My Favorite Places: London, England + Paris, France

Traveling is undoubtedly my favorite pastime. I have found that through traveling, I am exposed to cultures and people that I would never before have the opportunity to see/meet. By visiting many places, I was able to choose two that I love the most: London and Paris.

One thing that these cities have in common is being "alive." In other words, these places are fast-paced, very historical and full of surprises.

#1: London, England
This is a photo of me with Big Ben and Parliament from the top of the London Eye.

Last summer, I got the chance to study abroad in London, England. The study abroad program that I traveled with is called "British Media Studies and Systems," and this trip included travel to Cambridge, Bristol and Wales. Though I spent the most of my time in London (4 weeks), I instantly fell in love with it. In London, I met people from all over the world: Poland, Iceland and more. From the tube transportation, I was able to see the people in London daily. Almost all of these London natives dressed to the nines daily, whether for work or for recreation. Everyone seemed so motivated and driven, which are two characteristics I'd use to describe myself. 
This is a photo I took of the "Changing of the Guards" in front of Buckingham Palace.

The history in London is unmatched from anywhere else I've visited. Most buildings in London have been around since before America was even found. The entire place is extremely ancient, but beautiful. As for the learning, I was in London for two of the terrorist attacks (the Manchester concert bombing and the London Bridge knifing). Because the program I was with visited news outlets such as BBC, CNN London, ITV and more, I was able to see how news rooms reacted to these kind of breaking news scenarios and operated in real time. I didn't want my four weeks in London to ever end, and I am thankful to have had the opportunity to visit. I can confidently say I will be back!

#2: Paris, France
This is a photo I took of the Eiffel Tower while on a river cruise.

My second favorite place is Paris, France. After going on the study abroad program last summer, my family met me for a trip to Paris. I know what you're thinking... "How surprising, a girl that loves Paris!" However, I did not expect to enjoy Paris as much as I did. Although the shopping scene there sounded appealing, Internet pictures of Paris do not do it justice. The food in Paris was extremely good, and Paris had many sightseeing opportunities to visit. I additionally enjoyed hearing French, because I'm not used to it. While in Paris, I visited the Palace of Versailles and Notre Dame:
On the left is a photo of my sister (right) and I in front of the Palace of Versailles entrance. 
On the right is a photo I took of Notre Dame.

Like London, Paris was very trendy and historical. The whole city had so much history, and I got to visit the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Notre Dame, which were three places on my bucket list. I'm thankful to have been able to travel abroad, and I'd highly recommend London, England and Paris, France to all!


Comments

  1. Oh, how great, Demery! Maybe you will want to do a London-based or a Paris-based project for this class. Both are places famous for their stories! Here is a really fun map that shows London in terms of its literary characters: Literary Map of London

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  2. Hi Demery! Wow, you have really traveled all over the place. I have been to Italy and Germany but I have never been to England or France. I would really love to travel there some day and see the beautiful sights that you have captured in your pictures. You seem to be quite the photographer! It is cool that we share the love of traveling.

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