Hot Chocolate is the Meaning of Life - July 16

I woke up this morning with absolutely nothing planned and I was so excited for that. This week marked officially one year of being single so I decided to take myself out somewhere nice. A group of classmates had gone to a famous restaurant called Angelina and raved about it. It sounded great and I knew they were famous for their hot chocolate so I excitedly walked over and got in line. Originally I had gone only for a hot chocolate and a pastry. What I did not realize was that there were two separate lines, one to sit down and eat and one just for small things. I accidentally got in line to sit down and eat and ended up waiting for over an hour. Instead of being upset, I took this as a sign to treat myself.

The waitstaff sat me at a table in the center of the restaurant and I watched everyone eat pastries and drink warm beverages. Since I had waited for so long and it was past noon at this point, I had worked up quite an appetite. I order the Angelina Breakfast – hot drink, juice of choice, freshly cooked eggs, croissants, chocolate croissants, baguettes, fresh butter and jams, and a parfait called Muesli. I waited anxiously for the food to arrive.

I waited for only a few minutes before the pieces began to arrive. They placed down the freshly squeezed orange juice and poured the hot chocolate into the mug. It looked like a liquified chocolate bar. Upon the first sip, my life was changed. I can only compare it to the scene in Ratatouille where Remy eats the cheese and strawberries and sees fireworks. It was like drinking liquid gold. It was so creamy and not overly sweet and it filled me with so much joy. I felt like my whole outlook on life changed after that hot chocolate. Even writing this, I am still thinking about how incredible it was.

Everything else was equally as delicious. The orange juice tasted so sweet and refreshing, the eggs were perfectly fluffy, the pastries were cooked to perfection, and the muesli was so unique. I sat there feeling food-drunk and so content with life and everything around me. It felt like the magic of a first love, only sweeter. It was the perfect way to treat myself and so far it has been the best meal of the trip, if not my entire life.

Once the splendor of an incredible meal began to die down, I took myself on a long walk back towards my hotel, stopping along the way to pick up kitschy souvenirs. I ended up back at Shakespeare and Co. to buy myself a cute tote bag to carry my trinkets in. While walking back, I ran into a classmate and made plans with her to go out later in the day. I rested in the hotel and then left for some more fun with my classmate, Mia.

Mia and I left the hotel and took the metro to the Champs-Élysées shopping district. Mia left me in charge of figuring out the metro but I did it and did not get lost! I am definitely proud of the fact that I am learning about the public transportation systems around here. We headed out and had fun touring the luxury shops. We stopped in Zara, Nike, Louis Vuitton, and I even bought myself an exclusive French Pandora charm to add to my bracelet. I had an incredible time walking around with her and touring the area.

Instead of taking the metro back to the hotel, we took the opportunity to enjoy the nice weather and walk back. It was a lovely evening filled with gorgeous views of the city. The two of us dropped our various wares off at the hotel and ended the evening with dinner at a restaurant by the hotel.

Our professor recommended a restaurant known for their au gratin potatoes within eyeshot of our hotel. Mia and I sat out on the patio for nearly two hours just talking about life and eating our dinner. The food was amazing. I ordered a dish with goat cheese and duck breast and it was so rich and delicious. I loved being able to sit and chat and say hi to our classmates as they passed us by. Café culture in France is truly something I will take back to the States.

After sitting for a while, I knew I had to head back and do responsible adult duties. I had been procrastinating on laundry but only had one clean pair of socks left, so I knew I had to do it. I went downstairs to the hotel basement and got to work. The system in the hotel definitely had some flaws and it took forever to do, but I would much rather have all my clothes clean and semi-dry than grimy and smelly. At least I was able to work on this blog throughout the process. Once my laundry was clean, I hauled it up to my room, folded it, and crashed out in bed. It was a long day but it felt great to do so many things for myself.

♡ Katie