Entrance into Europe

The embarkment on our journey to Europe was a lengthy one, to say the least. When my parents and I left for the San Diego airport at 4:00 am Wednesday, I had no idea how exhausted I was going to be 48 hours later.

I know this sounds naive, but when I think of airplanes I tend think of them from the perspective of my 7 year old self. I have been on plenty airplanes as an adult, but for some reason I still think of airplane seats having plenty of room to spread out or curl up and sleep for hours. Not so! Why do I always think airplanes are going to be cozy, if not comfortable? Needless to say, when I did not sleep well the night before we left I did not think it was going to be a problem because, of course, "I can just sleep on the plane." Ugh.

So Wednesday morning, my parents and I left San Diego for the JFK airport in New York City. After about a 5 hour flight, we rushed to our JFK terminal and were greeted by Staci and Doug, who I hadn't seen since Christmas time. This was also the first time our family has been all together since 2010! For a tight-knit clan like ours, this is obscenely long. I was stoked! Summer 2012, baby! After hugs and bathroom breaks, we herded and boarded the plane to Paris. 

The meal, palatable at best.

This was my first international flight, so things were kind of weird to me like the layout of the chairs and the fact that we were served a meal for free. I probably drank ten cups of coffee because I couldn't sleep, and was bored, and it was free. Since we were on an international flight, there were lots of Parisian and English people on board and one of our flight attendants had a phony French accent. 

When the flight attendants began serving dinner, an British woman nearby asked "Is the chicken palatable?" The flight attendant gave a noncommittal 'yes' to which the woman then replied, "Better than a poke in the eye, I suppose." Gotta love those Brits.

After a gruelingly long flight (9 hours, I think), we finally arrived in Paris! I was so excited I was shaking! I stared out the window, expecting a picturesque view of a lightly clouded Eiffel Tower, and tall slender women walking around in berets and striped shirts. This was not what welcomed me. In fact if I didn't know any better, I would have thought I was in LA.

Warning to anyone who has not flown into Paris: the airport is not actually in Paris. In fact it is about 20 minutes away.

Immediately after arriving in "Paris," we snagged a rental car and headed straight to our first destination: Germany.

This was not our rental car, but I liked the fact that its paint was metallic pink.

I tried to stay awake for the drive, because I was in a gorgeous foreign country and all. I was smitten with the quaint French countryside and the beautiful blue sky. Having taken French a year ago, I vaguely knew what the scenery would look like... but I have to admit it was a lot more beautiful in person.

The countryside was speckled with quaint towns. Each had their respective cathedral, of course.

 On our way to Germany, we stopped at a little French city named Reims, known for its fabulous cathedral, Notre-Dame de Reims. Staci, Doug, and I were in agreement that if we had to live in France, this city would be the one to live in. The city has an up-and-coming metropolitan vibe along with the quaint charm of a small town.  The cathedral, true to its reputation, was breathtaking. It was also the first cathedral I had seen in real life, and I was in awe.

I am in LOVE with these row houses and colorful doors.
Such character!

This awesome fountain was in what appeared to be the town square.

Notre-Dame de Reims

The thing that first struck me about the cathedral was its size, followed by its killer architecture. Upon entering, I was awed by the spectacular stained glass windows and ornate carvings

Joan of Arc statue outside the cathedral.

That's all I have for now! Stay tuned for more pictures and stories from my journey. Next stop, Germany!