Just the beginning

Today we had our going away lunch at IES. It was weird to say goodbye to all of the friends I have made over the semester, and even more weird to realize that we're all going back to our "normal" lives. So many things have happened over the past four months that I can't even begin to describe how it feels to go home. Definitely bittersweet, but so much more than that.

The People

I feel lucky to have met such wonderful people over the past four months. It was fun to meet other American students from different parts of the county at our French school and I definitely made some life-long friendships. I am glad that I also became friends with my host mom and her family. If it wasn't for them, my experience would have been completely different. It is sad to have to leave them and there are not enough words to express my gratitude towards them. I will remember them forever. Also, thinking about all of the random people I have met brings a smile to my face. The world is filled with interesting, amazing people and each one has something to share. I have learned quite a lot from the people I will never see again.

The City

Paris is unbelievable. It has been a lifelong dream of mine to visit this city, and I cannot believe that I actually lived here for four months. I love its rich history and culture, its people (even though they took a little getting used to), its cobblestone streets and small bakeries, its small cars and even smaller showers, its diversity, and its beauty. I would love to come here again one day in a different context. The time I had here was great, but a major part of that was because it was not real. I did not have to work, I had a mom to make dinners and do my laundry, and I had the luxury of simultaneously being a tourist and a resident. I feel like if I came back, things would be very different but the one thing that wouldn't change would be the city itself. I can see why they call Paris the city of love because you cannot help but fall in love with all it has to offer.

Going Back

Leaving will be bittersweet. I am sad to leave this life, but at the same time I am looking forward to all of the things I miss from home. I cannot wait to see my family again- I have missed them more than they will ever know and cannot wait to feel the warmth of our home and their love. I also am excited to see all of my friends again. I'll be in Michigan for five days and then head right to Chicago to see everyone from school. It is funny because being here has really made me realize the most important people in my life. You never know what is going to happen, and I can't wait to see them again and let them know how much I truly missed them and how much they mean to me. I am also very lucky because my best friends from this trip- Brittany and Katy, will be coming back to Chicago with me. It will definitely be an adjustment to settle back into life in the U.S. so I am glad that I have the girls to do it with. We can help each other get back into the swing of things, but at the same time keep our Paris days fresh in our memories.

Afterthoughts

This has been the hardest thing I have ever done, but also the best. Honestly, when I arrived here in January I thought I had made a big mistake. Everything was difficult at the beginning- speaking and hearing French all of the time, living in someone else's house, getting used to the city, learning the customs and expectations, being away from friends and family, and going to a strange school. At first it was very lonely, but after a few weeks things started to settle into place and I began to feel more comfortable. Once the shock subsided, I was able to see this city for what it really is- one of the most incredible cities in the world. My mom and Mark are coming to visit on Friday and I cannot wait to show them my home away from home. I will go home with them on May 21, which will make the transition much easier.

Having the opportunity to live and study here has meant the world to me. It is really a dream come true and I have appreciated every second. Not only did I have an amazing educational experience, but I also learned a lot about myself. It has been a life-changing adventure that I will remember forever.

Thanks for reading my blog. Happy travels!

Thirteen more days

This week I...

saw a rugby game- two of my French friends play on a team, so they invited us to come watch

ate duck- delicious

walked along the Seine at night- the best time to go to the river is when the buildings are lit up and it sparkles

had a picnic with my class to celebrate the end of the semester- we sat in a park and ate bread and jam, cheese, pan au chocolat, and tarte aux pommes

And Brittany made a video summary of our trip to Italy! http://www.facebook.com/v/605857779211

Winding Down

I can't believe how time flies! There are only two more weeks of school and it is hard to imagine my time in Paris coming to an end. Finals start next week, which is actually a good thing because it is keeping my mind off of the idea of leaving and on the time I have here. This weekend will be about being with friends and enjoying the city. Springtime in Paris is truly beautiful and it is everything I expected and more. The markets are stocked with fresh fruit and beautiful flowers, the streets are filled with people, and the sun is making everything sparkle. Walking down our small cobblestone street towards school has suddenly become a treat and I love soaking in everything the French have to offer. Now that the weather is nice, I have discovered something new to do in the city that has become a real treasure- sitting along the canal in our neighborhood with my French friends talking about life and watching the people and boats pass in front of us. In between last minute sight-seeing and studying for finals I am going to try to enjoy these last days as much as possible.

Italy

We're back from our trip to Italy! After ten days, five trains, three hostels and a heavy backpack full of stuff I am exhausted but the trip was better than I could have ever imagined and I'm already dreaming about going back one day...

