All about Romance

Leaving Italy was a lot harder than I expected. I had such an incredible experience there that I wasn’t ready to let it go. So when it was time to head to France, I wasn’t as excited as I thought I would be. In fact, I cried and called my best friend for hours, trying to find ways to stay in Italy.

Since I had already paid for this part of the trip, I had no choice but to keep going and explore another unfamiliar place. This was week two of my solo trip, and my social battery was starting to get pretty low. Even though I would have preferred to stay in for the rest of my trip, I made the most of my last few days in Europe. Although I learned something important on this trip—I learned how to romanticize my life, even on days you don’t feel like it.

I spent five days in the south of France, and every day felt like something new. I stayed in Nice and took time exploring different cities along the coast, including Villefranche-sur-Mer, Èze, Cannes, and Nice.

Not every day went according to plan. On my last full day in Nice, I woke up anxious and overwhelmed, as I was supposed to go to Monaco. If you don’t know much about Monaco, it’s a very high-end area—luxurious, filled with yachts, expensive cars, and a casino… at least, that’s what I was imagining. I started overthinking what I was going to wear and was already at my spending budget for the trip. Instead of forcing it, I listened to myself and changed my plans. I went back to Villefranche-sur-Mer and spent the entire day paddleboarding. I sat on my board for six hours in the ocean, all by myself, and loved every second of it. I also had a little picnic, explored the shops around the city, and walked for miles. Now that’s my definition of a perfect day.

After my time in Nice, I took the train to Paris and spent two days there, staying in the most beautiful, artsy Airbnb. I celebrated my birthday by myself—with a cupcake, a candle, and a bottle of wine—watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle. To top it all off, two Australian women came up to me and asked to join me. We talked for hours, waiting for the tower to glow, and drank two bottles of wine, giggling the whole night. It was one of those moments that shows girlhood finds you, even when you least expect it.

This trip taught me that romanticizing your life isn’t about everything being perfect. It’s about choosing to find beauty in your life, even in the smallest ways—taking yourself on dates, changing your plans when you need to, and creating moments that feel meaningful to you. Life is worth living, so you might as well live it.

Thank you, France—until next time.

xoxox

Alora