I've decided to take you back with me on some of my most memorable trips! Since this blog is so new, I didn't have the opportunity to blog about my experiences while traveling to some of the most amazing places I have ever been to, so why not do it now!?

Every Friday I'll feature a BIG trip I went on, whether it with family or friends. Buckle up, you're in for a treat! I think you'll absolutely LOVE it!

First up...Paris, France!

Back in 2008, my first year working for our family business, my dad invited me along with him to Paris and London while he attended one of the largest international food shows. I had just started my term in Export Logistics and Documentation, so he figured this trip would be great for me to see the world and get a taste of what my job actually entails.

We first started out in Paris, France which was my first time to this breathtakingly beautiful city. I couldn't believe I was really there! To be there with my dad was even more special!

Hotel: The Hôtel de Crillon

This hotel was a DREAM. It literally looked like a palace. The entry way sparkled in gold while people happily greeted you with "Bonjour!" Such a delight! The coolest thing about our hotel was that is was right next door to the American Embassy! #FunFact That, and my bathroom had heated floors...no bigs!

I remember the first night, my dad and I decided to walk down Champs-Elysées and look for a place to go for dinner. Once seated at our table, we learned REAL quick that Europeans do not spare a SINGLE inch of space while dining! You make friends real quick with your neighbors right next to you, and learn to get super cozy! #ElbowToElbow

The next day we did a bus tour, which is a great way to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time! It was nice because we were able to get on and off at certain stops and get picked back up. We got to see all the important places like The Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, Moulin Rouge and other beautiful historical buildings around the city.

The next day I decided to venture around by myself on a mission to find one specific store...Shakespeare and Company. Back in 2008, this store was MUCH more hidden because I LITERALLY couldn't find it for the life of me! Today though, it's so popular that you could probably ask anyone and they'd be able to tell you exactly where it's at! I remember I actually got lost for about two hours while searching, but these were the BEST two hours I had spent in Paris. Walking around watching the French be French, grabbing a mid-day gelato and enjoying the stunning architecture was exactly how I imagined my time to be spent.

When I finally made it to this quaint little bookstore, I was in awe. It was so full of history that it was almost hard to believe! Legends such as Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, T.S. Eliot, William Saroyan (a local native of Fresno) and many others used to gather there regularly.

I ended up buying two books while visiting. The books I took home were "A Moveable Feast" by Ernest Hemingway and "Most Likely to Succeed" by John Dos Passos. It's pretty interesting and very cool that any book you purchase from the store, they stamp it with their "signature stamp" which gives you a little souvenir within a souvenir!

While on this adventure, I realized that Notre Dame Cathedral and Shakespeare and Company were a quick jump across the Seine River from each other. So because they were so close, of COURSE I went to Notre Dame! There I saw the most mesmerizing bird-man out front with birds flocked all around him and on him. I couldn't help but stare and snap a million photos. He just looked SO peaceful and at ease; happy with his bird friends. (Also, he looks like Albert Einstein!)

Notre Dame was stunning!! I was so excited to finally visit this infamous landmark and see where the tale of Quasimodo had begun.

“In the vaulted Gothic towers of Notre-Dame lives Quasimodo, the hunchbacked bellringer. Mocked and shunned for his appearance, he is pitied only by Esmerelda, a beautiful gypsy dancer to whom he becomes completely devoted. Esmerelda, however, has also attracted the attention of the sinister archdeacon Claude Frollo, and when she rejects his lecherous approaches, Frollo hatches a plot to destroy her that only Quasimodo can prevent.”

— Victor Hugo, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

Next up, The Louvre! Basically two things to note: I saw the glass triangle and I saw the ORIGINAL MONA LISA!! #moneypleeeease So check THAT off my bucket list!! No, but really, I love art, so to walk around and see all the art and history inside this museum was amazing. I definitely didn't have enough time then, so I'd love to go back now and spend more time learning about all of these famous pieces of work.

Oh, and I can't forget that I bought my very first Chanel piece in Paris, France, so I'd say that was pretty memorable for me! (Yes, that is a VINTAGE Blackberry phone...oh the times!)

I couldn't have been happier to spend my first time in Paris with my dad! I'm so thankful and fortunate to be able to travel and do things like this. I can't wait to go back sometime in the near future and visit some of these places again!