When travelling with kids have you ever worried that you would have to overcome a fear so they could realize a dream? This exact moment happened to me on a trip to Paris in March. My 14-year-old daughter and I were planning a quick 5-day side trip to the city of lights and when I asked her what was on the very top of her must-see list the answer was the Eiffel Tower. I knew it was coming. I had every indication from other life choices she made that the Eiffel Tower would top her list. Heights are an exhilarating experience for her while for me I get light headed and nauseous just thinking about them. However, I know that I will make this happen for her because I believe strongly in the importance of living every moment as if it were your last moment. My other big belief is that the fates will take care of problems if you are patient and send out good vibes to the universe. (honestly it doesn't always work but it sound good)
We did our research and realized that we would need to be at the Eiffel Tower as soon as it opened if we wanted to be able to have any time left to do the other gazillion things we had planned on our crazy 5 day list. Had we researched earlier we could have reserved tickets and saved even more time. I definitely suggest doing that if you are planning a quick trip to Paris. Deals can always be found in any city but if you have a bucket list wish and a short time line buy tickets on line.
When we arrived the lineup looked long, but we made it through to the front in just over an hour. Anyone who has been to the Eiffel Tower knows that is not a long wait. For us, the wait was just long enough for us to meet other families and feel out who would be a good candidate for my daughter to ascend the tower with. The fates truly were on our side that day as the family behind us had 2 daughters who were 11 and 8 years of age. While listening to them speak to each other for a few minutes we could see the easy way they were with each other regardless of them not speaking English. After asking them where they were from (Holland), we discovered that they had family in Ontario and had visited Canada often and would be returning again this summer. They loved that their girls could practise English with my daughter during the long line up and it allowed me to get a feel for this family as I was about to ask them a big favour.
When we reached the front of the ticket line I had told them about my fear of heights and they graciously offered to take my daughter up with them. Together they spent an hour exploring the top, taking pictures and forming friendships. Parents everywhere will be cringing at this moment, but I believe that we must learn to trust our instincts in this world and if you are going to travel it becomes imperative that you learn to trust your instincts. People worry about safety, but if it blinds us from extraordinary experiences and enduring friendships then we will miss out on the true beauty of travel, not to mention good instincts are the best form of safety.
Fates will often get a bad rap but when travelling and exploring the world they are a gift you need to be open to.
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