taxi from the airport even though it will cost about 50 € but they will take you exactly where you have to go quickly.

By the time I arrived at my apartment complex, it was past 11 pm and my roommate fell asleep and the office had closed. As I was waiting in the lobby, one of the residents understood enough English to try to help me. The problem was that I did not know which room was mine or even which building in the complex since I did not officially check-in. One of the managers finally arrived and he did not know any English. He was not very patient for complete strangers that did not know which room they were supposed to stay in so he got VERY upset and I got kicked out. That is when I was pretty much started panicking. I tried calling some nearby hotels, but they were all full, so I knew that I was spending the night out. I called my family and girlfriend for advice and they 🤷‍♂️. They calmed me down a bit and I found a bus stop with a charging port to charge my phone. At this point, I had spent about 35 hours in 3 airports and 3 flights and I decided that I was going to pull another all-nighter so no one could rob my luggage. Around 3-4 am, I had to use the restroom so I started exploring the magnificent city of Paris and I actually really enjoyed myself. I went to the Eiffel Tower for the first time around sunrise and it was just beautiful. At 6 am, my roommate called me to apologize and he let me into our apartment. It was great because I got to sleep for about 45 minutes before I had to get up to go to the first day of orientation!

Blog #3: Staying in Paris for the Long Haul

What do you do when a quick, planned trip to France while taking a short summer abroad class suddenly becomes the fight of your life to return to your home and family? Here’s my story on how I survived when I was trapped in Paris. For the longest time, it has always been my dream to explore the streets that my family was originally from, a world that has become so distant in my life in Hawaii. I was very excited when I finally had the opportunity to go to France to take a French language and culture class for 3 weeks during the summer. I have lived most of my life in Hawaii as a French immigrant, but had never been to France since I was born in Brazil. I would learn that traveling from Hawaii to France and from France back to Hawaii was complicated. My parents were concerned about the immigration aspect of my trip and I did my research and got my documents. On the fateful day of my trip, I learned that the immigration office at HPU notified me that I might have missed something and wouldn’t be able to return to the US. I quickly rushed home and completed the last document that I needed. I had my boarding pass in hand, which showed that my plane was to take off in under 2 hours when I learned that I needed to pass an exit interview to obtain my entry visa into the US. Only later on did I find out how difficult this would be.

There are certain things one usually does when preparing for one’s first solo trip, such as budgeting, managing housing, and so on. Things one doesn’t plan to do is stay twice as long as they budgeted for and completely rework their plan for the trip...like I did. Luckily, I brought extra cash to survive, but I had to economize BIG TIME. 

Here is my how-to guide on how to survive a low budget lifestyle in Paris. The first thing I learned was that living in the city is expensive, like hundreds of euros you will never see again after only a few weeks kind of expensive. Therefore, I moved from the city and learned to love the countryside just outside of Paris. From this move, I also grew to love the long commute between my new home to the city and grew to love me saving money. Also, as amazing as the food was in Paris, it was really expensive too! The first thing that most would be tempted to do is buy ready-to-eat frozen foods since it saves time, but even those meals can be expensive over time. That’s when I learned the magic of grocery shopping. This was the first time in my life where I went shopping for different things that I could cook with. I bought lots of pasta, meats, and vegetables and cooked them myself. I found interesting recipes online to cook with and I tried different combinations of the ingredients I bought to make my dishes interesting to eat each day. From these experiences, I learned how to make it on my own.

By the end of the trip, I barely had 100 euros and if I had one more setback, I wouldn’t have known what to do. Luckily, I was able to reschedule my flight (over several hours over the phone) and I made it safely back to my family and friends.

Blog #2: A walk through Paris

One of the most memorable days of my stay in Paris was on a class trip to the historic Opera. It was one of the most beautiful sights I had ever seen, with its pristine architecture and elegant decay, that is until I stepped inside and saw even more beauty! From the walls to the ceilings, one could see the golden masterpiece shining brightly and captured me into a trance. Beautiful artwork wrapped the walls and tears formed from it all. The first thing I did was call my girlfriend Liz and showed her the amazingness that was before me. As I gazed upon the ceiling, my body started to spin as I tried to capture it all in. The ceiling was fifty to sixty feet high and gazing upon it felt like my eyes were bathed in warmth. It was an honor just to step in a room of such majesty, but it was only the surface of the true art that occurs every night on stage. The opera is typically booked months in advance, so none of my group nor I had the opportunity to see a show, but as we stood within the theatre seats, it was a mind-blowing feeling I would never forget. On our tour, we explored the hallways, enjoyed the art and took a breath of awe for each room in its own way. As the tour came to end, my friends and I planned a walk through the center of Paris and explored the city to see the sights of the greatest city in the world.

