Amsterdam to Paris

Okay, so back to the Europe recap. Somehow summer is over, and I am just now getting to the second leg of our trip. Times flies.

After we spent a couple days in Amsterdam, we took a train to Paris. I had no idea how crazy trains in Europe are. I was expecting a train station to be fairly close to an airport. However, I soon figured out that train stations are like airports on crack. People were running everywhere. There were lots of loud announcements being made. Cody and I did our best to stay out of the way and translate enough signs to finally find our way to our train. Once we were finally on our train, we ended up having to switch seats about 4 times in our 3 hour train ride. We were the annoying, ignorant Americans that initially didn't realize there were assigned seats on a train. And then we were the annoying, ignorant Americans that didn't realize there were also assigned cars on a train. We both felt pretty stupid. The only solace I could take away from the experience was that I didn't have the same potent body odor that the annoyed Europeans had, who confronted us about stealing their seat. I may only speak English, but I have stellar personal hygiene.

We made it to Paris about 3 hours later. We even decided to utilize public transportation instead of taking a taxi. It went much better than I expected. We both got a sense of accomplishment out of reading a color coded map like a couple of champions.

Our hotel in Paris was super cute. It was called Hotel De La Paix. It was small but cozy. Very clean. In Paris we did all the touristy stuff. We started with a tour on one of the double decker buses. The weather was perfect. It was in the upper 70's with the sun shining the entire time we were there. Cody and I did start to feel the exhaustion of travel start to sneak up on us once we got to Paris. I think the adrenaline was still in effect for much of Amsterdam with all of its sleaziness keeping us on guard at all times. As we were riding the bus around Paris, Cody and I both admitted to having trouble keeping our eyes open. It's funny how that happens. You travel across the world to see all of these interesting things, and then find yourself wishing to be in your comfortable bed at home.


Cody tries to claim he was not asleep in this picture. I beg to differ.

I would have to say my favorite part of Paris was the Eiffel Tower. I know, I know. Super cliche. There was just something about the hugeness that is the Eiffel Tower. And the fact that we walked up all those stairs to see that city that you have heard so much about your entire life. It was fun. And when we went back a second time to see it light up at night, I was sold. It was breathtaking. I also appreciated that it required no prior knowledge to appreciate the Eiffel Tower. I didn't need to know who built it and in what year. I didn't need to know where the metal came from or how many men it took to build. All of the silly details about the Eiffel Tower simply can't compare to how cool it is just to look at. It was worth the hundreds of steps we climbed.



The night we went back to see it light up is definitely one of the defining moments of the trip for me. They say Paris is for lovers, and I understood the truth behind that as Cody and I laid on the green grass with all of these strangers speaking strange languages. Cody and I were in our own little world. Miles away from home. A little uncomfortable from all that traveling to a foreign country entails. But at the same time so happy to be together doing something worth doing.




Yes, we did have on sweatshirts. It was like Heaven.

We also went to the Louvre (saw the Mona Lisa...OVERRATED), saw the Arc de Triomphe, rode up and down the Champs de Elysses, and ate Parisian pastries. We shopped a little. Ate a lot. There was lots of fun to be had.


CP looking at the Louvre.


Arc de Triomphe


Be jealous.

On a side note, while we were in Paris, Cody had a severe case of poison ivy that had continued to spread since before we even left the U.S. We spent some of our time going in different pharmacies letting Cody show off his red bump infested chest to any Parisian pharmacist who would look. Good luck trying to translate poison ivy from English to French. Fail.

The Big 2-5...

I realize I am still supposed to be recapping my trip to Europe. However, I have decided to take a break to blog about me turning 25 years old! Wow.

Every year since I was about 16, I remember having a sense of nostalgia each time August 2nd rolls around. I don't know why turning 16 prompted me to make note of the aging process more so than any other birthday I had ever had up until that point, but it did. I didn't pay attention to the gifts. I don't remember blowing out candles. I remember for the first time in perhaps my entire life thinking about how old I was. And I remember not liking the feeling at all. Unfortunately, without fail, each year since I've turned sweet sixteen, I always find my birthday to be a bit sad. Birthdays for me are like New Year's. They require a certain amount of analysis of your current situation. I find myself making note of the difference between this birthday and last. I pay attention to the different circumstances, both good and bad, that I find myself in with each passing year. I calculate how many more years I have before I turn the next noteworthy age. I find myself taking inventory of my life. This year when I took my annual inventory, I realized I have found a few truths that I don't think were here before...

1. Dogs make everything better. They do not judge. And they do not talk. Perfect combination.

2. There is not always going to be an obvious sign from the Heaven's above declaring a moment perfectly right to do something completely life-altering. Sometimes you must simply jump.

3. Holding hands with someone really cool when you take aforementioned jump makes the ride easier to handle.

4. Sometimes when you think it could never get any worse, it does.

5. When you think that something costs too much and it's completely unnecessary and that you could always do it another time, do it now.

6. It's okay to bend the rules when you know that the bending is ultimately for the greater good of society...or at least the greater good of one person.

7. Mental health days are completely justifiable and legitimate.

8. It's okay to ask for help.

9. Marriage is perhaps the most complicated task a person could ever undertake. Yet, at the same time, it is also the most worthwhile.

10. No one should talk you into doing drugs or having babies. Ever.

11. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel.

The other day at church as I filled out the weekly attendance/information booklet, I said goodbye to the 18-24 year old box. For a moment, I sat there and wrestled with God about my age. How am I 25 years old? How is this happening? How did I get here? As I walked out of church, I simply decided to accept that the 18-24 box was cool, but the 25-39 box must be pretty interesting as well. I mean the sheer number of years within that age classification alone must mean something fun will happen. The next years may not involve as much alcohol or sleeping in or staying up late. There may not be as many crazy college adventures and social functions. However, I take solace in the fact that the next box of life will hold some new adventures suitable only for the 25-39 crowd. A crowd that I am now part of whether I want to be or not.

Who am I kidding? Getting old is for the birds. I want my 18-24 box back ASAP.