Rome
Our first stop was Rome. We took a fifteen hour overnight train from Paris to Rome and got there just before Easter weekend. The city was bustling with tourists and streets were crowded, but we managed to work our way through the city and see all of its amazing attributes.
Highlights:

* St. Peter's Basilica was unbelievable. We had to wait in line for an hour, but once inside we forgot about the wait and were blown away by the architecture. The religious significance of the cathedral definitely sunk in as we stood there in awe of the building. After the Basilica we went to the Sistine Chapel, which was again incredible. It is hard to fathom the work it took to paint the entire thing- literally top to bottom. I loved seeing the images on such a huge scale and we we were able to hear all of the stories by listening in on a nearby tour group.

* The Colosseum was unreal. We've learned about the events that took place there and how all the Romans would come to watch the spectacles, but being there felt odd. We could imagine all of the things we had heard about and we just stood there for what seemed like hours picturing how it used to be in past. Words cannot describe how bizarre/awesome/wonderful it felt to stand in the Colosseum.

* The Trevi Fountain was our favorite spot to sit and watch people. We went there two nights in a row to sit and watch the sunset. The fountain itself was extremely intricate and such an amazing piece of artwork and we loved listening to the water while talking about the day's activities and watching the city transform for the night.

* On Easter morning, we found a hidden gem within the city. It was a huge park filled with ponds, trees, walking paths, and flowers. I've never seen so many lilacs in my life! We loved strolling through the park, completely covered by bright green trees and beautiful natural elements. It was very spiritual and gave us an opportunity to reflect.

Florence

Florence is the most beautiful city I have ever seen. It was very different from Rome and had a much more relaxed vibe. Also, our hostel was owned by a woman named Veronica who was like a mother to us during our stay. She pointed out good places to visit/eat/shop/lounge on the map and made sure our stay was extra special. Our hostel was located right in the center of town and we were able to get everywhere very easily.
Highlights:

* The open-air markets in Florence were huge. They sold everything from fruits and veggies to leather jackets and sunglasses. We loved exploring the markets and bargaining with the local vendors. We had to force ourselves to leave so we didn't spend all of our money!

* The river that ran through the city was beautiful. It had really great old bridges and along the river we found the perfect grassy spot to sit and read. We spent a lot of time next to the river and loved the sound of rushing water compared to the sound of the busy city.

* The pizza in Florence was AMAZING. I love pizza, so I was in heaven eating it for almost every meal. It was easy to find big, cheap slices of pizza to go and we loved the fresh ingredients and the great recipes. Of course I also loved getting meat on my pizza and am definitely not a vegetarian anymore. Ham and pizza were meant to be together =)

Venice

Our last stop was Venice. It was completely different from the other two cities because instead of roads, the city was filled with canals! It was surreal to be surrounded by water everywhere we went and we enjoyed getting lost in all of the passageways that took us to secret places. It was weird to imagine anyone actually living there, but I suppose they just adapt to life and buy a boat instead of a car. How fun!
Highlights:

* Our hostel was in a great location and we had a huge room that was attached to an outdoor terrace. We also had a kitchen in the hostel, so we made a delicious traditional Italian meal for two of the three nights we were in Venice. It was nice to eat a homemade dinner outside on a gorgeous patio.

* The entire city smelled like the sea. I loved being right by the Mediterranean and we took every possible opportunity to sit by the water and soak up the sunlight. Also, the sunsets over the water were gorgeous.

* A huge part of Venice's history is the Carnovale. There are shops all over the city that sold brightly colored masks of all shapes and sizes. It gave the city a fun, lighthearted feel and we loved trying on all the masks and thinking about the times when they actually wore them for parties.

Italy in a nutshell
After visiting three of Italy's major cities, I can definitely say that it is the most beautiful country I have ever been to (not that I've been to a lot, but still...). The cities each had their own distinctive character, yet there was still an overriding "Italian" feeling. The food was excellent [gelatto became a daily, sometimes twice daily, indulgence], the people were friendly, and the landscape was incredible. Plus, all of the historical artifacts and buildings that we saw during our trip made us feel like we were stepping back in time. Our hostel in Venice was 500 years old! Taking trains between cities was a great idea because we were also able to see the Italian countryside and see how it differed from city life. Overall, it was a great trip with great friends. I definitely would love to go back to Italy in the future!

Spring Break

Well, I'm off on my Italian adventure! 10 days, 3 cities, 1 backpack. I'm sure I'll have many stories to write about when I get back. I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter- we'll be thinking of you when we're standing in line at the Vatican =)

Two Worlds

Sometimes I feel like I'm in two different worlds. France is very different from the United States and this weekend I really felt the variation. On Friday I visited Giverny and Rouen, two cities outside of Paris, and they were incredible. When I was there I felt separated from the rest of the world. The experience was truly surreal.

Getting away from Paris... and feeling hidden from the world

IES took us on an excursion to Giverny so we could see where Claude Monet lived and did most of his paintings. We toured his house and the gardens that inspired his famous art. The gardens were absolutely gorgeous and it was easy to see how he was able to paint so many pieces of art by looking in his backyard.

