"Breaking Hearts, Breaking Chains: Paris removes 'love locks'"
That was the heading for the article that caught my eye trending on Facebook. After reading it, my heart was truly broken. Thankfully, not because I had missed the opportunity of seeing it for myself. In summer 2014 if it hadn't been for the first night I had done something adventurous in my boring life, I would have been among those wishing I could have seen it as well.
Traveling to Europe will always be an exciting time for anyone who hasn't been before, but it was even more of a thrill because I was given the opportunity to share it with my best friends and sister. We went to England, France, Italy and the Vatican City. My best friend Sydney and I promised one another to not waste any chance we got to go exploring, even if it included having to sneak out leaving our group behind. It all sounds so romanticized; sneaking out in Paris! And that's exactly what it was.
After a long day of visiting Versailles, taking a night tour of Paris, going up into the sparkling eiffel tower after eating Nutella crepes, Sydney and I wanted more. When everyone fell asleep that night we went back and forth thinking about doing it or not. Going in the middle of the night to get to the Lock Bridge. (You might be wondering, what is there to doubt? Well we all have watched Taken, haven't we?) Anyways, my whole life I have been the type to let opportunities go by. I have never partied, never gotten wasted, never even snuck out of my own house. And here I am in a foreign country, not knowing the area, nor the language and deliberating whether or not to go all over the city. But there was a voice in my head telling me to just do it. It was Paris, the city I've been dreaming about, the once in a lifetime opportunity awaiting right outside those french windows, that beautiful glittering night just calling my name. So I did it.
Leaving the hotel and walking through the empty alley ways trying to find a main road with Sydney so we could get a cab took us over an hour. When we finally found one, after passing by numerous drunk men we knew the night was going to be amazing. Once we got in, Sydney asked the driver if he could take us to the Lock Bridge. Not understanding an ounce of english he did not know what we were trying to say. That was when we realized that we were being typical tourists not even knowing the proper name for where we wanted to go! So I fumbled around, got out the map and pointed to the bridge looking icon. Thats when he said it, PONT DES ARTS, and he made us repeat it too.
We were dropped off at the bottom of the bridge, right in front of the River Seine. It was a peaceful, still and serene night. Seemed straight out of a movie. We hurried up the steps and there it was. The most gorgeous, artistic, and glittering bridge I have ever laid my eyes on. We took pictures right away (like the typical tourists we were) then crouched down and read as many locks as we could. Our way back to the hotel took even longer than it did to get there. But it was, in fact, the night of a lifetime. After we left the bridge we took a long walk along the River and passed beautiful long boats covered in twinkling lights. Looking back it seems like a dream.
Now that i've gotten the news that it is being torn down, it feels like a piece of my adventure is going to disappear as well. All I have now are my own memories and photos of the experience. I don't want to be cheesy and say that people need to take advantage of their opportunities before it is too late. But I can't help but feel bad for those who missed out on seeing this iconic location, including those who were on the trip with us. In the blink of an eye anything can change. So if you want to travel somewhere, see someplace, or do something, just go for it. Just do it, before the opportunity & time runs out. ♥