 My roommates, Drew and Micahi, some other classmates, and I joined together on a quest to march forward and take on the city. Before any great quest, we took a quick pit stop to eat lunch. We took the metro to a cafe in the center of the city near Notre Dame as that is where our quest began. As the tables and chairs spread out near the entrance and across the traffic of the streets, we inhaled the scents and aromas of the fine French cuisines of the cafe. My friends and I tried different dishes, excited to see what we could all try. I had the lasagna and my dish overflowed with different cheeses and vegetables that melted in my mouth. Everyone was excited about what they got too!

 With our bellies full, we marched on to Notre Dame. As we approached the charred building encased in a cage of metal and concealed by sheets of white. We have all heard of the tragic fire that destroyed iconic portions of the Notre Dame, but it brought us joy to see its resurrection. Hasty Frenchmen patrolled the streets with heavy weapons, while others restored the Notre Dame to what it once was. We were amazed at the grandness of the building. Next, we marched on with the Seine River through the first arch in the Lourve and on our way to the infamous Champs Elysées Avenue with shops popping and the shoppers dropping. As we walked across the various streets and parks to reach the Champs Elysées Avenue, it was a nice time for my group of friends to get to know each other. We have come from all over the world with such different lives to finally meet and enjoy our love for the culture of Paris together. We talked about our lives and our studies, as well as our cultures and our families. I learned about the silly marriage rituals from Russia to the great CN tower of Canada. Soon the sun began to set high, and our sweat strolled down our face.

 Paris is a crowded city, but it doesn’t compare to how crowded it was at the Champs Elysées. The stores from all over the world stood tall as the tourists and local people alike rushed busy like ants in a picnic. We stopped by all the stores along our way and checked all the French decor and knick-knacks. I was reminded of my home as I thought about all my friends and family back in Hawaii and the things that they would like. You have to be careful or else all your money will disappear! Soon we heard the music of the streets as the performers sang and the children danced to Bruno Mars’ music. We approach our final destination, a grand masterpiece, the greatness of Napoleon, the Arc de Triomphe. The line was long and the staircase to the very top was even longer, but the view was one of a kind. From the top, we could see the entirety of Paris and the long way that we had come.

Readjusting & Crying About Pizza

To quote the silver fox that is George Clooney (whose house in Lake Como I sadly could not find), "I think people in Italy live their lives better than we do. It's an older country, and they've learned to celebrate dinner and lunch, whereas we sort of eat as quickly as we can to get through it." George knows what he's talking about, as I often spend my days back in America reflecting on one of God's greatest gifts that is Italian food.

It's still hard to believe that my study abroad program in Milan, Italy ended 2 months ago and that I returned back to New Jersey a little over a month ago. My first week back in New Jersey was bizarre- I no longer had to mentally prepare myself to speak Italian every time I walked into a store or restaurant. I was now hearing English everywhere I went instead of Italian, which was comforting but strange nonetheless. Every time I see family or friends they say "You have to tell me EVERYTHING about Italy!" but I'm not too sure how to sum up 5 amazing months into a few minutes. Reflecting back on this past semester has made me appreciate the crazy adventures I had. I feel so grateful and #blessed to have had this opportunity to go abroad that it would probably take me a whole year to explain every single thing I loved about Europe. Basically, I got to travel throughout most of Italy by planes, trains, buses and cars. I got to know the huge city of Milan, rode a gondola in Venice, tossed a coin into the Trevi Fountain & explored the Vatican in Rome, drove the Amalfi Coast in Naples, took a ferry to Positano, and went on a solo 4 day trip to Florence.

View of Ponte Vecchio in Florence from the Uffizi Gallery

I also took a solo day trip to Lugano, Switzerland, met up with a foreign exchange student from HPU in Copenhagen, Denmark, biked around Barcelona, Spain with a dear friend and had a jam-packed weekend in Paris, France with two international students I met at my Italian school from Mexico. I ate some of the most amazing food in the world, visited family, toured the most breathtaking museums, and made some of my greatest memories- which makes coming home even harder. When I was still in Europe, I vowed that once I got back to the US I would keep traveling and see more of the United States; I didn't want to stand still. But since I've been back, I've been visiting family, friends, and taking it easy. In Italy, I was always running around on my next adventure, which is why it's nice to just take a break and enjoy my summer at home. (And honestly cuddling with my dog has been the highlight of my summer, I'm not gonna lie.)