After Giverny, we traveled with IES to Rouen, a medieval French town. It was a very small town with medieval remnants everywhere. The buildings were in the original style and the giant cathedrals dominated the city. Rouen is most famous for being Joan of Arc's place of death. After she fought in the Hundred Years War, she was put on trial by the British because she claimed that God spoke to her and told her to fight. They burned her alive in the center of the city. It was very eerie to be at the location, but also very interesting. I love being able to see historical sites and learn about their significance.

Coming back

Today is my 21st birthday! Last night my friends and I celebrated by going out to dinner and going to one of our favorite local bars. I had a great time and felt very lucky to be surrounded by good friends. Last night was a reminder of how two different countries can have extreme variations (Giverny and Rouen) but also have exact similarities. Going out last night made me feel like I was back in Chicago- I had friends celebrating with me, everyone in the bar sang happy birthday, and we were in our favorite place. I actually feel pretty old now that I'm 21. Usually I don't notice the age change on my birthday, but thinking about it I realize that I've hit the last major milestone year until..... 50 I guess? Weird.

Madrid

This weekend I went to Spain with Brittany, Katy and Marilyn! We were in Madrid for three nights and enjoyed sightseeing, eating tapas and the friendliness of the Spanish people. The way of life in Madrid is unlike anything I've ever experienced before and we definitely had to change our normal habits to fit into the culture.

My top five favorite things about Madrid:

1. The food

In Spain they eat a lot of tapas, which means several smaller dishes of food that are meant to be shared between everyone at the table. There are about 20 different options, but in general each restaurant had the same dishes on the menu. Our favorites were potatoes in spicy sauce, a plate of assorted meats and cheeses, potato and cheese omelet, stuffed peppers and salad. The food was so good that I actually ate a lot of meat while I was there. I've been a vegetarian for almost 11 years now, but ever since I've been in Europe I've been trying different kinds of meat. It is DELICIOUS! I started with a few bites of meat from my friends' meals and progressed to eating several types of meat. In Madrid I tried chorizo, ham, salami and chicken. It was sooo good.

2. The "vibe"

Madrid is very different from Paris in terms of the feeling you get when walking down the street. The fashion was a lot of jeans, t-shirts, skirts and comfortable clothes. I loved being able to be more casual in Madrid since in Paris everyone always has perfect outfits. Also, the people were really friendly and smiled much more than Parisians. In general, the Spanish people walked slower on the sidewalks, took their time when in a store or restaurant and were much more loud and boisterous.

3. The nightlife

Everything seemed to revolve around going out at night for people in Madrid. Most people slept in (the streets didn't have anyone on them until about 11 or 12), they take a nap around 6 or 7 and then have dinner around 10 or 11. It was pretty shocking for us to see the city alive and bustling at midnight. People of all ages were out eating or drinking in a bar and we could not believe that they were all awake and ready to start the night! For people our age, the club scene does not even start until 1 or 2am and then you dance all night and go home around 5 or 6 in the morning. We went to Kapital, one of the biggest clubs in the world (7 floors) on Friday night and were there until 5am. After leaving the club, it is popular to go to a chocolateria for churros con chocolate. We didn't return to our hostel until 6 in the morning!

4. The museums

We went to two museums in Madrid- The Rena Sophia and the Prado- and they were both amazing. Rena Sophia had a lot of contemporary art as well as several paintings by Picasso and cubist/surrealist artists. My favorite piece was Picasso's Guernica. It represents the feelings of the people during the Spanish Inquisition on a very large canvas. It is sad and dark but very moving and powerful. It gave me goosebumps. The Prado had older religious artwork that was beautiful. My favorite part about the museum was its special exhibit about fairy tales. It had all different kinds of artwork revolving around the stories we all grew up with as children.

5. The weather

The weather was gorgeous for the first two days that we were in Spain. It was sunny and warm and we enjoyed being able to walk outside without a coat. During the day we loved walking through the city with the sun on our backs and at night it was great to be able to eat dinner outside. Also, I feel like everyone is always in a better mood when it is nice outside. Even on Saturday when it was colder we were still able to be outside without jackets. It was windy, but we walked through the park and strolled through the city all day. It started raining when we were in line for the Prado, but at night it was nice again and we were able to walk to our favorite tapas restaurant without being cold.

Visitors

I had my first American friends visit Paris last weekend!! Caitlin and Molly, the girls that are studying in London, came for a quick trip and it was really great to see them and be able to show them around the city.

Being the Tour Guide
One of the fun things about having the girls here was that I got to do some of the "touristy" stuff that I haven't had a chance to do yet. We went inside Notre Dame, went to the top of the Eiffel Tower, went to the Louvre and walked all the way down the Champs Elysees. Also, they were in awe of everything they saw. For them, seeing the Arc de Triomphe was a really big deal and it helped me take a second look at the amazing things that I have become used to seeing.

