Paris was everything we expected—and, in many ways, nothing like we imagined.

We arrived eager to see the landmarks we had heard about for years: the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre-Dame, Versailles, Sacré-Cœur, the Arc de Triomphe, and the winding streets of Montmartre. And while those places were unforgettable, Paris slowly revealed itself to us through much smaller moments too—sidewalk cafés, neighborhood streets, pâtisseries, fromageries, and cups of chocolat chaud that were basically melted chocolate pretending to be a beverage.

Seeing the Eiffel Tower in person was one of those moments that photographs simply cannot prepare you for. We had seen it countless times in pictures, but standing beneath it made it suddenly feel real. Paris had a way of doing that—famous places would appear in the distance when we least expected them, rising above elegant buildings and busy streets as though the city were casually reminding us where we were.

The trip also gave us an unexpected opportunity to explore Sarah’s French heritage. As we wandered through Paris, we occasionally came across familiar family names displayed on buildings, carved into gravestones, and even connected to a statue. Each discovery made the city feel a little more personal, almost as though pieces of her family history were quietly appearing throughout our travels.

We explored Père Lachaise Cemetery, where we saw Jim Morrison’s grave, experienced the energy surrounding the Moulin Rouge, walked along the Champs-Élysées, stood beneath the Arc de Triomphe, and climbed toward Sacré-Cœur. A trip outside the city brought us to the Palace of Versailles, where the sheer scale and extravagance were unlike anything we had seen before.

And then there was the Louvre.

Of course, we had to see the Mona Lisa.

The problem was that apparently everyone else in Paris had the exact same idea.

At first, we could not even see the painting through the enormous crowd gathered around it. After slowly working our way forward and finally reaching a spot where I could actually see this world-famous masterpiece, my immediate reaction was:

“That’s it?”

It was much smaller than I expected and, in my opinion, slightly underwhelming compared with the enormous amount of attention surrounding it. Thousands of works of incredible art filled the museum, yet everyone—including us—was fighting for a glimpse of one surprisingly small woman behind glass.

My personal favorite attraction was much farther underground.

The Paris Catacombs were fascinating, eerie, and completely unlike anything else we experienced. Walking beneath the city through tunnels surrounded by centuries of history was exactly the kind of slightly strange experience that stays with me long after a trip ends.

Paris also taught us quite a bit about culture—and ourselves.

We did not always find Parisian interactions particularly warm or inviting. In our experience, people could sometimes feel distant, especially when French was not being spoken. Thankfully, Sarah knew the language and could translate much of what was being said.

I hate to admit it, but there were definitely moments when I thought some Parisians were a little on the snobby side.

Over time, though, Paris taught us something we carried into future travels: even a small effort to understand the local culture can completely change an interaction. A simple bonjour matters. Language can be a bridge. Paying attention to local customs matters.

Apparently, footwear matters too.

I learned that lesson while proudly wandering through one of the world’s most fashionable cities in a pair of bright blue-and-pink sneakers.

I thought they were perfectly reasonable walking shoes.

Paris disagreed.

Based on the number of looks my shoes received, subtlety might have been the better fashion choice. I quickly realized that I was not exactly blending in with the effortlessly stylish Parisians around me.

Then there was the Metro.

At one point, I became convinced that “Sortie” was the name of our stop.

It was not.

It means “exit.”

Once we figured that out, we started seeing “Sortie” absolutely everywhere, which somehow made the mistake even funnier. Paris had officially given us one of those travel stories that would continue making us laugh long after we returned home.

But the most meaningful moment of our entire trip had nothing to do with museums, monuments, fashion, or Metro signs.

It happened along the Seine.

On the Love Lock Bridge, what began as a simple moment overlooking the river unexpectedly became the beginning of the rest of our lives together.

Sarah surprised me with a diamond, and suddenly an already beautiful evening in Paris became one of the most important moments of our lives.

Naturally, being who we are, it was not exactly a traditional proposal.

There was romance.

There was confusion.

And there was definitely a story.

For the complete—and very honest—version, head over to our Funny Stories section.

What mattered most was that it was completely ours.

From that moment forward, Paris became more than a destination. Its bridges, streets, and riverfront became part of our story together.

Paris challenged some of our expectations. It occasionally made us feel uncomfortable. It made us laugh at ourselves. It taught us to pay attention, make an effort, and allow a place to reveal itself rather than deciding too quickly what we thought of it.

We came to Paris expecting the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, cafés, art, history, and beautiful architecture.

We left with all of that—but also with family connections, brightly colored sneaker humiliation, a Metro misunderstanding, countless laughs, and an engagement story we would tell for the rest of our lives.

Paris did not simply become another place we visited.

It became the place where our next chapter began.