From the moment we landed after one of the longest trips I have ever had, I could notice and feel the French influence. Nothing I have seen so far is what I was expecting. The city has such a European flavor in every aspect of the city and the strong affiliation with France is the central focus of the region’s personality.

There are many aspects in the city that reminds me of Spain because of its’ European essence. The Basilica of Notre Dame was breathtaking, and learning about the history behind it made me understand more about my own religion. Being able to take a moment of our busy schedule here, and pray at one of the most beautiful cathedrals I have ever been to, completely made my day and reminded me of the cathedral I used to go to mass for with my grandparents in Madrid and Toledo.

Although, I have only been here for a total of 28 hours, I was able to experience a little bit of the nightlife in the city to celebrate my 21^st birthday. The reason why we were only able to experience the nightlife for so little is because it does not start until around midnight, which is our recommended curfew and after being up for 23 hours straight, we all needed some sleep. The time in which the clubs became alive and the bars started to fill up is exactly like European’s nightlife.