It’s 2013. My classmates and I are seated in architecture studios at the university. One of my closest friends has just returned to class from a wedding she attended in Paris and she’s telling me about it; the city that is. She loved it so much, but what struck me is when she said in conclusion, ‘I wouldn’t mind living there.‘

Now, there’s people that are easily excitable about things; not this girl. That she would entertain the thought of living in Europe, an individual rooted in African pride and progression, stuck with me. 5 years later, I can confirm that Paris is everything they say it is.

After my visa drama, I finally got it on my second application, on 29th of March at  10:30am. By 5:40 pm, I was well on my flight to Addis Ababa where I had a 5 hour layover before departing again to France. I arrived the following morning at around 6:00 am, ready for a remarkable week.

I need to take the chance this platform has provided me to reiterate that traveling abroad as a single woman can be tricky and you have to go through obstacles that others may not. However, it’s important to keep trying, seek advice before visa applications, and be confident thereafter. I was stopped at JKIA (Nairobi Airport) by a lady who questioned me briefly (their major concern is whether you have a ticket back; they’re much more excited about your return than your visit) before passing my passport to her colleague for ‘further inspection’. She handed it back and commented, ‘Be ready for a lot of questioning at the Paris Airport’. True to her word, the first question on arrival at the airport was whether I had a ticket back, followed by a few other questions. Lucky for me, I had all my documents in order.

This is a 4/5 part series on one of my favorite locations yet. I’ll do a conclusion post on the 10 things that surprised me about Paris and maybe get my readers to understand why Paris is rated as is.

I had had my friends that have been to Paris write me must-see places. I slotted about 2 places to see a day….but it was so tiring. On the last day I decided to rest.

Catch my Paris experience every Sunday and Friday.

Until next time, happy travels!

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