For a week during my summer break from college I stayed in a beautiful home located along the Seine River in Paris. The paramount location provided an opportunity to absorb as much Parisian culture as possible. A short walk brought me through small isles full of boutique shops, historic hotels, quaint cafés, and phenomenal restaurants leading to historic sites, such as the Notre Dame Cathedral. I was fortunate to be in Paris during the 2016 Euro Soccer Championship when France played Portugal in the finals. Although the French fell to the Portuguese, I will never forget the palpable excitement that coursed through the streets. Fans could be heard chanting blocks away from the designated “Fan Zones” by the Eiffel Tower, and the streets that night were full of hopeful hearts and French flags.

Everywhere I turned, there was something new to discover. Be it trying foie gras and andouille sausage or perusing the selection of vintage books, magazines, and postcards at the bouquinistes stands next to the river, it was impossible not to have my mind opened every day. As I stood atop the Sacre Couer in Montmartre overlooking Paris, the wonder of the city that captivated so many before me crept into my mind, and I know it will never leave.

– Brycen Holland, Cornell University