Young, Drunk and in Love with Paris:Top 10 things I loved about being turnt in Paris

Paris is dangerous in the way only a city with good lighting, beautiful streets, and too many opportunities for poor decisions can be. I went there for the landmarks, thinking “cute trip, Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame vibes” and came back with a cold, a lighter wallet, a questionable sleep schedule and at least three life reflections I did not ask for. But I left with the vague sense that life should always involve running through a city slightly tipsy and saying yes. 

So, in no particular order, here are the ten things that made me completely unhinged, broke and a little too in love with Paris. 

1. Roaming the city at night with people I hadn’t seen in ages 

Elite experience. 10/10. Would definitely recommend. There is something about being reunited with your friends in a different city that makes everything feel more cinematic. Meeting up with one of my best friends that I literally saw a week ago, and other friends I hadn’t seen in months, but in Paris? Insane. 

The streets just felt surreal. Everything got softer, the lights, the noise, the way the city looked at night and suddenly we were walking through Place de la Bastille tipsy, badly coordinated, and laughing at nothing in particular, just existing in it. 

2. Being inside the Eiffel Tower while it sparkled 

Touristy? Absolutely! Do I care? When do I ever? There was something magical about being in the Eiffel Tower while it was actively doing the thing it is famous for. I kept yelling out loud, “Oh my god, it's sparkling, and we are inside it”, with

the biggest grin on my face. I looked insane, and my friend kept laughing, but zero regrets. 

3. “Douze escargots, s'il vous plaît” 

I was convinced I had to try escargot the moment I got the chance. Snails for dinner in Paris just made sense. They were chewy in the best way, garlicky, rich, genuinely delicious and exactly the kind of thing you do when you're abroad and committed to the bit. No notes. 

4. Paris Performed 

There is something satisfying about walking in, offering a cheerful little bonjour, getting a cup of hot chocolate and immediately sitting outside with a cigarette pack on the table, not mine, but it completes the picture, the spring sun in your face like you have always lived there, even when everything else about you is screaming visitor, touristique. It made me feel about 3 per cent French. 

5. Not one bad hot chocolate 

On the topic of hot chocolate, I do not know what they are putting in Parisian hot chocolate, but every cup felt like they actually gave a damn. Rich, thick, offensively good. Not one single miss. 

6. French guys, Fortunately - unfortunately 

I do not want to make sweeping statements, but I also don't want to lie. French men were a recurring theme. Some were charming, some were annoying, some were both at once. One had a girlfriend and was still talking to me while she was right there, which raised many questions, including but not limited to: Is polyamory the French way? What was going on? No conclusions were reached, but the investigation was so active.

7. How aggressively social everyone was 

I met two guys in a bar toilet (don’t ask), I know, I know, it sounds like the beginning of a bad decision, but somehow we became friends despite only knowing “je ne parle pas français.” Communication? Facultatif. Vibes? Non-negotiable. French people, I found, are wonderfully direct. They either seem ready to be your best friend immediately or look at you like your existence is a personal inconvenience. Oddly, it reminded me of Lagos. Different city, same energy. 

8. Hearing Afrobeats everywhere 

I was genuinely surprised by how much Afrobeats was playing in Paris, but I should not have been. Burna Boy followed me through the trip like a patron saint of excellent vibes. Paris had this unexpected familiarity to it, especially in the music. It made the city feel less distant, less foreign. 

9. How Black Paris felt 

One of the most comforting parts of the trip was realising just how Black Paris was. There were moments when I felt completely at home, not because Paris became less Parisian, but because it became more recognisable. I was like oh… I belong here. This is nice. This is comfortable. The music, the people, the energy, the city had pockets that felt familiar. That Kanye Paris song hit different after this. 

10. Navi-Come Navigo 

But why was the metro fighting me? The Navigo card, the crowds, and then Line 4 just being cancelled. Everyone in Paris decided to take the metro, the one time I did. Did I feel like an everyday Parisian? Yes. Did I like being pushed around? Depends on who's doing the pushing.

The random photobombs. The terrible spending decisions. The metro. Getting tattooed because obviously that seemed sensible. Catching a cold at the top of the Eiffel Tower on the last day because I chose outfit cohesion over survival, which, in hindsight, was very on brand. 

I came for landmarks. Paris had other plans and a very convincing way of making all of them feel necessary. 

It was all ridiculous. It was all perfect. 

That is the real charm of Paris. It made me feel unembarrassed about wanting things: the view, the romance, the tattoo, the hot chocolate, the flirtation, the sparkle, the whatever. It lets you be earnest. It lets you be young and a little reckless and completely unbothered about it. 

Paris is dangerous. I knew that going in. I'd go back tomorrow.