Parisian Aesthetic

As we approach the end of our Parisian adventures, time seems to run faster with each passing minute. We try to fit in as many quintessentially Parisian experiences as we can, but we're no match for Father Time. Regardless of our chronometrical shortcomings, we embrace the experiences we have selected. Le Tour Eiffel on Thursday evening stunned us all with its manmade beauty, a beauty magnified by nature and splattered with orange rays as the sun set beyond the Seine to the west. The next evening, Notre Dame seemed to have jealously noted our awe of the famous tower, for the church took on rich, sun-drenched hues of its own when we visited after our final day as interns. Despite my non-Catholic origins, I found myself in awe of this sacred building from the inside and out. Regardless of one's personal beliefs, it is impossible to ignore the artistic passion and inspiration engraved in every column and stained-glass window of the church. Perhaps it was just the incense, but I was nearly overcome with the sheer beauty of the structure, astonished at the creativity of the human species.

If I have learned anything from these past few weeks in Paris, it is to seek aesthetic pleasure with a constant hunger for discovery. I have learned to take joy from living in the moment, recruiting all the senses to appreciate the here and now. I must thank the Parisians for offering me more than my fair share of aesthetic inspiration, between my visit to Le Musee de L'Art Moderne today, my visits to the Tour Eiffel and Notre Dame earlier in the week, or my many photograph-worthy meals throughout the trip (and yes, I took an enormous number of pictures of food.) Paris has taught me that I can find beauty not only in the expected places, but where ever I choose to seek it. In fact, aesthetic fulfillment is around every corner, whether it is in the form of an artisanal baguette or an intricately meandering trickle of water headed toward the gutter. 

-SM