Have you ever had a dream that just sticks with you, year after year, for decades even? Those dreams that seem almost “unreasonable” or unrealistic? I’ve had a dream of that kind. It was about a city known everywhere as the city of love. Can you guess? If you’re thinking of Paris, you’re correct! For a very long time, my dream was to travel to Paris, sit under the towering Eiffel Tower, and sip a cup of black coffee. And today, I want to share the journey I took, and my story of chasing that dream. Did I make it? Keep reading and discover for yourself :)
Chasing the Dream
My journey began in my teenage years. Inspired by films, Paris took a special place in my heart. As a hopeless romantic, this city represented love to me. All I wanted was to walk its streets, looking at the vibrant shades of orange in the autumn leaves, enjoying the smell of freshly baked croissants, and at some point, buying a cup of black coffee to drink under the Eiffel Tower. Of course, I also imagined someone special next to me.
For me, it was a wonderful dream. My heart would flutter at the thought of a girl from a small town in the Colombian mountains visiting the Eiffel Tower and sipping that perfect cup of coffee.
Obstacles and Opportunities
But here’s the tricky part about dreams: to make them come true, we must take action. My dream was no different. In 2009, while I was at university, I calculated the cost of a week-long trip from my small city to Paris. I researched flights, hotels, and cheap food. The total came to 7000 dollars. I remember feeling so disappointed. It was so freaking expensive, and I wasn’t from a rich or even middle-class background.
Life moved on. I finished university and started working as a software engineer upon graduation. The early years of my career gave me hope of achieving my dream, but again, it didn’t happen. It was still too expensive, and a new challenge arose: I needed to earn vacation time to take the trip.
So, once again, my dream felt shattered.
Years passed, and life gave me a chance to move from Colombia to the Netherlands. I remember thinking, “At least I’ll be on the same continent. Maybe it’ll be possible for me to go to Paris now.”
Three months after moving to Amsterdam and landing a job as a software developer, an opportunity arose. There was a conference happening in Paris in December, and my company had a learning and development budget that could be used for it. Eureka! My dream was coming true, and it was going to be sponsored! I had money and vacation time!
I asked my manager, got approval, and bought conference tickets, train tickets, and booked a hotel. Everything seemed perfect. My heart was pounding with excitement. I could hardly believe it. On December 9, 2015, I was going to Paris. My dream was coming true.
And then, tragedy struck.
The Journey to Paris
On November 13th, terrorist attacks occurred in Paris, leaving many dead and wounded. The city of love, which I had idealized so much, was in fear and sadness. I knew my visit could be canceled, and even if I went, it probably wouldn’t be the same. I knew all too well what collective pain felt like.
After much thought, I decided to go. My reasoning was that even though the city was wounded, it was a city that I had loved since I was a teenager. I wanted to see it, even at its lowest. This was also a wake-up call for me. I realized life can be short, and waiting for perfect conditions might not be the best idea.
So, on a chilly December 9, I woke up at 5:00 am. I had a cup of coffee and, with a small bag in hand, I set off for the train station. Thankfully, I wasn’t alone, my special person was next to me. I felt a mix of fear and excitement, with butterflies fluttering in my stomach.
During the whole trip, I was thinking about how impossible this all seemed. I was on a train to Paris. With my headphones on, playing a mix of Spanish and English songs and the rays of sun streaming through my window, I felt, for the first time in my life, like the main character of a movie.
The Arrival
Three hours later, time stopped for me. As soon as we arrived in Paris, my heart started beating rapidly. The train station, the small cafes, the people around - everything had a light on top, just like in my dream. After a moment of contemplation, we headed to our hotel, checked into a small room, and immediately set off for the Eiffel Tower. I couldn’t wait to see it.
We took the metro, and the excitement grew as we got closer. When we emerged from the metro, I saw it from a distance. There it was - the Eiffel Tower. My heart skipped a beat. I felt like crying but held back. I didn’t want to look weird. But inside, I was overwhelmed. I felt a warmth in my chest. I squeezed my partner’s hand and looked at him with eyes full of disbelief: “Is this really happening?”
As we approached the tower, he asked, “Shall we get a coffee?”
The Realization
As I sipped my coffee under the Eiffel Tower, I was struck by a simple, profound realization: I had done it. This wasn’t just a visit to a city; it was a victory over doubt and circumstance, a moment that proved that even the most distant dreams can be grasped.
It was a memory carved in my heart, a reminder that I could achieve anything. A symbol of what persistence, hope, and belief in oneself can lead to, and a story that will always inspire me to chase even the most “unreasonable” dreams.
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** All images are generated using stable diffusion