Paris was full of new things for me. I finally got to use the French I had been learning for years. I tried escargot and found out snails taste like mushrooms and grass dipped in pesto, but in a good way. And I went to the top of the Eiffel Tower, to name a few.
I hopped off a train at Gare du Nord with a dream and my cardigan — XOXO Miley Cyrus — packed in a duffle bag that was way too heavy for my flu-ridden body, but with the help of my friends, I managed.
We wandered the streets to find our Airbnb and then went to Château de Versailles. I had my eyes and ears peeled for live music being played on the streets, but with the cold rain falling softly like snow, there wasn’t much to be seen or heard music-wise.
I wasn’t sure if I was going to see the live music that I wanted to in the city of love, because the first day was silent.
My second day in Paris was just as amazing as the first but also didn’t include the live music I had hoped to hear. I saw one man in an underground station playing his guitar as we made our way to the Arc de Triomphe, and then silence.
On the third day in Paris, we traveled toward what I think was the center of the city, or at least what felt like it. The sun was out for the first time during our stay, and the area was alive.
The sounds of the city reverberated off the sidewalks and the small chatter I heard in French all around me made it feel as if I were in a movie.
In the span of 15 minutes on a small stretch of sidewalk, I saw three amazing acts, and with the final one, had a moment I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
Upon walking out of Notre-Dame de Paris and onto the street in search of a lunch spot, we walked past a group of four, and I encountered what I had dreamed Paris would be in my head.
Three men played instruments while a small French woman danced during their set. Her movements were as small as she was, and the entire time I wanted to hug her. I snapped a few photos, took a video, and sat and watched them in awe.
Before leaving, I walked up and gave them a few euros before looking at them and saying “merci.” They had given me the music I was looking for, and my heart felt warm.
Little did I know it was about to get a whole lot warmer.
We walked about five minutes down the street and encountered a man playing some of what I think was traditional French music on an accordion. This made me smile. I took the moment in for its worth and have no photos or videos of this encounter. I knew the memory would mean more to me than documentation ever could.
After rounding the corner, there was a shift in me. There was a ledge overlooking the river and the city, and a man in front of it was playing a guitar on his lap.
I don’t know how to describe it, and I know my friends felt it too, because without saying a word to each other, we peeled off to the side of the road and looked at the beautiful city of Paris as the music played behind us. It was the perfect background music. It was the perfect moment.
As always, when staring at rivers and skylines, I began to contemplate my life. I was thinking about the choices that had gotten me to where I was. I looked back on the decision to leave my family and friends behind and come to a place I didn’t know, a place where nobody would know me, a place where things would be fresh and new but also scary and lonely.
I pondered the fact that I had made the leap and didn’t consider the consequences. At the time of my decision to leave, I didn’t think about missing my family and friends, but rather I knew going abroad was something I needed to do for me.
I began thinking about my past and my future, and I began questioning myself, and then I heard the one thing I needed to hear.
The man playing the guitar behind me began to sing “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” by Bob Dylan.
I stood with the sunlight against my back, listened to the music playing and looked at the city of Paris, taking in the moment. I knew in the back of my mind that it wouldn’t be as special without the rendition of Bob Dylan playing behind me. It all comes back to the music.
I smiled at the city, turned to my friend and said, “I love this song.”
I stopped questioning my choices. I stopped thinking twice.
Everything’s all right, after all.
