Kristen Hamilton: Top 5 Favorite Moments in Paris

Still high off studying abroad in Paris, I decided to compile a list of my most enjoyable moments in Paris. This list is in no particular order, because to be quite honest, it is a bit difficult to choose between indulging in the luxury of Chanel and nearly getting attacked on the Metro. See what I mean? Check out my top 5 below:

1. Praying in the Sacré-Coeur

Regardless of the trek that it took to finally reach Sacré-Coeur, it was completely worth it. Unlike Notre Dame, I actually had the chance to go into this church (it was free) and sit down in the sanctuary. A lot of people sat down to hopefully put an end to their incessant sweating (myself, included); however, while sitting down, I was moved to pray. Tears rolled down my eyes out of nowhere; this experience was moving, to say the least. I actually had the opportunity to visit Sacré-Coeur twice, and I can honestly say that I will forever cherish the memories that I made there. Okay, enough of the crying – now to the fun stuff.

2. Visiting Notre Dame AND then watching Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame

Another church? I know, but I actually didn’t go into this one, and I don’t know what excited me more: seeing Notre Dame in person or seeing Notre Dame in person AND then running back to my room to watch the Disney classic featuring the beloved Quasimodo. The Hunchback of Notre Dame was never my favorite Disney movie (not even top 10); however, that is the power of the real Notre Dame. In walking distance from where I stayed, Notre Dame is majestic in all ways possible. It is one of those places where something comes over you, but you have no idea what it is. Maybe it’s the reverberation of the church bells that ring throughout the city or maybe it’s just the fact that you are standing in front of history. Regardless, my visit to Notre Dame, followed by my viewing of Quasimodo and the gargoyles, was special.

3. Playing Petanque

Petanque is probably one of the greatest games of all time. Seriously.  Petanque is France’s precious sport jewel, and I am completely bummed that we do not have this game in the States. It just so happens that petanque requires a lot of skill that of which I do not have. There are two teams and each team has their own set of steal balls. In the beginning of the game, a small green ball is thrown, and wherever it lands, that is the target that each person is to aim for. The object of the game is to land the steal ball closest to the little green ball. This may sound simple (probably not with my horrible description of the game), but no, not quite. You have to throw the ball underhandedly, and the outdoor elements do not always help. My team ended up losing (of course), but I can’t remember when I have had that much fun playing a game with what looked like steal tennis balls.

4. Almost getting attacked on the Metro (not really, but I have no idea how else to describe it!)

When riding the Metro, you should always embrace yourself for the most random things to happen. I knew this when riding the train, but you never really think that these random events will happen to you. Well, I must be lucky. We were on our way back from dinner, and my friends and I were able to find seats, which can often be a task. There was an empty seat next to me, but I decided to sit on the outside seat, well, just because. We came to a stop, and out of nowhere, a shirtless man (with his pants unzipped) rapidly walked towards me, reaching out his hands towards my face. The world suddenly stopped. This can’t be real, I thought. Before I could even figure out what was happening or why it was happening, I was on the other side of the train. Yes, I ran that fast. My experience with the shirtless, unzipped pants men proved to be one of the highlights of the trip. We laughed. We cried. Good times, indeed.

5. Buying my Chanel!

I will have more on this later, but all you need to know is that yes, I made the fashion purchase of all fashion purchases: I bought a Chanel… in Paris. Eek! More details to come!

I hope you enjoyed the list! I could go on and on, but this top 5 list of my most enjoyable moments in Paris sum up the moving, but exhilarating study abroad experience that I had. I only hope that one day I can return and add even more unforgettable experiences to this list. Until next time!