Astonished. A sense of astonishment was what ran through my body when I first laid my eyes on the famous landmark known to the world as the Eiffel Tower in the iconic city of Paris. Actually, when I come to think of it, I was more dumbfounded then I was astonished. As I glanced around me, taking in the diversity of people, the different languages, the various scents, the snapping of pictures, I felt as if I was living in a typical movie scene portraying the cliché of Paris.

My friends and I squealed at awe at the sight of the beautiful Eiffel Tower as we shuffled closer to take better pictures. "Oh my God, is this real life?!" is all that came out of my mouth during the whole twenty minutes we had to stop and take pictures. Amidst the chaos of everyone around me trying to capture this majestic moment of their lives, I was trying to capture it in a different way. I stood still for a good two minutes staring at the beautiful tower almost everyone wishes to witness at least once in their lifetimes and felt blessed to be standing in front of it that day. I captured that breath-taking moment mentally, which I believe is more valuable than any physical picture. In that mental picture I captured the monumental height of the Eiffel Tower, the eager people surrounding the tower trying to capture a picture-perfect moment, the freshness the air held, and most importantly, how peaceful and equally ecstatic everyone seemed to be around me.

It was a beautiful thing to see that a simple landmark can make everyone burst with joy and eagerness which is a great quality in traveling. I enjoyed every moment of it. From walking around the city until I swore my feet were bleeding to riding the metro and attracting stares of people as they glanced over at us with our loud and obnoxious American accents. I will never forget how I stared in awe at the beautifully haunting Notre-Dame Cathedral and how blissful my friends and I felt when walking along the Pont de l'Archevêché (Love Lock Bridge). I left Paris wanting so much more and wanting to witness and do so many different things which I find much more fulfilling than being satisfied with my visit. It's better to leave a place wanting more than leaving feeling satisfied, because now I have so much more to look forward to returning to when I visit the beautiful city of Paris.