When I was 18, I went to Paris for a school trip with a huge group of friends, and somehow spent a week there and never saw Notre Dame! Yea, I don’t know what I was thinking or doing either. Anywho, that means that this stunning cathedral was at the top of my ‘must-see’ list in Paris.

And see I did!

Notre Dame has acted as France’s main Catholic Cathedral since the Middle Ages. Maurice de Sully the Paris Bishop, started its construction in 1163(!!!) and the work lasted over 100 years and finished in 1270. Which also means it’s 800 years old this year - craziness.

The name ‘Notre Dame’ means ‘Our Lady of Paris’ and its architecture is one of the first examples of the use of flying buttresses, and the cathedral also features numerous statues and beautiful stained glass windows (see below). Since it was built, the cathedral has been one of the main symbols of Paris and France, and has been the spotlight of major religious and political events, including the crowning of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French in 1804

I headed into the church yesterday when their evening service was just getting starting, and I got a little camera-happy. Churches are one of my favourite things to photograph, so I hope you enjoy these.

• Do not think you won’t cry at the Melbourne airport, because you will. And you’ll cry harder than you’ve cried in the past fifteen months. In fact, you’ll cry so hard your eyes will stay puffy and red for hours later… I believe they call it ‘ugly cry.’
• Bring cover-up makeup with you. It works magic on puffy crying eyes
• Text everyone until the last second you possibly can because ‘omg I love you so much.’ Know that they know that.
• Plan ahead and download TV shows (Awkward.) and movies (Silver Linings Playbook & Life of Pi) for the first 10 hour and 20 minute flight.
• Ensure your laptop (and iPhone) are fully charged.
• Shake hands with the guy next to you and hear his story. Amazingly he would have just said a big ‘I love you,’ and ‘goodbye’ to his Australian girlfriend of a year as he returns back home to Paris to surprise his mom. Amazing similarities. Seats A and B of aisle 38 were quite the depressing, sad zone.  
• Do not, I repeat, do not under any circumstances read the card Matt gave you on the plane. Why you would do that to yourself I have no idea, but you’ll end up staring out the window as tears hit the armrest below.
• Breathe. Remember to breathe.
• Get lost in a movie or a book and have faith that you’ll stop feeling numb at some point.
• Don’t give the little kid across the aisle the evil eye for playing Dora the Explorer on LOUD with no headphones. It’ll do no good. Give his parents that side-eye, yet still, it won’t do anything, but make sure they know are you annoyed because OHMYGOD.
• Keep breathing. In. Out. Good girl.
• When you arrive in China, take note how you really want to learn Chinese. Or, at least the basics of it. It’s such a foreign language to the English alphabet so take note how useful and interesting it would be to learn. Add to bucket list.
• Bring your glasses. Or contacts. Or a magnifying glass. Or anything to seeeeee! Being blind as a bat in a foreign airport is THE WORST.
• Say your pleases and thank yous even when people are evil bitches (I’m looking at you evil flight attendant).
• Make friends with Nicholas next to you on the plane and drill him for cheap, delicious places to eat in Paris. Nod your head when he suggests “snails, frogs and horse” even though you’re all like, “bahahahaha. No” in your head.
• Good call on bringing your pillow. Such a smarty pants you are.
• Do not-not-not make a fat joke at yourself when Nicholas offers you chocolate, “yes please, but I shouldn’t, I’ve gained so much weight.” Remember, Nicholas, his mother, and the world doesn’t care. It’s just you.
• Breathe. See? It’s already getting easier. Noooooo, stop looking at iPhone photos. Silly girl. Breathe and remember how amazing the past fifteen months were and how lucky-lucky-lucky you are that you got to explore and live in Australia.
• Have Euros all ready in your purse for Paris, because suddenly realizing you don’t on the plane sucks.
• Good call on buying a world outlet converter at the Melbourne Airport. Hello charging-laptop in Shanghai.
• Sleep as much as you possibly can on the second, 13-hour flight from Shanghai to Paris. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep. And then sleep some more.
• Don’t get the dinner meal on the second flight when it’s equivalent to your 3am. You’re not even hungry, and besides, your hostel will have fresh croissants waiting for you when you arrive.  
• Don’t pack your umbrella at the bottom of your bag. It’ll be raining when you arrive in Paris and you’ll need it. And on that note, don’t bother doing your hair nice, it’s raining in Paris, it’ll just get ruined.
• Be patient. Soon, my love, that shower will come.
• Don’t fall asleep typing a blog post just because you’re coming up to 31 hours of travel time, and hardly any sleep. Who said travelling wasn’t fun?
• Don’t email Matt. Do email Matt. I don’t know the etiquette…
• And finally, SMILE. Because you’re in PARIS!!

The Tumblr team! Last Thursday I was lucky enough to meet up with nine of my favourite Melbourne Tumblr blogs (Oh hai there: Natalie, Chris, Mikey, Brooke, Ricki-Lee, Sam, Amy, and Sandy!) at Mrs. Parmas, to wave & hug & kiss goodbye. 

When I first started blogging in 2009, I was soooo skeptical of meeting people from the Internet. Y’know, just in case it was an old, creepy man, who would chop me up and mail me back to my parents one limb at a time (not even joking you, that’s what my dad told me when I was a kid regarding people from the Internet), but my-oh-my how pleased I am I managed to jump over that hesitant hurdle.

These ladies (& men) have become a staple in my life in Melbourne, and I am so thankful for the friendship they’ve provided me over the past year.  My trip to Philip Island will always be a favourite weekend away, and I can’t say thank you enough to each and every one of them for coming out last Thursday!

On Saturday I headed to my last ever Australian Rules Football (AFL) game with my friend Alexa to watch the Bombers play. I met Alexa a mere three months ago from this blog (she’s Canadian, but has now moved to Melbourne) and she instantly became one of my favourite people. Really and truly I am soooooooo sad our friendship was so short, and we didn’t get to explore Melbourne more together, but another time, another way, I’m sure we’ll have that big, drinking night out together.

On Saturday night (after a quick nap, because y’know, I’m an old lady at heart) I hosted a predrink at my place for a final ladies night out. And? And it was perfect. As Anna said, we were “10 out of 10” drunk (tipsy-happy) and we hardly spent any money. PLUS, it was just fabulous to gossip about life and bust out our SUPER AWESOME dance moves. Anna, Amy, Sam, & Pip - thank you!

Sunday was a holy-hell-I-leave-really-soon type of day, which meant it was errands & laundry & finalizing packing. I managed to sneak away for an hour or two to head to my favourite pub in Melbourne (The Alehouse Project) with Matt for a no-regrets burger. And yes, those are real tears, (sneaky) Matt captured that pic (and ten million awful other ones) as I became overwhelmed with the ‘I’m leaving on a jet plane, don’t know when I’ll be back again’ feelings. I HAVE ALL THE EMOTIONS. In the afternoon Matt and Maurice hungout on the couch as I figured out weight restrictions for my suitcase. I’m gonna miss those guys.

Also (not pictured), I headed out to dinner Sunday night with a few of my CrossFit favourites - Jen, Brendan, Anna, and Amy - you know how I feel. Mwah! Mwah! Mwah & Thank you!

And now? Monday morning! I am packed and sorted and ready to enjoy my last oh-so-very-sunny-wahoo day in Melbourne.

What an adventure this has been. I don’t feel ready to leave, but then again, I don’t think I ever would, so it’s now or never - next stop, Paris!