Luckily for the girls, we got to spend a lot of time with French people. It really helped them get the full Paris experience and it was nice for them to meet so many new people. My host brother came with us on Friday when we were walking around the city and we also went to his apartment that night. Saturday, Katy's host brothers had a dinner party (18 of their closest friends) and we were invited, so we brought the girls along for a traditional meal and a great time. Caitlin and Molly do not speak French and most of my French friends do not speak English, so this meant that Brittany, Katy and I had to translate pretty much everything everyone said. It was great for me to be speaking two languages in one conversation, but it did become difficult. By the end of the first night my head was spinning! Caitlin was definitely surprised at my ability to speak and understand French. In the U.S. I rarely speak it, so even though I am majoring in the language, my friends and family don't get to experience that part of my life. It was fun for me to have Caitlin, who has known me for ten years, finally witness this piece of who I am.

Reflection
March 15th was the 11 year anniversary of my aneurysm. It was a very reflective day for me and I kept thinking about how life takes you in unexpected directions. I could have never guessed that eleven years ago everything would change forever and I could have never guessed that I would be here now. I am extremely grateful to be here and to be living life to the fullest. Being this far away from friends and family makes you appreciate them more than you ever knew you could, and this week I have definitely been thinking about the opportunities I have been given and how lucky I am. Living in France is the hardest thing I've ever done, but it is also the best thing I have ever done.

Up Next
Midterms are finally over and I'm looking foward to a busy schedule ahead! Marilyn is coming to visit on Saturday for ten days and we have a lot of things planned. I can't wait to play "tour guide" again! Also, we're going to Madrid next weekend and Italy is just around the corner. I have many things to look forward to as Spring rolls into the city of lights.

Buckling Down

This weekend has been filled with meeting new people, great weather and casual outings. Midterms begin next week and the Institut Catholique de Paris resumes classes, so this weekend was a last hoorah before I have to buckle down to study and attend my exterior course.

Thursday
A popular alternative band called School of Seven Bells came to Paris on Thursday to play a show at a small venue downtown. The concert was held at a place right next to the Seine. To get to it, you walked down a cobblestone street along the river and the gates were right there. The river was so peaceful at night because it was beautifully lit up and people were walking along, holding hands and enjoying life. It was such a treat to be right there and be able to listen to music. Brittany, John, Madeline and I went to the show (only 15 euros for a ticket!) and met up with a few friends from IES. Brittany and I actually ended up meeting two British guys who live and work in Paris. They started talking to us because they heard us speaking English and we all hit it off. It was nice to be at ease speaking our native language and we laughed the entire night about cultural differences and odd experiences as foreigners in the city.

Friday
The weather is starting to get nice on this side of the Atlantic, so we took advantage of a gorgeous day and Cody, Madeline and I went to Bois de Vincennes. It is an old chateau with parks and a forest surrounding it. The chateau was really nice and we saw where the drawbridge used to be, where the moat was and also the king's and queen's quarters. We walked past the chateau into a large park with flowers and ponds everywhere. Cody brought a baguette and apples so we ate food while walking around and looked at the flowers beginning to sprout. It was nice to see trees and grass everywhere. We want to go back in a couple of weeks to see if the flowers have bloomed and also to eat a picnic lunch.

My host brother invited Madeline and me to his apartment Friday night, so we brought a few friends and went to his place. He lives really close to Colette's so it only took 10 minutes to walk over. His place was very cute and very Parisian. Mathis (pronounced Matisse) had some friends there already and we had a great time hanging out with the French guys. Katy's friend was in town and didn't speak any French, so we had to be the translators all night but somehow it worked out just fine. It was really nice of Mathis to invite us over and have us meet his friends. We had already met a few of them, so seeing them the second time was comfortable and fun. I usually have the best time staying in and having more relaxed nights, so I loved being there and had a great time. Everyone was friendly and the best way to become fluent in French is to speak it for hours with people our age. I told my host mom that it is really nice of Mathis to keep inviting us out and she is glad that we've all become close.

Saturday
It was another beautiful day, so we walked around the city and found the Place de Vosges again, which Katy and I had found a few weeks ago. We just sat on a park bench and watched the people while talking about how nice it is to be here. After walking around for a couple of hours we separated and met up again that night. Mathis and his friend met me at the metro and we found a great restaurant to have dinner. The girls came with us too and we ate and talked for two hours. I think that particular dinner is one of my highlights of being in Paris so far. It is hard to explain, but there is just something about eating with friends, drinking wine and enjoying each other's company at a restaurant that makes me so happy. The boys knew of a fun karaoke bar, so we walked around and found it nearby. Some of our IES friends came and so did Katy's host brother, so we had quite a large group. It was great though because we just danced and sang for the rest of the night.

