Upon arrival, our hectic day immediately began. Stefania, our tour leader, greeted us and soon after led us and another group of college students from North Carolina to our bus. The plan was to drop off our luggages at our Paris aparthotel, and promptly began our Paris city tour.
As a group, we decided to take the Paris city metro to go to the Eiffel Tower. Not only would the metro allow us to experience the daily routine of many Parisians, it would also give us an opportunity to be part of the community culture. After our confusing and nerve wrecking metro ride, we arrived to the beautiful Eiffel Tower. It was truly a breath-taking moment. I felt like the tower greeted us to the wonderful and crazy Paris city. After taking countless pictures of the Eiffel Tower, we decided to take a Paris city guided tour boat ride. During the boat ride, we were shown the famous Sorboune University, Notre Dome and the many famous bridges in the city.
One of the greatest moments of the day was our trip up the Eiffel Tower. We had the opportunity to go up on the peak of the tower and look down at the beautiful site down below our feet. The city looked so thrilling, full of rich history and hope. I can confidently say that this was one of my unforgettable moments on this trip.
Soon after Dr. Cremer and Professor Emily Davis took us on a walking tour of Paris, which eventually led us to the metro. Clearly, ever since our flight to Paris, we did not have the opportunity to rest up or sleep. Therefore, when dinner-time came around, we were all extremely tired. Unfortunately, I was one of the individuals who fell asleep during dinner. Exhaustion and lack of sleep had taken a toll on me. After my short sleep in the restaurant, it was time for me to visit my uncles family in Paris, while the rest of the group had the opportunity to go to the hotel and rest.
After 10 years of not seeing my uncle and his family, I was invited to their home for a second-round of dinner. It was great seeing everyone so grown-up and improved. My uncle had completely transformed his families life for the better through rightly working and making a living for him and his family. After eating, gift-exchanging, sharing stories and exchanging laughs, it was finally time for me to go back to the hotel and get some much-needed sleep.
As I closed my eyes to sleep, I knew I still had a long and exciting trip ahead of me!
