We now live in an age where anything can be instantly reported live around the world instead of reading it in the paper the next day or learning about it hours later on the evening news. We can also view it not only from seeing on the news, but through social media from the locals posting live videos and photos at that very moment. Technology has come a long way since I was in high school. 10 o’clock news is now old news.

Today the Notre Dame cathedral caught fire while undergoing renovations. It was really sad to hear, read about and see on my Instagram and Facebook feed. My husband, my family members and my best friends were all messaging me about it. It’s just a building to some but to me, Paris holds a special place in my heart and Notre Dame is an iconic wonder. The beauty and history of it is an allure within itself. I first learned about it when I was a kid watching Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame. And then in AP European History enriched my love for not only European culture and history but France itself. And then last year, I finally took the plunge and booked my first trip to Paris and went to see it in person for myself. Standing in the hallowed halls of the cathedral is entirely something else from reading it and seeing other people’s photos. There’s just something about being able to experience for yourself firsthand. No VR can take that away. Some things you just really have to see for yourself. I climbed up all the steps, all the way to the top too and it was definitely a long climb but it makes you appreciate the workmanship and everything that went into this historic symbol of France.