I mentioned in my last post that I only thought it fair to make a list of everything I love– and will miss– about Paris– so here it is. It’s been a hard year, to be sure, but I’m also blessed to have spent it in such an amazing place. Only in Paris can you fix the worst day of your life with a nutella crêpe. Or munch on a hot baguette before dinner. Or… well, why don’t I just start the list already?

1. Nutella crêpes. Anytime, anywhere. The best are when you find them for under 3 euro.
2. Walking through the Jardin du Luxembourg on a sunny day.
3. Sitting in the Jardin du Luxembourg on a sunny day.
4. Crusty baguette sandwiches.
5. Successfully navigating your way to your destination of choice. You’d be surprised, but it brings a huge sense of accomplishment!
6. Thick, rich hot chocolate. My favorite is at Christian Constant, on a really cold day. Though Café de Flore wins for best atmosphere. (Hit up Angelina’s for the tourist fix, but the food won’t disappoint.)
7. Running along the banks of the Seine.
8. Walking down the street and realizing the Eiffel tower is right in full view.
9. A pre-dinner apéritif at a sidewalk café with friends. Or alone.
10. Walking home when everyone gets out of work… the “every french person carries a baguette” stereotype really comes into play.
11. So many stores, everywhere. Nothing like sauntering around the 6th when you have nothing to do and just ducking into interesting stores.
12. American solidarity… for the most part. If you have a fanny pack, I might ignore you.
13. When the Eiffel Tower lights up, on the hour.
14. Random sidewalk bands.
15. Window shopping in the 6th, in the Marais, around Montmartre… anywhere.
16. Decadent chocolate displays just in time for Christmas, Easter, you name it.
17. Limited-time only desserts in boulangeries– like galettes des rois.
18. The bursting sidewalk cafés on a warm evening.
19. People watching at happy hour. Or any time.
20. Crêpes on rue Mouffetard, specifically the huge ones at Chez Nico.
21. Bonding with other Americans over shared experiences. In the states, everyone’s American. Nothing exciting there.
22. Delicious smells wafting from neighborhood apartments around dinner time.
23. The wide availability of baguettes. Like, on every corner.
24. Croissant aux amandes. Pain au chocolats can eff off.
25. The impressionists floor at Musée d’Orsay.
26. The abundance of amazing restaurants no more than 30 minutes away.
27. Chèvre chaud… no more explication needed.
28. Accordéonistes on the bridges. Not in the metro. I will not miss those. But the ones on the bridge always make me feel like I’m walking in a movie scene.
29. The hill on Rue de la Montagne Sainte-Geneviève where Midnight in Paris was filmed.m(“Woody Allen was here!!!!)
30. Being in Paris.

It’s odd, as I got to the bottom of this list I became more and more sentimental. Sad, even. I did take about two weeks to think of everything on this list, but I have a feeling that I’ll come up with more and more things in the coming months. Months which are no longer “coming,” really, but just leaving.

As Ferris Bueller said, “Life moves pretty quickly. If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it.”