Paris: Week Five, Day Six
Friday, July 28
I started the day early. My room was cleaned, my bags were packed and I looked outside only to be met with the rainiest day ever. Clearly Paris is sad that I’m leaving. I grabbed my umbrella and began the walk to the metro station. The night before, I had mapped out the fastest route and planned for a long and arduous journey with two suitcases and one bookbag.
I travelled through several metro stations. The most difficult one was the station that would take me to the airport. There were so many steps and not one escalator or elevator. Everyone was traveling through these underground tunnels with bags and little children. People were moving quickly, while dragging bags behind them. I joined the throng. My knee was in immense pain at this point, but it was the final leg of the journey. I just needed to get on that final subway train that would take me to the airport. Then, I could sit and rest for a good 30-40 minutes. I was so thrilled and exhausted when I finally made it.
At the airport, I immediately went to the luggage check-in. My troubles checking in from the night before extended to today. I had tried to upgrade to first class. It was going to be my first time traveling first class. Unfortunately, they were sold out. Additionally, the upgrade I had paid for the night before (for business class) didn’t go through. They didn’t have me in the system. It took the attendant about 20 minutes of phone calls to figure it all out. I had to pay again to upgrade to business class. They checked my bags. Then, I continued on to the loading area. With priority status, this went quickly.
Luggage Tag
Seat on the plane
Once on the plane, I found my seat and settled in. The journey went smoothly. The flight landed in DC and everyone rushed off the plane only to be led into a waiting area. Then a bus pulled up to the room and we all squished onto the bus.
I’m not happy to be squished on this bus.
Squished like sardines in the airport bus
Clearly COVID is no longer a concern because they put all of us in there like sardines. The bus pulled up to another building where we all got off and headed to another room. In this room, there were hundreds of other people. It was customs. The line was long and it was not moving. There were only 2-3 agents working in an area set up for at least 20. Also, it was hot. It was so hot that people were literally dripping sweat. One old lady in the line in front of me was having a terrible time. She was dripping sweat, very old, and was clearly exhausted. She started to cry and I felt so bad for her. Children who had started out rambunctious ended up just laying in the floor and eventually falling asleep or crying. Everyone was miserable.
The agents directing people were extremely unorganized and RUDE!!! One guy told me and others to go to the end and get in a specific line. When we approached the line, another guy told us to go a different way. When we told him what the other guy said, he responded, “Well who is here now? What am I telling you to do? Go here.” He was so rude and I told him so. Honestly, they were very lucky that everyone stayed calm. It wa a perfect situation for anger, and bad actions. It took nearly three hours to get through customs.
After that, I went to baggage claim. My family was there waiting for me. We went to hunt down my bags. That also took a long time. The waiting game continued.
We stopped at a restaurant in DC to eat. It was raining and when we got to the restaurant, it was by reservation only. So, we found another place about 10 minutes away. We all walked in the rain to &Pizza and got pizzas together. It was my first pizza in over a month.
Then we drove home. The trip took about two hours. Once I got home, I didn't even unpack. I just got ready for bed. My squishmallows were reunited and I was so happy to be in my own bed. That was then end of a very emotional, trying, and eventful experience in Paris.
Squishmallows reunited
In the near future, I do not foresee another trip to France. I would be okay with that. While I definitely think there is much to learn from France and their preservation practices, I need a break the French language and especially from Paris. That being said, if I ever get the chance to return specifically for the purpose of studying the cemeteries, I would DEFINITELY take that trip. French cemeteries are spaces of history and beauty.
This is the end of the journey for now, but not the end of my learning. I’m still completing research on the cemeteries I visited and those videos will be presented on my Youtube channel as time goes on.
