What A Whitney Wants: The Amazing Race: Paris

Make it through Paris in 2 ½ days? Game on.

Sunday nights in the Waite house meant family dinner, which was followed by watching the latest episode of the Amazing Race. This realty TV show became all too real to me as I rushed through Paris. The prize at the end was not $1 million, but rather being cultured. Backpack strapped on, camera in pocket, museum pass in other pocket, shoes double knotted and I’m ready to go.

The first leg of the race: take chunnel, check into hotel, find the Arc de Triomphe, trip in front of Arc de Triomphe, climb the Arc de Triomphe, wander until you stubble upon good food, make way to Eiffel Tower, climb 700 steps of Eiffel Tower. Enjoy the view. Climb down without tripping, but don’t look down. Take a ton of pictures. Go on night cruise of the Siene. Watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle. Find way back to hotel. Sleep five hours

Second leg of the race: eat the best breakfast ever, navigate metro to find Notre Dame, explore Notre Dame, go to the creepy Conciergerie prison place, Go to Sainte Chapelle and see gorgeous stained glass windows. Go to Latin Quarter and try to choose a place to eat in the heat. Next, find the random Roman French building that no one understands, buy souvenirs, Luxembourg gardens, get yelled at in French to get off the grass. Get best ice cream ever, meet up with Laura, get crepe with Laura, run to the Orsay, try to see all of the Orsay before it closes, run through the Orsay, beg to get into the Van Gogh exhibit even though it’s closed because you didn’t run fast enough, go stare at the Eiffel Tower more, back to hotel before curfew.

The final leg: Run to the Louvre, go through the Louvre on a scavenger hunt for the most influential pieces of art in the world, weave through Asian tourist groups to the Code of Hammurabi, elbow and shove way to the front of mob to see the Mona Lisa, fight off more tourists. Jet to the train station, find right train to Versailles, find Versailles, tour Versailles, tandem bike through grounds of Versailles, look at the cutest cottages you will ever see, break tandem bike on way back. Get back in time for one last crepe; the final pit stop is the train station and as winners of this leg of the race, get to sit for two hours on the train ride back.

Walking around for 3 days straight: dead feet

2 Crepes: 4 euro

Tandem bike: 6 euro

The experience of a lifetime: PRICELESS

There is something so romantic about that city. I don’t know what it is, but I’m pretty sure it’s not the smell. I grew up going to Disneyland, but nothing could prepare me for the magic Paris exerts or for the race of cramming everything into the allotted amount of time. My favorite part was seeing the Eiffel tower for the first time. It is most definitely not an overrated site. The Louvre was amazing. My appreciation for the arts and history has grown, as well as my leg muscles. I enjoyed every second of it and I have no regrets.