Sunday
Today I woke up and went to the farmer's market in my neighborhood with Madeline. I am pretty tired after such a busy weekend, but I am looking foward to tonight. Colette invited Mathis and his friend to come to dinner, so we're having a large family meal together. I am very glad that I live with a host family rather than live in an apartment. I feel like it rounds out the French experience and it also keeps me grounded.

Can't forget to study
Paris has so much to offer that we sometimes have a hard time focusing on school. However, another big part of that lack of focus is also because the French school system is different than in the U.S. We rarely have homework and the professors lecture for most of the class. Our grades consist of small pop quizzes, the midterm and the final. Once in awhile we have a two page paper to write or something like that, but basically the entire grade is based on how we do on the tests. We joke that IES is easier than DePaul, but it is because we have a lighter workload. Midterms start next week, so I will be in my room studying starting tomorrow and lasting until next Wednesday.
Also, Institut Catholique de Paris, the French university that I attend, has been on vacation for the past fourteen days. I haven't had to go to my exterior course, which eliminated one class on Tuesday and my Friday class. ICP starts this week, so it will add 2 1/2 hours more to my school schedule.

Wow that was a long entry. Hopefully you made it through without falling asleep. I know I'm exhausted, so that is all I have for now. As the French say when parting ways, à tout à l’heure.

Traveling on a Budget

At IES we have ten days for vacation in the middle of April. Normally I am not a big "Spring Break" person but this year it is going to be great! We booked all of the tickets today and have most of the travel plans arranged. Brittany, Katy, John and I are going to Italy!

Our plan is to take an overnight train to Rome from Paris the night of April 9th and arrive in Rome on the 10th, just in time for Easter weekend. We are staying at a hostel for three nights right in the center of the city and are leaving early Monday morning to take a train to Florence. We'll stay at another hostel for three nights and then take a very early train to Venice on the 16th. We'll stay in Venice three more nights and then take an overnight train to Paris to make it back in time to go home, drop off our stuff, and head to class Monday morning. It is going to be a busy ten days filled with traveling and sightseeing, but the best part is that all of the planning is done! We've put deposits down on the three hostels and we purchased our train tickets today.

It took a lot of planning and preparation, but we think that we've found the best deals. We are going to be able to spend ten days in Italy for 500 euros total. That price includes hostels and transportation for three cities as well as most/all of the spending money we will need. Not bad for an amazing Spring break trip?!?!

I've learned that planning trips can be stressful. It takes a lot of time and effort to make sure that you're doing it the cheapest way possible while also making sure that you will be safe and comfortable where you are staying. However, with all of this preparation I've learned a few tricks that save money:
* There are often student discounts
* RyanAir is the cheapest airline to take within Europe. It is easy to buy tickets online and it goes to most of the major cities. There are, however, a few downfalls to this inexpensive form of transportation. For example, there are a lot of hidden fees that are added onto the "cheap" ticket at the airport, people fight their way onto planes because seating is not assigned, and it is not the most reliable form of transportation because planes can be cancelled or seats bumped more often than the other airlines. I guess it is all part of getting an extremely cheap ticket.
* Traveling by train is definitely the easiest way to go places in Europe. All of the train stations I have researched are attached to public transportation, which makes it really easy to get to and from the city once you arrive. Also, trains are fast, clean, and nice because you get to see the European landscape as you travel. Also, there are SNCF offices all around Paris where you can purchase your tickets. It is a good way to avoid extra costs and very convenient because we were able to buy all of our train tickets- even the ones within Italy- from the office.

However, with all of our planning and preparation things are bound to go wrong. It is a nice feeling to have a schedule and to have a plan, but I think the best thing to do is to be flexible. We feel like we know what we are doing, but let's face it- we will be in a foreign country where we don't know the customs, don't know the language, and don't know the lay of the land. We are hoping for the best and as of right now we are extremely optimistic for the trip!

Side note: I knew that Spring Break would be the biggest cost of being in Paris, so I have been trying to spend money accordingly. It has been surprisingly easy to find ways to cut costs while living here and I feel good about the decisions I have made with my money. For example, there is a bakery right next to IES with cheap sandwiches (2 euros) for lunch. They gave me a card to get stamped every time I buy a sandwich that makes the sixth one free. Today I ate lunch for 0 euros.
Also, there is a great website for students in Paris that lists events going on in the city that fit into a student's budget. From the website we learn about cheap concerts, free events, and other ways to explore the city without breaking our bank accounts.
Plus, IES often has free events that students can attend. Today we went to a free movie at the theater down the street. They are also organizing outings for our old Propedutique groups that we had at the beginning. It is a nice way to enjoy entertainment without spending any money.