Reppin HPU from Park Güell in Barcelona

One of the greatest rewards of living in Italy was getting to come home and speak Italian with my Italian grandmother. I never realized how happy it would make her to hear one of her grandchildren speaking her native language. When I'm not practicing with her, I'm keeping up with the language app Duolingo so I don't forget it when I'm back in Hawaii. Since I dress a lot like an American, many Italians couldn't tell if I spoke Italian or if I was just a tourist, especially in Florence. I couldn't believe how many American tourists I heard in Florence that I actually heard sighs of relief when I spoke to locals in Italian. (It's also fun to be bilingual because you can eavesdrop on conversations when people think you don't understand.)

I'd like to dedicate the end of this blog post to the amazing friends I made in Italy who made my experience as enjoyable as can be. I encourage everyone to talk to students from all different countries as well as America. Every two weeks, I'd go out to dinner with girls from France, Brazil and the Netherlands where we'd compare the things we'd do in our respective countries from food to politics to pop-culture. Every time I talked to them I learned something new about the world, which makes this huge planet seem a little less unfamiliar and scary. It opened my mind to how other cultures do certain things and what their impressions of America are. One of the best things was comparing our languages and trying to explain American slang to them. We would always try to pronounce words in each other's languages (French, Dutch, English and Brazilian Portuguese) and laugh when we would horribly mispronounce them. When you study abroad, don't be afraid to break out of your shell, make friends and try something new!

Left to Right: Camille and Caroline from France, Paula from Brazil, Iris from the Netherlands and me :)

Italian friends and fellow HPU student, Hunter!

Waiting in line to go up the Eiffel Tower with
Mitchell and Paola from Mexico

Sarah from Tennessee (yes I had American friends too)

P.S. Here's a quick shout-out to Italian pizza. I miss you and think about you everyday. 

The entire pizza is for one person.
Notice how I added arugula in an attempt to not feel
guilty about how many carbs I was consuming on a regular basis.

Short Trip to PARIS

My friends decided to go to Paris during our Easter break because… because why not!? Austria is located in the centre of Europe so it is very convenient to travel around. We could have taken a train too, but took a plane because it was cheaper. It only costed around 80 Euros for a round trip. (I am sorry for uploading late, but I went there at the end of March.)

Paris was gorgeous. I definitely could see why this place is called the “City of Love”. The city was magical and just being there was exciting. The atmosphere there was different and made me doubt I was living in the 21st century. The city was full of art. They have great museums everywhere and you can see a lot of famous and historical paintings you would recognise, and those are so powerful. I never thought one painting or one artistic object could be this powerful before. Especially when I went to Louvre Museum, there is this hallway with two wall-full of huge paintings on the both side. When I walked down there, I felt the power of art and it slowed down my steps. There were also people singing inside of trains, playing instruments at stations. Art was everywhere in Paris and it felt magical.

They say French people do not speak English, but actually they do. They are pretty good at English but I do not think it is good to expect everyone to speak English. If you have ever learned at least one foreign language, you should know how hard it is. In my experience, it is also good to know some words in their language beforehand. When I was in Japan, it made me so happy when foreigners said “thank you” in Japanese because it sounded very polite so I felt like they respected our language. For the reason, I always try to remember how to say at least “Thank you”, “Hello”, and “Goodbye” in their language before I go to some other countries.

Their croissant was amazing!!

One of the most amazing things of being in Europe is that when you go to different countries, even though the countries are next to each other, you get to hear different languages. I want to talk about a bit about German now. It has been two months since I got here and I am learning German. I personally love their language so much. I do not know if you have heard about it or not, but German language is sometimes known as an aggressive language. I have seen some videos comparing different languages and trying to show that German sounds more harsh than other languages. I remember a celebrity once said on a famous American TV show that when she went to Germany, everyone sounded like they were angry even though they were saying sweet things. To be honest, I have never thought like that. German is a very gentle language and has got a lot of beautiful words. Those videos on the internet are exaggerated and once you hear a real conversation in German speaking countries, you would think it is such a beautiful language. I just want to inform that maybe information you will find on the Internet is not always true.

When you study abroad in Europe, you can go into most of the museums and attractions for free. They take discount for students in EU. For example, I did not have to pay anything when I went 

to Louvre Museum because I have my student ID of FH Salzburg. However, if I only had my American student ID, I had had to pay. There are a lot of other places that take EU student discount. I have heard some hostels also take EU student discount. You can save more money when you travel during studying abroad, and I believe it is a huge benefit of studying in Europe.

