I remember coming to Paris about 10 years ago. Europe was such a distant dream back then. It was my first time outside North America at that time and the city seemed so romantic, so rich with history. Of course, it still is. But back then, I just wanted to snap shots everywhere I went. To show I was here. And there. That's me at the Louvre. My friends and I at the Eiffel Tower. Buy lots of souvenirs and trinkets. But a lot changes in a decade.
This time around, the trip was such a last-minute decision. I didn't pack the right clothes at all for the winter weather I'd forgotten about. I didn't even know where I was going to stay, until I realized thankfully, I had a cousin living there. Not a lot of people knew I had left Nairobi. It was like my own little secret that I didn't mind keeping to myself.
Walking through the streets of Paris had a slightly different feel. Christmas time meant the whole city was even more lit up at night than usual. A stroll in the cold was breath-taking -- partly because of the brisk temperature, partly because it was hard to imagine a place more beautiful.
And then, like a cozy blanket someone throws over your shoulder, that Kenyan influence enveloped me. With a shiver every now and then, I took a few steps. Stood back. Let it soak in. And just like that, the bustling roads, jampacked with holiday shoppers and lovely couples, slowed down for me. No photograph required. I guess some moments can be preserved so much better with all your senses, rather than just sight alone.
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