Dec 2016
I swore you were the love of my life. We just knew we were in it for the long haul. Everything about this moment was perfection except the weather. Paris in the dead of winter sounds too romantic right?
He paid for everything. Duh. So, I literally knew nothing about nothing. Don't ask me about the metro or location to anything. I don't even know what type of money they use, jk. I've been dreaming of visiting France literally my whole life. I took years of French for this moment. Don't ask me to say anything cuz it went through one ear right out the other. When I told my unit we were going they was all like, "Ooooh, Paris? That's an, "we in love trip"." Needless to say I was geeked.
We Airbnb'd it again. A cute petite apartment up a couple stairs somewhere in the city idk. It wasn't nothing crazy, but it was still such a Pinterest board moment. Like everything French is a mood board moment fr.
The most annoying thing about the trip was not only not being able to have a car but not being able to have Ubers pick us up from where we stayed. The streets, as gorgeous as they are made of cobble stone and constructed strangely. Any day you could see the lanes completely closed off or see markets on the corner.
Conveniently there were bottegas and restaurants that lined the streets on the first level. In our apartment there was a bed that filled the whole room that faced a window. The kitchen, next to the entrance door, no bigger than a walk-in closet had nothing but a microwave, a
sink, and a window if I remember correctly. The living room designed with a tv sitting on a small table, a couch, a floor lamp that lit the room, a coffee table on top of a rug and the cutest little fern cosplaying as a Christmas tree. Very cozy and cute.
He navigated the metro system and we walked everywhere in between. I was actually kind of shook how well and how much he planned out. I loved not having to worry about anything or think about anything. I could just enjoy the moment. I'm in France, omfg, take that bitchy high school French teacher. That hoe started praying on my downfall out of nowhere, racist hoe.
I had never seen cathedrals and monuments so grand. The details, and everything from the ceiling to the columns to the doors to the windows to floors was all so intricate. Honestly, you could feel the age and hard work that lived in that city. Everything felt like it had paid its dues already and all that you really had to do was experience it.
The street food was amazing. I could eat a thousand Nutella and strawberry filled crepes. Restaurant food was amazing as well. I feel like it was actually cooked like they loved their food. Everything I ate felt like a warm hug. I remember we walked into one of the restaurants on the street late night for dinner. It was a stormy rainy night lmao and the restaurant was again what I would call cozy, but the food might have well been home cooked by my twice removed French great grandmother.
We did quite a bit of shopping. We of course walked the strip and landed on Sephora. This was my personal heaven. I don't know what I did to be blessed like this honestly truly. The girls there were all very busy but still made time for everyone. So nice and sweet. I went over to the benefit brow bar and watched them do the other customers brows as I waited for my turn. I don't usually let other people touch my face, but this was truly a professional experience, no like frfr. I saw the girls doing amazing dramatic Broadway type looks to classic beats. I stared in awe. One of the girls asked if I would like for them to try out the liner for me. I said yes. They asked if I wanted a dramatic wing or a cute wing. I said dramatic. They did a smedium wing that look beautiful and perfectly even. Eyeliner in cart. I honestly tried a few different products and bought them all.
We walked everywhere the Arc de triophe, Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris, Palais Garnier, to the gardens, the bridges, Eiffel Tower, and of course the Louvre Museum. We got there late so we didn't tour it, but we still visited. Meanwhile Beyoncé and Jay Z are closing it down for a photoshoot. Can you image money, power, and privilege like that as a black couple from America? Insane.
Right outside there was the sweetest little old man taking pictures outside of the museum of people that passed by. He snapped couple of shots of us and we waited as he printed them out. It was getting super chilly outside, and my little leather jacket was not cutting it.
I remember going to the Eiffel Tower at night. Oddly not at all that crowded. Knick-knack and souvenir vendors all over the place just trying to make a living.
We ascended the tower on an elevator. Stopping at every level. Each providing a different view and experience. One thing I hadn't mentally prepared for was the unevenness in addition to the height. Cuz high up is one thing but leaning to the side is another. 😭 It was one of the upper levels that held a shop and a little kiosk where we bought macaroons and some other trinkets. Next to the shop sat a table with its own Eiffle tower of macaroons. Beautiful and delicious.
We were also celebrating new year's and regardless of the storm we had to celebrate. All I can remember is hiking in mini hail with wind blasting my face and the edge of my gold sequin dress digging into my thighs. I wish my hoe powers would kick in cuz I was too cold. Over the valley and through the woods we had finally made it to the party.
I do believe we did a boat party as well as a party under one of the bridges. The line was atrocious but when we got in it was honestly too 🔥. We walked into this underground scene with a bar in the middle section closed off by rope to the right. The drinks weren't on shit honestly, but it was a cool ass vibe.
After a couple of minutes of us hanging around. I was approached by a slim I'm assuming French African or Haitian or French Canadian guy, "you can come in our section. I usually don't like black girls, but you are very pretty. Your boyfriend can come too." We looked at each other and shrugged, "ok🤷🏽♀️". We went in and out the section and danced, drank, and chilled.
When we left it seemed like everyone was just wondering the streets confused. The plan on everyone's mind was clearly to party and nothing else. This was our last night and after partying we spent the last of it trying to make it back to the apartment. Idk how we got there in hindsight because that trip back seemed like a journey across another universe. After walking for a bit, we managed to stop a guy with a carriage and took that for a while. It was so nice while it lasted. We finally managed to make it back and...
Well, honestly who tf knows it was such a long night.
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