In the summer of 2005 I spent a semester abroad in Paris, France. I considered myself a traveler of sorts, but I had never set out on a journey completely alone. This was a first for me and I was very excited, nervous, and optimistic all at the same time.

When I arrived in Paris I was immediately on a high from being totally alone in this city of millions. It was such a surreal feeling to travel abroad alone. For this Kentucky girl, it was an amazing experience and one I wouldn't trade for anything.

Here are some things I miss about Paris:

1) The Anonymity: You Kentuckians know how it is; everywhere you go in Kentucky you see someone you know or run into someone who knows someone's cousin who married so and so's best friend. I have to say that the anonymity traveling abroad was an amazing feeling. I could do what I wanted and wear what I wanted without fear that I would run into someone from high school. I would be walking along alone in the city and would think to myself that no one else in the world knows where I am right now. There's something surreal about that feeling.

2) The Croissants: Yes, they are as good as everyone makes them out to be and they cannot be replicated. Every morning I would stop by a local patisserie and get a pain au chocolat and a diet coke. This would be my breakfast on the way to class.

3) The Metro System: Coming from Kentucky I wasn't used to a public transportation system as complex as a subway system. I had to learn the metros and the very confusing color-coded maps, but once I got the hang of it, I was a professional city lady! Looking back on it, it was so easy and convenient to just be able to hop on the metro and travel across the city within minutes.

4) The Eurorail: Again, this is unlike anything even in the United States. Europe has such a complex and amazing Eurorail system. It makes traveling for the weekend super-easy and convenient. We would hop on the Eurorail and take a weekend trip to the coast.

5) The Scenery/Architecture: While Kentucky is beautiful in its own right, the scenery and old world feel in Paris was amazing. I am so fortunate to have taken tons of pictures so that I can keep these memories forever.