I am very excited about traveling around Europe and can't wait to go to Italy! Before Italy I am actually going to Madrid for a weekend. We found round-trip tickets for 43 euros. That trip is at the end of this month, so I feel like March and April will be my big months to travel. With London already under my belt and Spain and Italy coming up I think I am pretty much set on traveling through Europe. Of course there are a million places I would like to go, but it is also nice to stay in Paris and get to know the city. My host mom said that you could spend a lifetime in Paris (like she has) and still not know everything it has to offer. I am content to stay here but also looking forward to seeing other major European cities!

Happy travels!

The Beginning of Spring

It has been quite an eventful weekend here in the City of Lights! On Friday there was the Salon International de l'Agriculture, Saturday IES took us on an excursion to Chantilly and today I visited the Centre Pompidou museum and Sainte Chappelle. The weather is getting warmer, the people seem friendlier and I'm learning so many things about my home away from home.

Salon International de l'Agriculture
The International Agriculture Fair is an annual event in Paris. It is very popular and people come from all over France to see livestock, taste food from different regions, see scientific demonstrations and see a wide variety of other things. It reminded me of a state fair except much larger and much more international. There were seven pavilions with different things and Madeline and I set out early in the morning to try to avoid the crowds. Our plan didn't really work because we were stuck in throngs of people the whole time, but overall it was cool and interesting. Our favorite pavilion was of course the one with food. There were different companies and small producers of food that set up stands offering what they sell. There were free samples all over (a very good thing for a student on a budget) and it was fun to see all the different types of cuisine.
My second favorite pavilion was the one about the environment. It had different stations set up with things related to science (plants, animals, weather patterns, etc) and I really liked seeing the demonstrations. The other pavilion that we went to had a bunch of farm animals. It was weird to see chickens and goats in the middle of the city. It was actually kind of sad because there were just rows and rows of animals in cages, so Madeline and I didn't end up staying in that one for very long. Also, because of the crowds we didn't want to fight our way through to the other pavilions. We saw the three main ones, and from what I've heard those were the most popular ones to see and the most interesting. I've actually heard of the Paris Agriculture Fair from readings and things in my French classes. It is really well known and definitely a thing to do if you're in the area at the end of February.

Chantilly
Each IES student is allowed to go on two excursions for the semester. Saturday was the first one and I signed up to go, so 49 of my classmates and I met at 8am, loaded a giant double decker bus and took the 1 1/2 hour ride away from Paris to the small town of Chantilly, France. The town is known for the Chantilly Chateau so we were excited to see the castle and learn about medieval French history. However, the trip turned out to be less exciting than we thought. It all started when we arrived an hour before the castle opened. Bertrand, the IES staff member in charge of the excursion apparently thought that it would take longer to get to the town than it did so he told us to either stay on the bus and sleep or walk around while we waited for it to open. The term "walk around" should be read sarcastically because we were in a fenced in parking lot. Plus, there was a thick fog over everything so we couldn't even see the castle from the parking lot. Needless to say the boys got restless and we were all anxious to get inside.

Once inside, we split into two smaller groups and took a guided tour of the chateau. It turns out that the Chantilly Chateau holds the largest private collection of art in France. The castle itself was really nice but the artwork inside that covered the walls was amazing. However, after two hours walking around listening to the tour guide explain who is in the paintings and their significance we all became tired and bored. Luckily, after the tour we got to have a traditional French lunch right in the castle. The food was amazing and was a nice break from tours. Afterwords we went on another guided tour of the building that used to be the water area of the castle. Our guide spent an hour showing us the old techniques for washing clothes. It was rough. The antique water wheel area was pretty cool and there was also a vent in the floor where you could see the river running underneath the building, but it was pretty hard to stay interested in the guide's very detailed speech about water usage.

Overall Chantilly was cool to see but would have been better if we could have toured it ourselves. Also the town was cute and as we drove home we went through the main street and were bummed that we didn't have more time to explore the streets.

Centre Pompidou & Sainte Chappelle
In Paris, the first Sunday of every month means that most museums are free. Since today was the first Sunday in March we took the opportunity to go to the Georges Pompidou Museum of Modern Art. I like contemporary art, so I really enjoyed the museum. The coolest part about it is the design on the outside. Since it is supposed to be "modern" the building was made to look inside out.

Sainte Chappelle was also free today, so after the museum we walked across the Ile de la Cite (the small island in the middle of the river in Paris) and went to the cathedral. I had never heard of it so I didn't know what to expect and wow was I blown away. The cathedral was BEAUTIFUL. It didn't look like all the other nice churches I've seen. It had the most intricate stained glass windows I've ever seen. The designs on the stained glass depicted every story in the Bible and covered most of the building. From the outside, Sainte Chappelle looks like a normal Gothic-style church but from the inside it takes your breath away. I definitely want to go back!

This weekend was full of activities and adventures, some better than others, and I can't wait to go to bed tonight- I'm exhausted! It was definitely a great weekend to explore the city and I'm looking forward to warmer weather and more free museum visits.

