If Paris is on your travel list, let me offer one small suggestion. Wake up early one morning and simply walk. (Don’t begin your day with a checklist of famous landmarks!) Instead, follow the smell of freshly baked bread until it leads you to a neighborhood café. Chances are you’ll know you’ve found the right place before you even reach the door. There will already be people sitting outside, slowly drinking coffee, chatting with friends, reading the newspaper, or simply watching the world pass by. Walk in. Smile. Try saying Bonjour and S’il vous plaît. Will your French pronunciation be perfect? Probably not. Will you receive an overly enthusiastic response? Probably not either. The French have earned their reputation for being a little reserved, and I’ve learned to simply smile and appreciate it as another charming cultural difference. That’s also part of traveling in Paris – being curious enough to try; practicing a few words in another language, even if your accent is far from perfect; allowing yourself to feel slightly uncomfortable instead of avoiding new experiences altogether.

I hope that years from now, when Paris becomes another beautiful memory, I won’t remember how many calories were in the croissants or whether ordering dessert in Paris was the healthiest decision I could have made. I’ll remember the little cafés hidden on quiet streets, the pastry windows that looked more like art galleries than bakeries, and the joy of discovering croissants in Paris while simply wandering without a plan. I’ll remember the conversations that somehow lasted much longer than we expected, the wonderful French wine that was surprisingly affordable, and that unmistakable feeling that, for a few days, life revolved a little less around productivity and a little more around simply enjoying the moment.

I think that’s the real beauty of travel – it reminds us that some experiences become unforgettable precisely because we stopped negotiating with ourselves and allowed them to happen. If there’s one thing I hope to remember from Paris, it isn’t another landmark or souvenir, but the French ability to enjoy the best food in Paris, good wine (Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Loire Valley wines, Rhône wines, Provence rosé), long conversations, and ordinary moments without adding unnecessary emotional weight to any of it. Perhaps that’s why, when I think about the best dessert in Paris, I don’t think only about what was on the plate but about the whole experience of sitting somewhere beautiful, taking your time, and simply enjoying it.