Guest Blogger Lori: Chamonix

I don't think I have ever seen a place as pristine as this small town nestled in the Alps. Tucked away in a valley next to Mont Blanc, Chamonix is the definition of pristine. There was not a single cloud in the breathtakingly blue sky, the mountains were covered in perfect, blinding snow and the town itself looked like a gingerbread village dusted with powdered sugar.

The small ski town was flooded with people, skiers, snowboarders, paragliders, tourists and locals. The town was full of energy and had a very, for lack of a better word, "chill" vibe. We walked around the town for a while before stopping for a hearty, real alps style lunch, full of cheese and bread and warmth. We then decided to see the bottom of a ski slope. We started trudging up the hill that looked like it led to the base of one of the surrounding mountains.

We had fun along the way, throwing snow at each other, slipping around on ice and thinking of all the ways the absolutely massive icicles could fall and kill you. We ended up not being able to find the actual base, but kept on walking. We found a huge field that we all frolicked around in for a while.

 Then, we suddenly heard a strange "whoosh" sound. To our surprise and amazement, one of the many paragliders landed extremely close to us, just over a small ridge that lead to another field. We realized we were right next to the landing zone, and spent a good while watching paraglider after paraglider land.  Now, for those of you who don't know what paragliding is, you basically go to the top of a mountain, you get harnessed into a parachute (with a guide unless you are very experienced) then you run.. off the mountain. You don't fall, it's not like skydiving, you really just float around in the sky. I have wanted to do it for a very long time, and I almost had my chance. We heard a paraglider speaking english to his friend after he landed, so mom and I decided to go say hello. I expressed my interest in it and told him I had always wanted to try it. "I could take you right now if you want! I don't think I've ever seen such perfect conditions to fly." the man said. I started to become excited. It was a relatively cheap price and it looked like I was going to be able to cross something off my bucket list, until he said I needed a ski pass to get to the top of the mountain. Which I didn't have. Which was stupidly expensive. Goodbye hopes and dreams I had of running off a mountain that day. I told him I couldn't swing it that day, but would definitely come back.

 After that wonderful experience and very interesting conversation we had with him, we decided to walk back into town. We went to a small bar for drinks and coffees, sitting outside and people watching. After a nearly perfect day, we hit the road back to Lyon, taking in all the views driving through the Alps had to offer. So if you're ever in France, skip the cities and beaches, go to the mountains, especially Chamonix.