Hanging with the Locals

This week has been such a turning point for my Paris experience!
I've mentioned before that one cultural difference between the French and Americans is that French people are generally more introverted. They don't talk to strangers on the metro, they don't like to share personal information, groups of friends stick together and it is hard for foreigners to become friends with Parisians. Somehow I have managed to break that barrier with two different sets of friends!

The first group is a French guy named Yann and his friend Dom. Brittany and I met Yann when we were out one night. They really hit it off and exchanged phone numbers. She started hanging out with him and on Monday took me to meet him and his friend. We went to an American bar that has music quizzes on Monday nights. They wanted to bring us so we could help them win (all the music is American). We had a great time and made it to the semi-final round! We are going back next Monday to hang out with them again and we also have more plans with them this weekend.

The second group is Mathis, my host brother, and his friends. He invited Madeline and me out last night to go to a bar/club called Afterwork. The club was right on the Champs Elysees down the street from the Arc de Triomphe. It was a really chic place and I've seriously never seen so many good looking people together in one room in my life! There was a dress code for men (must be wearing a collar) and luckily my friends and I dressed up in cute dresses because we fit right in. On Thursdays at the club it is only 15 euros for open champagne bar and buffet/snack food from 7 to 9, so even though the place was swanky it didn't break our bank accounts. At 9 it turned into a dance club and regular bar, so even more people came and it was packed by 10. The night turned out to be so much fun. All of my host brother's friends were really nice and Katy, Madeline and I had a great time drinking champagne and dancing for hours. It is still hard for me to believe that we were clubbing on the Champs-Elysees! Mathis invited us out again and I am so excited to start going out with them. It is also nice because I know that Mathis is a good guy and that he'll always look out for us. Last night him and his friend walked us home. Colette is so happy that we've become friends.

It took a month, but I've finally started meeting French people and getting groups of friends outside of IES. One great thing about hanging out with the locals is that we get to speak French all night! It is great practice and it is really fun. With my IES friends it is hard to speak French because we automatically revert back to speaking English. When I'm with a group of young Parisians it becomes comfortable to speak French and we are able to talk about common interests, popular things and funny stories. I end up learning new words and phrases every time. It is a nice change from the academic language used at school. I love having French friends!!

Meeting the Family

My host mom is great. Her name is Colette and she is really nice and very French. She has four children and works as a desk receptionist at a hospital. She used to be the director of a preschool but she said it was too many hours and she's getting ready for retirement, so she switched careers. Her children are pretty much grown up (the youngest is 23) so she has two extra bedrooms in her apartment, which is why she has students from IES stay with her. She has three grandchildren (although she can't be more than 55 years old, so she is a "young" grandma) and they come over all the time.

We've been here for exactly a month today, which is pretty weird to think about, but there are definitely signs from Colette of her becoming comfortable with us and fully opening her home to us. For example, the other day Madeline and I were sitting in the living room talking and Colette came home from work and just sat down and talked to us for about half an hour. It was so nice to just sit and talk about everything/anything. It definitely was a bonding moment.

Another sign of Colette opening up is that she invited her son over the other day for dinner. Mathis, the youngest one, was really nice and we all had a great time sitting eating a big French meal and laughing together. It was cool because Mathis is close to our age, so we were talking about music and going out and things to do in the city. He wants to take us to one of his favorite hangouts next week.

Colette's other son also came over a few days ago with his wife and kid. They were all really nice and it is a good sign that Colette is finally introducing her family to us. A cultural difference exists between Americans and French people with regards to sharing personal information. In general, the French are much more closed off and introverted. You could theoretically be friends with someone for five years without knowing what they do for a living or how many siblings they have. Also, they are more reluctant to share personal information. Madeline and I are so glad that we've broken the barrier and that Colette feels at ease with us and wants us to meet her family. It is also great because she clearly loves her children and grandchildren very much. I like seeing her interact with them because I see her on a whole new level.

One thing I love about Paris is the style of dining. Lately my friends and I have been making dinner together, drinking wine, sharing baguettes and talking for hours. It is very relaxing, very fun, and I love the times spent with friends during a meal. We've also been doing that because this is a very popular time for French people to vacation. For us, that means that many host families are gone for a week or two to take their annual trips. My friends are left alone in the house to make all of their meals, so they invite us over (of course with the family's permission) to dine with them. Part of this vacation time also means that our exterior courses are cancelled for two weeks, so we have a little more free time to hang out and walk around. Katy and I walked outside of the Louvre and down the Seine the other night and it was absolutely beautiful. The Eiffel Tour was lit up, the river was sparkling, and there were people everywhere.

***Haha I just re-read this post and realized I wrote "Eiffel Tour" instead of Eiffel Tower. That is a perfect example of how I'm thinking in French and becoming bilingual. In French, it is called La Tour Eiffel. I'm going to leave it up on purpose. Welcome to my confused thoughts =)

Cultural Observations

I hope everyone had a nice Valentine's Day!

