PHOTO DIARY: PARIS

This blog post was meant to be a fabulous Photo Diary post as I was visiting Paris this weekend (12th-15th). I feel as though in light of recent events I would just like to add something else to this post too. Being in Paris when the awful attacks took place on the 13th November, I've realised how important friends and family are. Hearing about events like these on the news makes you think but being within a few miles of it really puts things into perspective.

Running back to the hostel whilst police and ambulances passed us at speed created a surge of panic and realisation within our group and luckily we made it back to the hostel. We sat in our rooms in large groups together waiting for updates on the news and receiving messages from family and friends. We stayed away from the windows, listening to sirens and shouting from outside. We used social media and news sites to get hold of information of what was happening a few miles away from us, watching the numbers of deaths and injuries escalate over the hours was heart breaking.

The trip was cut short by a day and we left early afternoon (14th Nov) to head back to the UK. It wasn't until I was back that I realised how big and global the event really was. Being caught up in it and then taking a step back really shows you how important it is to be aware and calm within situations like those. My thoughts are with the residents and visitors that were in Paris and the families that have been affected. Also my prayers are with those of the world as so many awful things happened that Friday.

A big thank you to Trudie Ballantyne and Sharon Harper lecturers at The University of Gloucestershire, Editorial and Advertising Photography course for getting us all home quickly and safely on the 14th. Their efforts are not going unnoticed.

This will not stop me from visiting the beautiful city of Paris in the future as these violent attacks are only executed to scare the public and we will not be scared. #PrayForTheWorld