Other than a student ID, there is this card called International Student Identity Card you can use in a lot of places, even in the US. I got around 20 Euro discount for my Disneyland Paris ticket. I have been to Disneyland in California and Tokyo Disneyland but I loved Paris one the best (It is actually outside of Paris, but Tokyo Disneyland is not in Tokyo either, so whatever). It was not crowded at all even though I went there during my spring break. There are two parks, Disneyland and Disney Studio, like California has two, and I highly recommend to go both. You can go both for the same price as one park ticket when you use the card anyways, and one day is enough to go see around both parks. Disneyland Paris has a Sleeping Beauty themed castle and it is PINK (who cool is that?!)!!!! Disney Studio has a Ratatouille themed ride because the movie is about France, and it was amazingly fun. Disney park is definitely one of the most amazing places in France.

Unfortunately the day we arrived there was the day the attack occurred in Belgium so the security check was very strict. We got checked everywhere we go, even at MacDonald’s. To be honest I felt unsafe during my stay in Paris. Police was everywhere and they all got guns. I am not trying to scare you but you should be aware when you go somewhere unsafe. I think it is good to search dangerous area or not-to-go places before you travel.

Eiffel Tower lighted up as the color of Belgium flag 

However, at the same time, this travel made me believe that there are so much more beautiful things than tragedies in this world. My favourite time in Paris was this one night when I was watching the city lights and Eiffel Tower shining from a bridge across Seine River. Cruise ships were running through the river slowly and it was so peaceful and I was so happy being in the moment. I will never forget those moments and cheerful people in Paris. 

Spring has Sprung in Paris

Another month has gone by since my last post and I truly CANNOT believe how quickly it has been. In this last month I have continued my goal of branching out of my usual comforts and experiencing things from every aspect this opportunity has to offer.

I’ve made it essential to travel as much as possible while I am here. Since my last trips to Brussels and Madrid, I have ventured to a few more places inside of France.

Before our delicious Laos meal with Sarena's aunt

Theatres Romains de Fouviere 

3 friends from my program and I went to Lyon, which is known as the gastronomical capital of France. Our friend Sarena’s uncle came to take us to his house for dinner the first night. She has family that lives in Lyon (how convenient) that offered to give us a traditional Laos meal. They also had Swiss friends over, so we were able to enjoy a very multi-cultural evening. It was a really fun experience to have – meeting people from all over the world, enjoying a meal together, and bonding over a general love for life. After being sufficiently stuffed with delicious foods, we made our way back to central Lyon to enjoy the nightlife. It is much smaller and quieter compared to Paris, but Lyon has such a lively, energetic vibe and lots of young people. The next day we walked close to 22km ALL over the city. We saw the

On the Rhône River

Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourviere, the Theatres Romains de Fourviere, which is the oldest outdoor theatre in France, old town of Lyon, the ginormous Parc de la Tete d’Or, the historic Saint Jean Quartier, Place Bellecour, and other smaller sites. That night we booked a reservation at one of the many delicious restaurants in Lyon – the Brasserie Midi Minuit Confluence. I tried ox bone marrow, roasted duck with dates, figs and a honey sauce, and a moelleux au chocolate (a traditional chocolate cake with a molten filling). When they say Lyon is know for its food, they aren’t kidding - I could not have had a better meal that night. The weather was gorgeous, the food was delicious, and the overall feeling in Lyon stole my heart. It currently stands as my favorite city thus far.

Square Verdrel

Cathédrale Notre Dame de Rouen

Tour Saint Jeanne d'Arc

The follow weekend I chose to just do a solo day trip to the tiny city (more like a town) of Rouen. It is the capital of the Normandy area, and was heavily damaged in World War II. You can still see bullet holes in some of the buildings, and other remnants from the war. This is also the place where Joan of Arc was kept in her last days and burned at the stake. I wanted to see this medieval place that is not well known to many people outside of France. Rouen is so small and most of the sites are in a pedestrian area right in the heart of the city, so I made it my mission to walk through all the twisting streets along my way. I first went to the Cathedral, which was my 3^rd Notre Dame so far. The gothic architecture never disappoints me, both from overwhelming presence the outside to the colorful display of stained glass inside. After I walked to the Gros Horlage, which is a huge, ornate clock set in between the buildings along a cobble-stoned street. It is said that this clock ran for over 500 million hours, from the 14^th century to 1928! The other places I saw in Rouen were mostly to do with Joan of Arc – the site where she was burned at the stake, the tower in which she was held, the cemetery where she was buried, and the church erected in her honor. A few other places included outdoor markets with lots of fresh food venders, about 3 more churches, and along The Seine. Rouen was a beautiful little surprise, with medieval architecture, bright little homes, and extremely friendly people.

