“Oh Paris, you were even more beautiful and charming than I ever expected.”

Spending a weekend in Paris is definitely not enough time for this romantic and charming city, but I will take what I can get. Paris was one of those places I knew I just had to see while living in Europe. To be honest, I wasn't sure if I would fall in love or be so enamored with the iconic city on the River Seine, but I wasn't going to miss the opportunity to figure that out. After a quick 48 hours in Paris, I can confidently say it surpassed my expectations and is just as lovely as all the 90s films portray it to be.

We arrived on an unusually sunny Friday afternoon and our first stop was Chipotle. I know, not very Parisian of us, but I was stoked that my hotel (Saint Marc Hotel) was a 4 minute walk away from glorious tacos and guac. My friends were kind enough to sacrifice Parisian pastries for a Chipotle run, which I am forever thankful for.

We spent the evening with cheap French wine under the Eiffel Tower and waiting for the lights to shine bright. Which I had no idea that the Eiffel Tower lit up so beautifully every evening -- I highly recommend sticking around for that. We finished the night off with crepes and walking through the city. The perfect way to spend our first day in Paris if you ask me.

On Saturday, we woke-up extra early to see Monet's Water Lilies at Musée De L'Orangerie and beat the crowds. I could have spent all day staring at the paintings. It was incredible to see Monet's famous piece in person and to be in a room that was solely dedicated to his artwork. This definitely was one of the highlights of our weekend in Paris.

The rest of the day included walking, walking, and more walking. We strolled through St. Gravis, stopped to see a few of the main sites, and sat down for coffee and French treats every moment we could. It was a weekend of no set agenda, other than to enjoy the lovely city of Paris and one another's company.

I definitely would love to go back with more time, but for now, I am still so pleased with our quick weekend in Paris. Until next time!