Lessons from Paris

I was watching Gilmore Girls today. Yes, that is my TV show of choice. I finished watching all of Friends, all of How I Met Your Mother, and I keep up with New Girl. Great, now you are judging me. Anyways, I am watching the episode when Lorelai and Chris are in Paris. I love Paris. I was laughing along as they fell asleep because of jet leg, encountered rude French service, the inability to find a hamburger and the beauty of Paris at night. Paris makes you do crazy things you haven’t already done. I call this inspiration to get creative. In honor of my favorite TV show of this month, here are some highlights from my trip!

The first stop is to the Eiffel Tour. The flat I stayed at was down the street from the tower and I went to visit the structure every day for a week. I could not get enough of the vision of Paris. Some would say it is not the cleanest surroundings, but it was just like any well visited tourist site. The lawn will not be green, but it serves as the perfect place to sit and take in the romantic scene.

Next, I visited the Palais Garnier, a beautiful Opera House in Paris. The place was so expensive to build that the designer, Garnier, had to pay to get into the grand opening. There are amazing costumes of the ballet, miniture sets of the theatre’s back drops and scenes and a gorgeous library of the great plays.

​My top is from Akira, shorts from Express, and sweater blanket from H&M. The style of this top is flattering on any body shape. I am not just saying this. It is a very comfortable fit for touring a new city. When traveling I always make sure I have a sweater and one that adds some flair to my look. Classy is the goal here.  You can see the complete outfit below as I pose at the Love Lock Bridge.

Versaille is unlike anything I have ever seen. The beautiful structure was built by Louis the 14th in 1682. The building is so great the Buckingham Palace was actually designed after Versaille. Many other

architectural landmarks have been inspired by the palace. I threw on jean shorts and a teal, shear top. Not exactly regal, but hey I wanted to be comfortable since the building itself is on 721,206 square feet. The palace of Versailles is the “largest royal domain”. My Kimono is from H&M, jean shorts from forever21 and sandles from target. Dressing cheap, but fun, while touring a palace lined with gold. Insane.

The Love Locks Bridge is simply magical. I am a romantic, which means I enjoy thinking that everyone of these locks represents a happy couple. If I

ever wanted to write a novel I would add the scene of this bridge in even if it was a book about Sci Fi. I now understand why artists, writers, and fashion designers flock to Paris. The atmosphere is full of creativity. The city only takes you back in time to a place grander than life. Louis the 14th life to be exact. He must have been quite the guy. He created ballet the foundation to most dances we have today. He allowed Classical French literature to flourish by protecting great writers of that day. He established a police system and street lighting in Paris. He renovated the Louvre and set the fashion standard of the day. Most importantly, Louis built Versaille, the best place to hold Kim Kardashian’s wedding to Kanye West. He was named the “Sun King” and “Louis the great”. I think he would have approved of this thing called, the Love Locks Bridge. The history of the love locks bridge goes back to a story from World War 1. A school mistress called, Nada, fell in love with a Serbian officer called Relja. Relja fell in love with a local woman from Corfu when he had to move to Greece. Nada never recovered and died of heart ache. Women from Nada’s home came to the bidge where Nada and Relja used to meet at, taking a padlock and locking it to the railing with the lovers name in order to seal their love. In conclusion, the very story belonging to the bridge contradicts my hopeless, but wishful thinking.

I was disapointed when Lorelai and Chris did not go to the Love Locks Bridge, however, very pleased that she did end up marrying Chris in Paris. Paris inspires creativity, the act of doing something you have not already done. What will you do when you travel to the City of Love? Will you jump in front of the Eiffel Tower? Will you take a walk through the many acres of Versaille? Will you pretend you are a ballerina in the Palais Garnier? Or will you imagine yourself as Nada, heart broken from losing her only love?

My recommendation: Don’t do any of that. If you do anything in Paris, capture the creativity of the City of Love and take it with you.