Journaled and Photographed by Megan Smith<\/p>\n

October in Paris sounded like a dream.
\nSnuggled under the covers of my chic hotel room\u2019s bed, the balcony doors flung open wide, I could hear the tables and chairs of the bistro below being set out on the sidewalk. I breathed deeply the crisp autumn air and gently pinched my arm, smiling as I realized Paris in October actually wasn\u2019t a dream at all.
\nEven an Audrey Hepburn film marathon couldn\u2019t have prepared me\u2014a well-seasoned traveler\u2014for my first trip to France. It was perfect. Those quaint Parisian cafes do exist. Lunchtime really does last for two hours. Coffee tastes better. So does the wine. And croissants really can be eaten every morning without the fear of weight gain. The Eiffel Tower is bigger and more spectacular in person. The Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es truly is the most beautiful avenue in the world. And everyone is nice. Really nice. Even if you don\u2019t speak French.<\/p>\n

But I had come to France for more than baguettes and caf\u00e9 au lait. I had come to witness something much more magical: to watch 18 remarkable women from 14 countries participate in an entrepreneurial competition like no other. I had come to witness the sharing of ideas and watch the common threads of entrepreneurialism and altruism weave together in an interlinking chain. The impact will be felt worldwide for a lifetime.
\nI had come to the Cartier Women\u2019s Initiative Awards.<\/p>\n

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