What Shall I Say About Paris?

I never caught the Paris bug that infected many of my childhood friends. 

I was probably too busy nursing the Spanish speaking regions bug, highly influenced by my language studies and proximity to Latin America (aka Miami) I'm sure. 

I never cared that Paris is RoMaNtIc...

...or a land flowing with wine and cheese 

...or the home of that big metal Eiffel tower 

...or honestly dripping in gggooolllddd.

Oops. I guess I care now. 

A school "Global Immersion Field Trip" gave me the excuse and free hotel room for a few nights to finally make it to this amazing city.  We traveled by Eurostar train which again confirmed my desire for the US to have more options than just flying or driving to traverse the country.  As a program, we visited Canal +, Bouygues (said bweeg who would have guessed), and Disneyland Paris. From a business student perspective these companies were interesting cases to study because they vary in their level of success. Disneyland Paris, for example, has only turned profit one year of its existence. 

I stayed on for a few days after the official trip in an adorable Airbnb with sweet girlfriends. It was a relaxed visit but we still saw the major sights and many of the neighborhoods.  I loved the little streets lined with cafes, the big cathedrals, the hidden speakeasies and the chance to try and pick up some French words. I didn't do major research / planning before the trip which was new for me. We ate by recommendation and planned our sightseeing based on what we wanted to see not what we "had" to see. I'm tres grateful to the numerous French MiMs who guided the way. Bisous. 

My French is still lacking, but I no longer contest that I can't physically make the sounds required. It was surprising I could read about 50% of the signs due to the similarity to Spanish. Understanding when spoken though... no chance yet haha. 

After so many years of not caring to visit, I really can't wait to go back!