Living Your Dreams - A Trilogy

Part Three - Paris, France

Dreams are difficult to talk about.

Why is this? Dreams are a very abstract concept. It requires us to think very deeply about ourselves, how we feel about ourselves, and what are abilities actually are.

An important thing to have is support. No one can carry their dreams out alone. Having a dream also means sharing it with someone. It is wonderful to finally accomplish a dream, but then what? You're very excited and proud of yourself... but then you want to have other people share in your happiness. Even one person in your life is good to have. People who are close to you will also help you see your strengths and weaknesses, give advice, and the best part: encouragement. And if they don't encourage you, don't be discouraged. Keep with it. Think of it this way: if everyone tells you your dream is a bad idea, but then you're able to accomplish it, how much more proud of yourself will you be? Unfortunately, support is not always a positive thing, but it is better than none at all.

It should be noted that there is a distinct difference between a "want" and a "dream." A want is something temporary, usually something physical, and something that will not stay with you throughout your life. A dream is something that you want, yes, but also something that will help you develop as a person. For example, me traveling throughout Europe has opened my eyes to cultural, political, and social differences which I will take with me and be able to utilize throughout the rest of my life. It has added to my personality. Had I just, say, taken a vacation to Munich only lasting me a week or so, I would not have been able to gain the same experience, and thus my dream would not have been fulfilled. (I do have a new dream by the way, I wish to work on an organic farm. Preferably in a Spanish-speaking country. I would gain a whole new level of knowledge and cultural understanding!)

All of this brings me to my overall point: how do you know what your dream is? Sometimes, it's something you've thought about your whole life but never realize it as a dream. The best example I can give here is my first dream of finding romance. I had always dreamed about how I would find my future husband. I invented countless scenarios in my head since I was little and lo and behold my dream ended up coming true at a time I did not expect it to.

Another way of finding out is having the idea put into your head by an external force. My example here is when I discovered my passion of traveling starting with the research project I had to do with Hawaii. Other examples include when people are talking to you about something they've done and you realize that you want to do the same thing very badly. Or perhaps you read a novel and they talk about an activity they enjoyed and you want to become a part of. The possibilities of accidentally coming across your dream are limitless and probably the most common way dreams are discovered.

Lastly, you could go look for it. People who are natural-born dreamers (there are few of us left in this world) have experienced all three methods of dream-finding, but this is the way we go about looking for deeper meaning. Others who are looking for something more to life also do this. Today, we have the internet to help us find topics and areas we want to explore. In the past, however, people went searching for dreams everywhere. They would work different jobs, meet different people, explore talents and hobbies, and this could continue for years. Trying new things is hard for many people but going outside your comfort zone will help you realize whether your dream is possible for you. If it is then pursue it! If it's not, come up with a different dream. Dreaming is good for you. Don't ever give up on who you are!

I believe that having a dream makes you into the person that you are supposed to me. Stay true to yourself (God made everyone perfect!). You'll find yourself to be healthier, happier, and more confident and assertive. Go find a dream today!

As with the other cities I visited, Paris, France took my breath away. When I saw the Eiffel Tower for the first time, I could have cried I was so happy. When I was in the Louvre, I was so excited to find art that I've only seen in movies and pictures. There were a couple downsides though, pedestrians do NOT have the right of way, and I found that out when I was very close to getting hit by a motorcycle. Parisian sellers are very persistent and will keep trying to talk to you and follow you even when you say no. The train system is very quick, but a little tough to follow at first. All of this was minor compared to the cultural experience I got, and the little hotel I stayed in (even though it lacked a shower on my floor) was in the perfect location for public transportation. I was so excited when a woman called me "mademoiselle;" I felt so authentic.

I have a LOT of pictures to share with you, but I hope you enjoy them. I will also be posting a very sad blog post tomorrow.

Don't forget to dream!

We all know and love this classic symbol of Paris. The Eiffel Tower! I got to climb it and I had a dream come true...

I GOT TO HUG THE EIFFEL TOWER!

And here is a view of the Seine River that flows through Paris.

Then I went to the Louvre. This is a view of the inside of the pyramid.

This is an inverted pyramid in the Louvre.

I've noticed in Europe they have a serious thing with painting and decorating their ceilings. My ceilings will be painted some day.

"The Winged Statue of Samothrace."

"Aphrodite - Venus de Milo."

"Mona Lisa." It is a LOT smaller in real life than it seems. I was still excited to see it.

They had a whole section devoted to Egyptian life, and I got really excited about the tablets.

"Psyche and Cupid."

The outside pyramid of the Louvre.

Here is the coolest Metro sign I saw.

Look who came with me... the Squishables!

So I went to the Saint Chapelle church to see the stained glass windows. It was somewhere around 9 Euros to see them, and when I first walked in, I thought that this was it. I was kind of annoyed, but then I saw there were stairs to climb. So I climbed them...

... and I was rewarded with absolutely AMAZING story telling stained glass! It was incredible!

I also got to see the Notre Dame chapel.

I know this picture looks tilted, but if you look right in front of me, the people are all standing straight. So I'm not sure if it's the angle of the hill or if it's me. Either way, the picture is of Sacre Coeur, which was shot in a scene of the movie Amelie.

I went to Place de la Concorde and got to see this: "Obelisk of Luxor."

Fountain in the Place de la Concorde where Anne Hathaway threw her cell phone away in the move "The Devil Wears Prada."

A lantern in Concorde with the Eiffel Tower in the background.

Bridge over the Seine River.

The Musee de L'Armee. It was a total chance I went here. I had no intention of going inside originally, I just wanted to know what the building with the shiny gold cap was. Well, after I found out it was a museum, I had to know what was in the shiny gold cap...

... so here's the ceiling of the gold dome...

... and here's what's inside it. It's the Tomb of Napoleon I. It was actually kind of cool. I'm glad I went. The whole rest of the museum was filled with French and other world history. I took lots of photos, but I didn't want to post them all.

Which brings me to the Musee de la Mode, which is temporarily closed for renovations until the spring of next year. But the building was really neat and it houses historical fashion trends. I would like to visit someday. (This place was also in "The Devil Wears Prada."

St. Martin's Canal. It looks very picturesque and peaceful, which it is, but it doesn't smell that great and I didn't feel too safe walking along it alone.

The last picture of Paris I took was of a Metro station. Most of the metro stations look kind of like this, some cleaner and some not, but they all bear about the same resemblance. (By the way the first picture I took was of the Eiffel Tower, but not the picture shown at the top.)

I'll write again tomorrow!