Paris Impressions

   I was so excited to arrive in Paris, as any girl who majors/works in fashion would be. I have dreamed of going to Paris and seeing the Eiffel Tower my whole life. I was so excited when we pulled in on the train to go and explore. As soon as I got off the train I was so happy. Paris is beautiful and has amazing architecture, even more impressive than Geneva. Every single building is so old, detailed, and gorgeous. It is something I could definitely get used to seeing on a daily basis. As we tried to find a cab to school for the opening day ceremony, we were already being scammed because we are American. A man offered us a ride for 50 Euros. Luckily we realized this sounded like too much so we took another cab from the street that was using his meter. It ended up being about a 14 Euro ride, so I am glad we thought to second guess the first offer. This made me realize the rumors are true that they take advantage of tourists. I can't say this about all the service in Paris, but it definitely holds true for taxis. I learned quickly that the metro is the best option to get around the city. It is convenient and not too expensive. I lived in the 7th arrondissement of Paris. The arrondissements go in a snail shape with 1 at the center. The 7th, my neighborhood, is said to be on of the nicest areas of Paris. It was mostly quiet with the occasional rush of kids with parents after school was released. There were some nice restaurants and shops in the area so it was perfect for us. It was not the spot for lively nightlife, but we also learned that crazy nightlife is not very big in Paris at all. It is more of a day time city, where you can walk around various parks, museums, or just outdoor shopping not the Champs Elysees. I wouldn't say Paris is a very young city either, a lot of people on the streets are older with children. If you like art, Paris has so much to see. The amazing, impressive museums can take up your entire vacation. Museums like D'Orsay or the Louvre cannot be seen in one day, unless you are running through it. It is also important to see famous sites like Notre Dame or the Eiffel Tower up close. They are just something magnificent and definitely for me something I have never witnessed. The Eiffel Tower at night was my favorite thing. I could stare at the sparkling lights forever, but sadly they go off hourly for only a few minutes. A lot of people say that the French people hate Americans, but I truly did not experience this at all. The people were so nice and inviting. They always tried to help translate with us and give us advice. I did notice that almost every person in France can speak a bit of English, but most Americans cannot speak any French at all. It bothers and embarrasses me that we look so uneducated and it appears that we only care about our own country. I hope one day this will change as the world evolves. I suggest everyone gets to Paris and sees the amazing sights. The stereotypes of American haters is very exaggerated and not worth to hold you back from seeing this amazing city.