La Bella Vita: Viaggio da solo

I knew after my travels in Israel that throughout my time in Europe there would come a time where I would fly solo and embark on my own personal voyage. I didn't know where nor when, rather I was planning to wait for the moment to strike. It was the beginning of break and instead of going straight back to Milan after my time in Budapest, I would look up tickets elsewhere. It took nineteen euros, and a whole lot of courage to book my one-way flight from Budapest, Hungary to Paris, France.

In return for spending an extra night in Budapest, I promised to head with my friend Travis to the airport in the morning for his flight. Little did I know I was going to be in the airport from 4 am until my flight departed at 10... so after a sleepless night, and intense day of traveling, I finally made it to the city of romance.

Traveling alone is an invaluable experience, one that allowed for an introspective examination of my own personal strengths and weaknesses. It took a little for me to get used to flying solo, but once the ball started rolling I began to get the hang of things. The day started with a quick trip to Sacre Cour, one of the highest points in Paris, the monument offers a Panoramic view of the entire city. It was absolutely breathtaking, and after passing out on the slightly sloping lawn for a good few hours, I let the day take me where it wanted. A small sign pivoted out from behind the church and my eyes instantly caught hold of it's message, a Salvador Dali exhibit had just opened. After three hours and eleven euros I left the venue with a mind overflowing about theories on the innate nature of time. It was at that moment I realized the benefits of traveling by yourself. Not many people would stand and stare at each composition in their entirety and read the sculptures descriptions one by one. This also leads into my first weakness: art. Between Van Gogh and Salvador Dali it has officially been decided that once I establish myself in the professional world, I will equip my house with ornate masterpieces of art, and surround myself with colors and compositions which allow oneself to question concepts much more grandiose than the individual.

I continued my day with a short rest along the Seine and before I knew it, I wound up at the Notre Dame. One of the coolest things about Parigi is the fact that the majority of its historical markings are dotted all along the River, allowing for easy navigation through the city and a surprise lurking around every corner.

Two younger girls on a class field trip sketching their own drawings of the Notre Dame.

This group of twenty year olds (participating in the most hilarious dance of all time) had decided to take a year off of school and work to devote themselves to religion. If I could point out anything it would be to embrace the fabulous mullet this dude is rocking.... Regardless of their style, I was informed of their mission from two nuns, Barbara and Ruth, two elderly women who happened to be these young adults' mentors. The three of us discussed our views on God, faith, and at the end of it all, we simply wished each other well and went on our separate ways. It was a beautiful experience.

My favorite picture thus far...

After snapping a good 192371297 shots of the city, I decided it was about time to have a picture of myself actually IN the city. One downfall to traveling alone - taking self shots aren't much of an option.. so I succumbed and asked a fellow traveler to take a picture of me in front of the Notre Dame.

If you are ever traveling alone, I would HIGHLY suggest staying in a hostel. It is a prime area to meet other travelers, especially those who want to socialize. Especially with Paris' high prices, I paid a hefty amount to stay in a room with a college student from Quebec who came to Paris because her school was on strike, a hilarious twenty year old from Rome, a backpacker from Chicago and Elena, a high school graduate from Australia who was taking three months off to teach English in the South of France.

Elena and I happened to kick it off really well and the two of us met up with fellow SB'ers Dave and Kasey for a casual picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower. The baguettes were AMAZING, the wine was savory and the tower was just as beautiful in the day as it was at night.

Catching a love parade outside the Eiffel Tower.

Dave doin' his thanggg

This man and his son ran into us playing frisbee outside of the eiffel tower, and after inviting them to join, the two of them quickly picked up the frisbee and gave it a go. The cutest part was the fact that the little boy had never played frisbee before, and he was beyond stoked to be playing with everyone.

For my last night in Paris, my housemate, Colleen, had contacted one of her friends from Boston College who was abroad and arranged for us to meet for dinner. It was an extremely kind gesture and after dinner, her friend Hayle she gave Elena and I a tour of the entire city at night. Hayley was a history major and gave us a ridiculously informative purpose behind each building. Taking classes only in French, she managed to help me decode the entire menu for dinner as well. Thank goodness, because I was about to order foie gras, otherwise known as duck liver...

The tour ended at midnight in front of the Eiffel Tower. If I could explain it as anything, it was the grand finale to a series of fireworks and it definitely made my night. Sorry the footage is so shaky, to say the least I was awed by the tower's beauty.

After a long day of traveling, courtesy of Ryan Air, I made my way back to the residence in Milan around midnight on the first of April. In honor of the marvelous "pranking" tradition, I was warmly welcomed back by all my best friends to an EMPTY room...literally..