Editor’s Note: Ava Hubbard is a student writer from Dr. Wiedemer’s and Ms. Ireland’s class at Spangdahlem Middle School (SY 24-25).

The extraordinary food, stunning sights, and memories you are able to make with friends and family in Paris is all worth the wait of driving or flying. The tower was always an extraordinary sight to me. Ever since I had found out about Paris, I adored it.

Now, I’m going!

We were going for my thirteenth birthday, but a couple of days before. And just like that, we were there.

My family and I were staying at an AirBNB, which my parents had chosen. It wasn’t far away from where we needed to go to get to Paris, but I still just wanted to be there already. I hated waiting. Driving was strange, especially because we had no clue where we were going, but thanks to Google Maps, it wasn’t too rough.

We had gotten to the train station which will take us not far from the Eiffel tower and the Arc de Triomphe. It took us quite a couple seconds to figure out how to buy a pass, but thankfully we got help. The train station smelled weird, but I had also never been on any train, at least I think I haven’t, so I did not pay much mind to it. We waited for a couple minutes for the train to arrive, but it was already quite crowded. The rest of my family, the five of us, shuffled on to the train, thankfully being able to sit down.

The train smelled like perfume and cologne of the fancy people around us, and also food that people had brought on or eaten. Around us, people were laughing loudly or being quiet, minding their own business with their headphones in.

We headed to the Arc de Triomphe first. The train ride wasn’t long and I kept myself entertained by looking out of the window, but since most of it was underground, it was all dark. Instead, I listened to my music. My brother, though, kept asking when we would get there while looking out of the window.

Eventually, we walked out of the large train station and the street was flooded with people who were looking at the large structure. I took a couple of pictures with the small camera my mom had gotten me for the trip. I could see the small shops set up around the arch, but it wasn’t unpredictable since it was a popular tourist attraction.

The engraving on it was fascinating, but we saved going at the top of it for another day, knowing that next was the Eiffel Tower.

Soon enough we left and got on another train. Our train passes got scanned and the gate to let us in beeped, opening for us to walk inside.

My dad pulled out the train map.

“We’re almost there, excited?” my dad asked. I nodded and said yes because I was. I wanted to go everywhere in Paris, but we only had a couple days to explore, so we had to go quickly.

As the train strode across the tracks, I couldn’t believe it. The Eiffel Tower was right there, not too far away, but it was also a large structure built of iron, so I knew it only looked closer than it was. My dad pulled out the large train map again; you could mistake him for being obsessed with it. The map also had all the large tourist attractions labeled out across. The doors of the train opened, and we stepped out. Our feet hit the ground quickly, especially with the other people trying to get through. I could barely see past the taller people, so I stayed close to my family. The complex underground trains, which were said to be the most comprehensive ever, were now out of sight. The sun shining down on me as we walked. All that was on my mind was the tower. It was a cool feeling being able to see what you have always wanted too, but the day had just started in Paris.

Walking through the streets of Paris is interesting, to say the least. As you get closer there are more and more people trying to sell souvenirs or little trinkets. We declined, not wanting to pay a large sum for a small keychain, but they were cute at least. The sidewalks were large, so they weren’t as quiet, but surprisingly there weren’t as many people walking as I thought. Little did I know that was because once you got into perfect sight of the Eiffel tower, everyone was in line so they could go on it. The line was so long, taking even longer when someone got stopped by a metal detector.

“Is it everything you’ve ever imagined?” My mom asks jokingly, but I respond by rolling my eyes and smiling. I didn’t want to admit it, but I was really, really excited.

“Going to the Eiffel Tower was one of the most fun experiences I have ever had. ”

Seeing the tall large structure was what I enjoyed most. I loved just looking at it, and I can not wait to go back.

We stopped at an angle of being able to see the Eiffel Tower to take pictures and let my little brother run around for a second. My parents contemplated going on it, despite its pay.

In the end, we decided that we should go to make a fun memory and have fun. Standing in line didn’t take too long; a shorter time than if you were at an amusement park without a fast pass. We went through the metal detectors, and we were in.

At the bottom of the tower, you could see through it when you looked upwards. It was amazing to see because I never thought I would be able to. People were taking photos everywhere, until it was time to walk up. We did not take the elevators up, we walked up the two stories we paid for, and I regretted it. But thankfully we took the elevator back down. Once we were done getting fun photos and scouting out, we saw if we could see any other delightful sights from the second floor of it.

After we did this, my family and I decided to go explore more, since beside the Eiffel Tower and taking a quick stop at the Arc de Triomphe, we didn’t do anything besides stay at the AirBnB.

We stopped at a cool restaurant that made crepes, pancakes, waffles and pastries. I think it was meant to be a breakfast shop, but sounded good so we went in. Once we were seated, we looked at the menu. It smelt good inside the restaurant, mainly chocolate and fruit pastries, and the building was filled with diverse colors. There were banners hung up and fun decorations which made the place welcoming. The workers were kind and made the experience better.

I decided to get a Nutella filled crepe; same with my older sister. My parents, on the other hand, just got waffles and pancakes. My little brother got a banana crepe and a hot chocolate, he said it was good, and I believed him. Everything there was amazing, but our first day in Paris was officially over.

For that reason, I think that if you ever get the chance to visit Paris, France you should do it. Despite the walking and long car drive, or plane ride depending on where you’re located, Paris is an extraordinarily remarkable place to visit. You’ll get endless memories whether you’re going with friends or family to visit. If you’ve ever thought about enjoying a nice croissant or baguette, come on down to France and get the experience of them. Just don’t doubt that your feet might be a little bit tired. Enjoy the attractions, yummy food, nice scenery and amazing souvenirs.

DoDEA

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