I recently returned from our family vacation to Paris where I tore through croissants and sipped Perrier as if my life depended on it. The Olympics were our main attraction, but we also had time to visit a few of the legendary museums which allowed us to simultaneously witness the peak of physical and artistic excellence all in one illustrious location.

I have to say, Paris is a very mindful place with it’s ubiquitous cafes, gardens and water fountains. As someone who is constantly seeking balance in my life, I thoroughly enjoyed the reprieve of mindful walks after electric energy of the athletic arenas. It was also amazing to spend time with my husband and kids when I wasn’t competing with phones or video games for their attention.

Despite the incredible memories we created during our stay there, one thing stood out to me during our time in Paris – the inability to have a mindful moment with the art.

Prior to leaving for our trip, I was told I wouldn’t believe how small the Mona Lisa is or how disliked Americans are over there. Surprisingly, I found the Mona Lisa to be the expected size of a portrait and the Parisians to be quite friendly. However, I was taken aback by the tourists in the Louvre who just stood in front of the famous woman with the ambiguous smile taking pictures or videoing their experience. Why would you want a picture of the Mona Lisa when you could spend your precious time with her admiring Da Vinci’s use of light and and examining the realistic details? The barrage of tourists squandering their time by taking a selfie with the most mysterious woman in the world made me feel more disillusioned than Gatsby.

As if that experience wasn’t disappointing enough, I was the only one who respected the wishes of the artist in the Monet room at the Musee de l’Orangerie. I dreamed of the chance to sit in contemplation surrounded by Les Nympheas Water Lilies but instead I had the less than mindful experience of squirming onto the bench in the center of the room to at least give my mind the chance to absorb my surroundings so I could return them later during a mediation. At least I was able to walk the perimeter of both rooms with my daughter and take in the art from every perspective.

As I took in the excitement of the Olympic games and the beauty of the collections of art, I thought about the way my kids see the world compared to how I did at that age. I still remember my first trip to the MFA for my sixteenth birthday and buying a print of The Waterlily Pond with the Japanese Bridge in the museum shop. Sadly I remember that more then my time with the original Monets that were there. There seems to be more value place on the receipts of viewing art than the actual experience of viewing the art IRL. I guess that art appreciation comes with age and that the virtual world is challenging the very meaning of art itself, but for me and my family, we’ll always have Paris.