My solo adventure in the city of love

Where’s the best place to go if you’re heartbroken? Paris, the city of love, obviously. Solo traveling has always appealed to me but something I hadn’t ever quite plucked up the courage to do. Experiencing my first ever breakup pushed me to have my own ‘Eat,Pray,Love’ moment and book a flight on a whim. 

Visiting Paris previously with my sister made me fall in love with the city. Something has always drawn me to it ,  it has that ‘je ne sais quoi’. I love the breathtaking architecture, the iconic jazz scene and the charming french accent. Deciding where to go on my spontaneous trip was a no brainer. 

As I started to board my first ever solo flight, the doubts started to kick in. Am I actually doing this? Will I look strange being on my own? Will I even enjoy myself? 3 hours later I was sitting in a cosy dim lit bistro on the corner of a quaint side road. I was sipping a glass of red , awaiting my first meal of the trip. All these doubts went away. 

I got up to all sorts during my 3 day adventure from wandering the lavish 19th century opera house, ‘Palais Garnier’ to braving the eerie catacombes, an underground network of tunnels that houses the bones and remains of millions of people. However, the highlight of my trip had to be  ‘Caveau de la Huchette’, the world-renowned jazz club that has been open since the 1940’s. When I first stepped into the club, I found myself in a quirky looking tunnel shaped bar with stone walls, colorful chandeliers and an eccentric bartender wearing a playful smile. I ordered a glass of red and made my way down some steep spiraling stairs, the sound of raw french jazz getting louder and louder each step I took. 

I entered a cave-like basement and was immediately transported into another world. I was surrounded by people of all ages dancing in a way I had never experienced before, with an admirable sense of freedom and nonchalance. The room was littered with dark red lights, creating a seductive yet warming ambience. The dampened cave walls were booming with the vibrations from saxophones, trumpets and soulful singers scatting the night away. The room was tight and compact, there was little space to sit. With a carefree attitude I danced on my own, something I would never have done before due to fear of embarrassment. I was flourishing. I felt an incredible sense of self growth, with my breakup being the absolute last thing on my mind. 

After a weekend of wining and dining myself, I learnt to thrive on my own. I took myself on fancy dates, I bought myself gifts , I even ended up making friends with girls from South Korea, who I probably would never have spoken to had I been with someone else. In a city bursting with romance and filled with couples, there was not one moment I felt alone. It's true that Paris is the city of love, as for me it was the city of self love.

Daisy Bodkin