“What do you want for your 10th birthday?” That was the question that led to the best gift I could have ever received. More than anything I wanted to go to Europe, so my grandparents booked a 10 day tour through London and Paris. June of 2008 was when my journey began.

Two weeks before the trip I began packing and started getting everything ready. I was really excited, and I couldn’t wait for the day to come. It felt like I had been waiting for forever for it to finally come. When it was time to go to the airport, I was more thrilled than ever. My grandparents couldn’t wait to see the city from a new perspective. We checked in our bags, went through security and got prepared to board the plane. Our first plane was taking us to Texas. The seats were small and tight and a little kid kept kicking the back of my seat, but it was short, only about two hours long. When we got off that plane there was barely any time to make it to our next flight on the opposite side of the airport. We were running as fast as we possibly could and made it to the gate only a few minutes before the plane was going to take off. Our next stop: London, England.

As soon as we got off the plane we had about an hour long ride to get to the hotel. We couldn’t keep the smiles off our faces. I thought I was going to jump right out of my seat. There was barely any time to rest once we got to the hotel before dinner and the introductory ceremony for the tour. One thing I got before dinner was a shirt and skirt for my stuffed animal that said England across the front of it. During dinner, we introduced ourselves to all the other guests on the tour and got the itinerary for the trip. Everyone was laughing and having fun, although, there weren’t many other kids there. Once I saw all the beautiful places that we would be visiting, I couldn’t wait for the next day. When I heard the alarm clock the next morning, I groaned and pulled the pillow over my head. London is five hours ahead of Florida, so it felt like I was waking up in the middle of the night. Despite the time difference it was the most amazing experience of my entire life.

Throughout my time in London I got to see so many wonderful things. I got to ride on a double decker bus and take a ride in the London Eye, which is a giant, glass ferris wheel where you can look out at all of London. I also saw the big clock tower, Big Ben and even took a tour of Westminster Abbey. We also went to Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guards. My grandmother knew the details well and helped me understand it better.Everything that I experienced was spectacular, but the highlight of my time in London was when I got to see a performance of the Lion King. It was the best show I’ve ever seen and nothing could ever compare to the singing, dancing and acting. After the show, we got to go backstage and look around at all the costumes and props. Four days after arriving in London it was time to head over to Paris, France using the chunnel, which is an underground train. Riding on the chunnel made me feel like I was back on the plane.. It was comfortable and fun but the whole time my ears were popping and no amount of gum was making it better, but it was completely worth it.

Paris is such a beautiful place. We went to the Louvre, and they split us up between the adults and the children. Being in the kids group they made going through a museum fun by turning it into a scavenger hunt. Throughout the whole tour they worked really hard to make sure the kids had fun, and it wasn’t boring. While I was in the Louvre, I saw many beautiful works of art but the one I remember the most is the Mona Lisa by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. It was smaller than I had imagined but still lovely. One day we went to the Cathedral of Notre Dame and climbed the 387 steps to the top of the south tower. My grandfather climbed it with me without complaint. If you want to make it all the way to the top you have to use the stairs because there is no elevator. It felt like a major work out, but you can see all the people below and the beautiful sky above. When we came down, there were people selling mini Eiffel Tower key chains. We ended up buying 10 of them and giving some of them to our friends and family. I still have one for myself and it reminds me of the Eiffel Tower when I look at it. There was a magnificent view from the top, and you feel so relieved when you finally make it there.

We visited the Arc de Triomphe, which is a big stone archway with intricate designs on it, and the Palace of Versailles. In the Palace of Versailles there was a hall of mirrors which was mesmerizing as you walked through it. The sparkling decorations reflected beautifully off the glass mirrors. Outside there were gardens with beautiful flowers and sculptures. Hedges lined both sides filled with colorful flowers that would catch your eye as you rode along the path. We even go to take a bike ride through them which was both difficult and amazing. My grandfather and I even had a race to see who could pedal the fastest. The best part of Paris was getting to go to the Eiffel Tower. It seemed to glow brighter the closer I got to it. The architecture and designs were very unique. There’s no other sight like it in the world. As a part of the tour we got to eat lunch inside the Eiffel Tower which was like a dream come true. There is an elevator for this, but it is always super crowded so some people just take the stairs. But if you make it to the top the view is breathtaking. You can see so much of Paris from there. There are even telescopes that help you see deeper into the city. During this trip I even surprised myself by trying escargot, which is snails. This was so surprising because I’m not typically the kind of person who tries new things.

When it was time to go home, I was most definitely sad. I had met a lot of really nice people, and I wasn’t ready to leave the beautiful country yet. I had many pictures and other memories that I hold in my head and my heart for whenever I need to refer to them. I’m so thankful for being given the opportunity and for having such wonderful grandparents. That trip was the greatest experience of my life, and I would love to go back to see different things that I missed the first time. I would even like to see other countries in Europe to see how they compare with London and Paris.