I was lucky enough to be gifted a trip to Paris and London as my graduation gift and I could almost say it did more harm than anything else. Now, don’t get me wrong, my entire trip was a dream, I absolutely loved every minute that we walked and used the metro or the underground and tried to sneak in sleep. All in between wonderful meals and wonderful destinations. I say it may have done more harm only because ever since the day I arrived back on American soil, I have been thinking about the next grand adventure I will go on. At the same time, I want to share that I absolutely love my country, I have traveled all over the great United States of America, and I suggest everyone see the beauty America has to offer, however unending, before setting off to Europe or anywhere else.
Paris, what can I say that hasn’t been said? Oh, Paris has my heart, I was completely enchanted by everything. The language, the food, the beautiful parks everywhere and the rich culture and history. Everywhere I turned there was something absolutely breathtaking. We started with going to see the Arc de Triomphe, and walk down the Champs-Elysees. The next day, a trip outside of Paris to the extravagant world (it seemed) of Versailles. I could have spent days in those gardens, and know that next time a half day pass will not do! Followed that night with a riverboat Dinner cruise down the Seine. When you go to Paris, you must do one of these! Our last full day we barely squeezed in the Louvre and saw all the glory that lives inside those walls followed by probably my favorite site of the whole trip, Notre Dame at sunset. Breath taking is the simplest way I could describe this Cathedral. Before our flight to London, we got to fit in a quick stop at L’orangerie, a small but glorious museum in the Tuileries where we saw huge Monet installments. There was soo much more we could have seen, and that I will make sure to fit in my next time!
London… London was awesome. Big Ben and the House of Parliament were astonishing to see in person. Not to mention Westminster Abbey right across the street. The infamous red phonebooths and doubledecker buses were everywhere, and I loved it. We rode the indredible London Eye to start, and I even got my mother to ride despite her very serious fear of heights and rides of any sort. This is something you should not miss! The next day, a trip to the National Gallery was exceptional. The art here was unlike any collection I have ever seen. Seeing some of the paintings I grew up loving right in front of me could have moved me to tears, honestly (and did I mention, free!). Then hang out and get some food by Trafalgar square. Our traveling caught up with us and we took it easy that night so we could go to the Tower of London on our last day, which was really awesome, but kind of easy to lose someone at… Whoops! Followed by a little shopping in Picadilly Circus and going to see Wicked in London, which was amazing!
But all in all, this whirlwind of a trip just opened a door to what could and will be a whole lifetime of adventures to be had! There is so much to experience and I can’t wait to see it all! New Zealand should be next on the list, so stay tuned..
Austin M. Yoder 