city of love day #1

every girl dreams about going on a dreamy vacation with her dreamy boyfriend. i was blessed with the opportunity to do just that. my first stop was in germany which was a castle-filled wondrous sight complete with gluhwein, pretzels and beers at every corner. 

it snowed upon our arrival making it the perfect weekend to take a day trip to feldberg, germany and go snowboarding in the black forest. in fact it snowed so much that there were parts of the mountain that had snow up to my waistline. any more snow and i could have easily disappeared into my personal snow-pocalypse. 


this ski trip was a little different from my last. i didn’t have as much trouble staying on my feet going down the mountain this go around. this was partially because i could barely make it up the mountain. germany ski lifts were little round discs that are to be placed between your legs as you ride up the mountain. it was much more difficult than it sounds. i was terrible at using this lift. i fell time after time and judging by the laughter and pity claps of encouragement, my crash and burns provided much entertainment for all the germans waiting in line. you’re welcome germany.


 snow day aftermath 🙂



after spending 2 days wine tasting and falling up mountains in germany, 4 of us crammed suitcases, snacks (can’t forget the snacks) and ourselves into a tiny little puegeot to head to paris. if you have never seen a puegeot, a smart car could give this little thing a run for its money. but our fearless puegeot was quite the powerhouse. (puege power!)


paris has been on my wanderlust travel list for as long as i can remember and it did not disappoint. i can honestly say i fell in love with the city of love. the architecture in paris is like no other. everything is simply breathtaking. everything, from the notre dame to the starbucks you can find on every other corner. seriously. walking into the coffee shop felt like walking into a famous library with less books and more coffee.


girls who squish in the back of a puegot together, sing t-swift together



there was so much to see in paris. it’s impossible to see it all in a mere two days. however, we knocked off quite a bit. we started with the notre dame and some banana nutella crepes, then followed that up with the hop on hop off big bus tour. the tour included the eiffel tower, arc de triomphe, the louvre, grand palais, la madeline, the louis vuitton flagship store and so much more. it’s a great way to see the city in a short amount of time.


once we finished riding around and catching a glimpse of all the paris landmarks, we hopped off (see what i did there) and gazed up in awe at the eiffel tower. it was amazing. it was a surreal experience. the love in the parisian water, which you have to pay for everywhere you go, got to me. with that being said, please excuse my pda-filled pictures below.


parisian sights and rudolph noses


ah, paris!
okay, i gave a fair warning
the amazing crew


after our eiffel tower photo-op we ventured to the palais of versailles. the gardens were breathtaking and endless. the wait for the palace tour inside isn’t terrible, but it is a wait and left us with about 45 minutes to walk around. everything inside was beautiful. simply beautiful with such intricate detail in everything. i could have spent hours just gazing up at the beauty that surrounded me, but the palace was closing soon and the crowd inside was, well… crowded. i’m usually good with crowds. this however took the word “crowd” to a whole new level. i was literally drowning in a sea of people and sea sickness was quickly kicking in. i wasn’t even walking anymore. there was no need. the crowd was moving me all on its own. this was definitely one of those height disadvantage moments, but i was in the palace of versailles. i can’t complain.


something about paris…
overlooking the gardens of versailles

inside the palace of versailles

palace of versailles


after leaving the palace of versailles, we climbed up 18 flights of stairs to the top of the arc de triomphe. for a while it seemed like a spiral of never-ending stairs. quick side note, a never-ending spiral staircase is definitely a nightmare of mine. not going to lie- i had to take a breather a time or two. it was a fear i had no choice but to overcome.

from the top, we admired the eiffel tower lighting up the incredible city of paris. paris is a stunning city. the view from the top of the arc de triomphe is incredible. you can see the whole city! it took a while, but we finally tore ourselves away from the views and headed back down. 18 flights of stairs down. but the view was worth each and every step.


18 flights later, note to self: wear comfy shoes


before calling it a night our amazing tour guides sneakily led us into a pizzeria which happened to be the secret entrance to a romantic little speakeasy. we sipped on one of their speciality cocktails and took in all the adventures from the day. again, it was surreal. the entire day felt like a dream. after having such memorable experiences i was excited and very much looking forward to rest up and get ready for round 2 the next day.


we love because he first loved us.

1 john 4:19

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