Creating time to explore was more difficult in November because I have been in Laval, and time not spent at the internship is spent working on homework. However, one weekend that we came back to rest at our MLK apartment, we spent some time in the city. We had some chai at a local coffee shop, and weaved in and out of little shops. I loved a little shop that sells soap in the form of flowers and French foods. I bought soap shaped like macarons and roses. The focus of this outing was to take photos for my illustration class to use as reference images. I wanted to walk down the River Seine from the Louvre to the Eiffel Tower. I saw the romantic bridge covered in locks, listened to street performers sing along the river, and watched the sun slowly sink below the buildings. It was beautiful to walk around with no agenda other than to find something I could illustrate. The sidewalk along the river was full of bike riders, runners, families, performers, and casual strollers. I loved simply being. We were even a little lost at some points, but it was so peaceful. I planned to visit a little museum full of Monet’s paintings, but the days have gotten much shorter and colder so I realized we did not have time. I really wanted a photo of the Eiffel Tower framed by the cute Parisian buildings. We wandered the streets, heading towards the Eiffel Tower and occasionally saw it peeking through the buildings. It was a lot further walk than I had imagined, and as the shadows grew, so did the bitter cold. The night ended with the glowing sunset reflecting off the Eiffel Tower. Despite the cold, it was a worthy experience. Here are a few of the illustrations and watercolors that I have done since this day, as well as some of the photographs taken.