I've been best friends with my cousin, Haley, since the beginning – even before my earliest recollections of life. In fact, I don't possess a single conscious memory of ever not knowing her. Needless to say, we've never spent more than a few weeks apart. Until now.
With approximately three hours of sleep after my return flight from Ireland fueling me, I stood at Terminal 1 in Charles De Gaulle airport, anxious to see my best friend for the first time since Jan. 20th. After the tears stopped flowing, we made our way into the heart of Paris.
Haley had never been to France before, so naturally we saw all the touristy things that one should in Paris: la Musée du Louvre, la Tour Eiffel, l'Arc de Triomphe ... a lot of things that I've already seen. But visiting these landmarks was even more enjoyable when doing so with my best friend. We also managed to explore some parts of the city that were new to both of us.
One of the most remarkable things we did together was tour l'Opéra Garnier. Haley has been a lifelong fan of the Phantom of the Opera, and I can still see her chicken-legged, 11-year-old self bouncing on her living room couch belting out the lyrics to "Think of Me" along with the film as her mother, Kym, did her best to ignore her. Another stop on our agenda included a visit to Montmartre's Moulin Rouge, a visit inspired by another childhood musical-obsession of my cousin's. And just as Haley seemed to be starting to fall in love with Paris, we left France for a three-day jaunt to Barcelona, Spain.
With approximately three hours of sleep after my return flight from Ireland fueling me, I stood at Terminal 1 in Charles De Gaulle airport, anxious to see my best friend for the first time since Jan. 20th. After the tears stopped flowing, we made our way into the heart of Paris.
Haley had never been to France before, so naturally we saw all the touristy things that one should in Paris: la Musée du Louvre, la Tour Eiffel, l'Arc de Triomphe ... a lot of things that I've already seen. But visiting these landmarks was even more enjoyable when doing so with my best friend. We also managed to explore some parts of the city that were new to both of us.
One of the most remarkable things we did together was tour l'Opéra Garnier. Haley has been a lifelong fan of the Phantom of the Opera, and I can still see her chicken-legged, 11-year-old self bouncing on her living room couch belting out the lyrics to "Think of Me" along with the film as her mother, Kym, did her best to ignore her. Another stop on our agenda included a visit to Montmartre's Moulin Rouge, a visit inspired by another childhood musical-obsession of my cousin's. And just as Haley seemed to be starting to fall in love with Paris, we left France for a three-day jaunt to Barcelona, Spain.
Sunny weather, fresh paella and €1 beer ... what more could you ask for on vacation? How about a virtually infinite number of tapas restaurants and seemingly endless amounts of sangria? Oh sure.
On top of all that greatness, Haley and I also soaked up some Spanish culture during a flamenco performance at what seemed like a hole in the wall, family-run restaurant. Going there ended up being one of the best choices we made in Barcelona. At the end of the show, I was even selected from the crowd (for the first time in my life) to join the dancers on stage. According to Haley, I did a pretty good job, but luckily there is no video proof to support or dispel that claim.
But perhaps the most impressive thing we saw during our trip was Sagrada Família. Never in my life have I seen a church – or any building, really – as massive, strong, delicate and intricate as that one. If there's one thing that you need to see in Barcelona before the end of your life, Sagrada Família is surely it.
On top of all that greatness, Haley and I also soaked up some Spanish culture during a flamenco performance at what seemed like a hole in the wall, family-run restaurant. Going there ended up being one of the best choices we made in Barcelona. At the end of the show, I was even selected from the crowd (for the first time in my life) to join the dancers on stage. According to Haley, I did a pretty good job, but luckily there is no video proof to support or dispel that claim.
But perhaps the most impressive thing we saw during our trip was Sagrada Família. Never in my life have I seen a church – or any building, really – as massive, strong, delicate and intricate as that one. If there's one thing that you need to see in Barcelona before the end of your life, Sagrada Família is surely it.