PAIRS: THE FINAL ADVENTURE

It's hard to believe that my traveling time has come to an end. After submitting my final paper on Thursday morning, I went to my last two classes before jetting off for one last trip. Another good friend from high school messaged me back in September; Hannah was studying in Spain and wanted to know if I'd like to go to Paris with her. We took AP Art History together senior year and have both continued to study the subject at school. Because of busy lives and crazy schedules, I hadn't actually seen her since graduation but catching up over crepes, macaroons and tea made the last two years seem insignificant.

On Friday morning we met up with one of my friends from Georgetown who has been in Paris all semester for hot chocolate and croissants. She picked a cafe right near all the big museums so after parting ways, Hannah and I set off to explore the Musee l'Orangerie and the Louvre. We spent a grand total of ten hours in museums that day. A group of Hannah's friends from school were also traveling through Paris so we met up with them that night and went out to an amazing dinner of cheese fondue and wine served in baby bottles.

We slept in a little on Saturday before heading out to see the D'Orsay Museum (which didn't allow photography). Along the way we happened across the Love Bridge. Couples attach a lock and throw the key in the river for good luck. I have every intention of returning to Paris someday to add my own. After another few hours of marveling at art, we made our way to Notre Dame, an incredible bookstore called Shakespeare & Company, and the Eiffel tower where we watched the hourly light show while sipping hot, mulled wine.

Since neither of had class on Monday, we opted to fly out then instead of on Sunday, giving us a whole extra day to do more sightseeing. I've always wanted to go to Versailles so despite the chilly weather, we took the train out to see the royal residence. The gardens, though relatively grey, were' still spectactular. I can only imagine how they look in the spring and summer. We finished off the afternoon by exploring Sacre Coeur, the Montemartre area and hunting down Chipotle for dinner (a true Colorado favorite).

The weekend was a huge success and I can't think of a more perfect way to round off my traveling in Europe. Hannah was a fantastic travel buddy; very few people would have been eager to spend hours looking at paintings in museums. Now that I'm back in (snowy) Copenhagen, I've got just a few days left to relax, shop and pack before heading back to the states.

This semester has been a non-stop adventure and I'm very much looking forward to three weeks spent doing absolutely nothing at home (and by nothing I actually mean doings lot of hot yoga, seeing old friends and eating at all my favorite restaurants). I fly to DC on Saturday to see one of my very best friends before she heads off to Jordan for the spring semester so I guess I still have one more weekend trip ahead of me. The past four months have been incredible and as sad as I am see it all end, I'm infinitely grateful to have such amazing people and things to go home too.