When I first booked my ticket to France, I expected romance, delicious food, and beautiful art. Boy, was I wrong. My two-week trip turned into a shocking reality check. Let me walk you through what really went down.
My Expectations Before Landing
I pictured myself sipping coffee at cute Parisian cafes, strolling along the Seine with warm baguettes under my arm. Dreamy Instagram spots everywhere. Packed my fancy clothes ready for museum hopping. Total fantasy.
The First 24-Hour Reality Slap
Got off the train at Gare du Nord station and immediately tripped over human poop on the platform. Disgusting. Dragged my luggage past aggressive street vendors blocking the exits. One guy grabbed my arm screaming “GIFT FOR YOU!” while shoving cheap bracelets in my face. Checked into my hotel near Montmartre – window faced a brick wall and smelled like mold. Paid €250 for this dump.
Went out for dinner starving. Ordered steak frites at a “charming local spot”. Got shoe-leather meat drowned in salt with soggy fries. Bill came: €45. Almost cried when I saw the tiny portion.
Discovering The 5 Ugly Truths
Over the next few days, reality kept punching me:
- Truth 1: Public spaces aren’t magical – parks reeked of urine, metro seats had mysterious sticky stains.
- Truth 2: Food quality roulette – out of 10 restaurant meals, exactly 2 were actually good.
- Truth 3: Scam central – got “friendship bracelet” trapped near Sacré-Coeur, menu switcheroo pricing, fake petitions stealing wallets.
- Truth 4: Aggressive encounters – random guys followed me shouting at Place de la Concorde while tourists filmed instead of helping.
- Truth 5: Crushing prices – €9 for watery hot chocolate, €30 museum tickets, €2.50 public toilets. Robbery.
My Breaking Point
Day 12: Stood outside “le best bakery in Paris” at 7am. Bought their famous €6 croissant. Took one bite – tasted like cardboard with fridge odor. Sat on dirty pavement and actually laughed at how ridiculous the whole trip was. My fantasy vacation became a €2,300 cautionary tale.
Went home early and donated my beret to Goodwill. Some dreams need to stay dreams.