Castle Hill - Château de Nice

Following this trip I decided to take a longggg bus ride down to Nice, along the Côte d’Azur. I have never been to the south of France, aside from a one-day visit to Monaco, so I was really looking forward to seeing some beaches (something I miss so dearly about Hawaii) and Mediterranean-inspired buildings. I went alone, even though usually am apprehensive about solo travel. I’ve learned that traveling on my own is extremely rewarding though because you feel such a sense of

Miroir d'Eau - Promenade du Paillon

independence and confidence in your abilities for being able to maneuver your way all on your own. I spent 2 days in Nice, and one day in Monaco – which was unplanned but so fun. I met a girl, Shannon, a student from Ohio studying in England, who was also traveling alone and we decided to adventure together. It definitely became on of the best decisions I made. I was hoping to find people along the way that would make good travel companions and my hope was fulfilled. Old town Nice offered an Italian-vibe with its food and architecture, as well as more beautiful churches, open plazas, and quaint streets with tons of shopping. Both days I went to the beach just to sit and relax, dipping my feet into the Mediterranean Sea to satisfy my withdrawals from the ocean at home. I ate more gelato than probably humanly possible, but all the different and exciting flavors (cactus, avocado, olive, lavender - which is the one

I tried) were too tempting to not indulge in. Nice was home to the Château de Nice on top of Castle Hill, offering incredible views of the beach and old town, Monument aux Morts which was erected for WWI victims, the Port of Nice, green spaces like Place Massena and Promenade du Paillon, more churces like the forth Notre Dame I've seen, and the pebbly beach.

Port Hercules - Monaco

Monaco, known for its wealthy, aristocratic inhabitants and equally beautiful coastline, offered us more nature than I expected in the Jardin Exotiques, including an underground grotto of many caves with calcium deposits, stalagmites and stalactites. Following all the cacti and flowers in the Jardin Exotiques, we headed over to Monaco-Ville, which holds the Palais Princier, Cathédrale de Monaco (which holds the tomb of Princess Grace Kelly), Jardin St Martin, and the Musée d'Oceanographique - a stunning aquarium and marine history museum. Following this, and some more gelato, we headed on a bateau bus across Port Hercules to get to Monte Carlo (specifically the Casino). While the casino itself was disappointing inside because of the 10 euro entrance cost and small accessibility inside, it was great to see because of its grandeur. Monte Carlo is known as the most expensive city, and the plethora of high-end cars, boutique shops and designer labels everywhere made that belief clear. This weekend trip was incredible because it was relaxing, indulging, and completely unplanned.

Tulips - my favorite flower blooming everywhere

Yesterday, I went to the very small town of Giverny, which is most famous for being where Claude Monet lived and painted for the majority of his life. We walked in the incredibly flourishing gardens, filled with more varieties of flowers in ranges of colors than you could imagine. We toured his quaint and charming traditional Normandy farmhouse. It housed both his works and other Japanese art that Monet found inspiring during his lifetime. After seeing where he lived, there is no doubt in my mind as to why Monet chose to spend his time in Giverny. It was truly beautiful.

The best part of traveling is meeting new people

If you had asked me 3 months ago whether I’d be traveling by myself, I would have told you no way. Thankfully, I broke out of this fear and now I feel a new sense of self. I've been able to meet other students traveling both from the US and all over the world - people like Shannon (pictured left), Pinar from Turkey, Jennifer and Sandra from Switzerland, Tatiana from Russia, and many others. Listening to that little voice in my heart telling me "Go do it!" has been the best thing for me. I know that these memories I'm making are going to last me the rest of my life. What is better than being able to look back on life and smile at all of the fun, adventurous, somewhat crazy and spontaneous things you have experienced? I think that's hard to beat.


In less than a week my mom will be visiting Paris, and we are traveling to Amsterdam and London for my two-week Spring Break. Although I love living abroad, my homesickness can get the best of me and I am SO looking forward to some familiarity. Plus, I can’t wait to show my mom around Paris from a more “local” perspective!

Perfect Friday night in Paris

Bonus - This photo I took last night at sunset from the summit of the Eiffel Tower. It was actually my first time ALL the way up to the top (I had only been to the second level before a few years ago when I visited). I was walking home, taking my normal route right underneath the tower, when I realized how short the line was, so I made another spontaneous decision to head up on this clear and beautiful night. I am so grateful to have these opportunities! How incredibly lucky I am to live in Paris, in my early 20s, right next to one of the most well-known monuments in the entire world. People ask me if I get bored of it. How could I? This photo is proof.