I lost my macaron virginity!

I'm hesitant to say it, but I may have already taken my favorite photo in Paris. What else can you want? Colorful macarons, adorable tea cups and teapots, and the best tea I've ever had in my life. I suppose it's to be expected when you seat yourself at Ladurée on the Champs-Élysée. It's pricey - I spent about 17 euros on a pot of tea and four mini macarons - but it was so worth it. As a bit of backstory, I have never had a macaron before. Shocking, right? I never understood the obsession; I looked at them and saw something that looked like meringue and (wrongly... so wrongly) assumed it would have the same chalky texture that I despised. So a few months ago I decided that if I was to finally try a macaron, it would be an amazing macaron made in Paris. WHY DID I MAKE MYSELF WAIT?!

This "lunch" was one of the best things I have ever had. Black and ceylon teas mixed with delicate rose petals is now the blend I will forever compare crappy grocery store tea to. I'm a huge black tea fan and anything sugary sweet or fruity gives me a headache. This was the perfect blend of strong flavor and a touch of sweetness from the roses. I picked this tea because I thought it was delicate enough to not overpower the flavor of the macarons that would soon be rocking my world. I ordered four mini ones for ten euros and it came with pistachio, rose petal, chocolate, and salted caramel. The tea alone was delicious, but when each sip followed a bite of surprisingly chewy macaron I was in food heaven. I was genuinely sad when I finished my last macaron, so needless to say they will be a staple in my diet for the next four months (goodbye, waistline). I already have plans for a tea party with mom and sister when they visit in October, whether they want to or not.

After prying myself away from the macaron display, the ladies and I (a couple girls I met here and two girls from my home UCSB) walked down the street and glimpsed the Arc de Triomphe looming over us. Let me just say, Mary Kate and Ashley's Passport to Paris did not prepare me for this. We managed to walk down the narrow pathway between the lanes of cars (have I mentioned people drive crazy here?? And I'm from LA) until we had the perfect photo-op spot. I kept saying that living here in Paris wouldn't feel real until I saw a grandiose tourist spot like the Eiffel tower or the Arc. Between tourist pics and starting this blog, I feel like I've settled a bit in the city of light.

Because I'm, well, me, of course I had to do a little shopping on the Champs-Élysée while I was there. We stopped in Zara and a store named Morgan (because we were with a real-life Morgan) and ended up at H&M where I bought some essentials and an eggplant sweater. I felt a little lame shopping at H&M because I go there enough in the US, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. Next up was the biggest Sephora I have ever seen in my life. I honestly could not see the back of it from the entrance. I can tell where the French's priorities lie because 75% of the store was perfume, including employees spraying us with the newest fragrance as we walked by. There was even an entire wall of mini-bath bombs that I had never seen before.

Macarons, tea, and shopping - I couldn't have asked for a better first Saturday à Paris!