I've been here for almost a month now and I've noticed a few interesting things that are worth sharing. First, I'll give a quick update on what I've been doing the past few days and then I'll tell you what has been on my mind recently as I immerse myself in this culture.

Valentine's Day

I was surprised to see that Valentine's Day isn't as over-the-top here (considering it is known as the city of love). Chocolate shops took the holiday as an opportunity to sell heart-shaped boxes of chocolate and there were definitely couples out and about on Saturday, however stores were not decorated with red and pink and I didn't see any cards specific for the occasion. My plans were to make dinner with Brittany and then hang out with a few friends that night. Everything turned out to be so much fun! It all began when Brittany and I went grocery shopping to buy things for dinner. We were walking around and all the sudden were asked if we would like to try some champagne. We realized that we had walked past a sample stand (like the sample stands in grocery stores in the U.S.) but instead of offering small bites of food they were offering small glasses of expensive champagne. Of course we said yes and the people were happy to give us a few glasses of different kinds of champagne (all three types were over 50 euros). It was so funny because that would never happen in a regular American grocery store. It wouldn't happen because a)we're not 21 and b)because they usually offer crackers with some sort of cheese dip or something instead of expensive champagne. We felt very Parisian. After dinner a few of our friends from IES came over and we had a great time hanging out together.

Expanding our Horizons

On Sunday my friends and I went to the Musee D'Orsay in the center of the city. It is right next to the river and right across from the Louvre. In the distance you can see the Eiffel Tour, Sacred Heart, and Notre Dame. Talk about the French experience! IES gave us free passes to the museum so we decided to walk around the Jardins de Touleries (a really nice park/garden area) and then stop by the museum. The museum used to be a train station, so the building itself is really cool and the inside is absolutely gorgeous. It was a great feeling to stand in front of world-famous works of art and see rooms full of paintings by famous artists. We wound up walking around for two hours until the museum closed. I was truly in awe of everything and can't wait to go back!

After the museum we booked tickets to go to Madrid! Katy found really cheap tickets (43 euros round-trip) to go to Spain at the end of March and we jumped at the chance to travel inexpensively. She also found a hostel we can stay at for under 20 euros a night and we can all stay together in one private room. My friend Marilyn will be in town during that time, so she is coming with us too. We're staying for four days, which should give us enough time to tour the city and see the sites. I have a few friends who were just studied abroad in Madrid during fall quarter, so they will be able to give us suggestions for fun things to do in the city. Also, the French and Spanish languages are pretty similar. Hopefully with a mix of English and French we'll be able to get around just fine.

A few things about Paris

The French university system:

Higher education in France is practically free for students. Government funding supports most universities and they are extremely inexpensive or free for people in the institutions. This is both good and bad. The good thing is that most people can afford to go to college, which definitely isn't the case in the U.S. Students are not drowning in debt when they graduate and families do not have to put all of their money into their children's education. However, there are a few downfalls to this situation. The first is that universities do not have the same services, programs, or feel as they do in the U.S. For example, university libraries are not as big, are not as common, and are not places to stay and study for hours. In general, they are only open 9am to 5pm which means that students who also have jobs have a hard time getting to the library to access resources. Also, the idea of a "campus" does not really exist here. Schools don't really have sports teams or extracurricular activities to do outside of class. Another problem that I have encountered with my exterior course at Institut Catholique [the French university that I attend for one class] as well as with my classes at IES is that there isn't a centralized location to find books for class. Instead, there are several bookstores throughout the city and you have to search for the books that you need for your courses. Many stores run out of books quickly and you have to continue going back to check if a new shipment has come. This is becoming very frustrating.

Things I have seen on the metro or in the metro station:

- a harpist

- a man playing jazz clarinet

- a twelve man string band

- an opera singer

- a puppet show

- several accordion players

Some of these things were for money, some of them were just because the person felt like preforming, and all of them were different from what I see/hear on the "L" in Chicago. Even when people want money they do it in a classy way here (a harp player in the metro?!?!)

The little things:

*Grass only exists in parks. Seriously. You won't see grass on the sidewalks or in front of people's houses. You must go to a park or the jardins to walk on something other than cement.

*Everything is closed on Sundays. Everything.

*Everyone looks like a supermodel. You never see people dressed in sweatpants in public and people of all ages looked "pulled together" and classy all the time.

* Most of the television shows that French people watch originated in the U.S. My host mom likes to watch France's version of Wheel of Fortune. Its pretty funny.

* Dryers for clothes are rare. Everyone hangs clothes to dry on large drying racks. Sometimes they put them outside on the balcony to dry.

* Just like in the movies/pictures French people carry baguettes all the time. They are a staple at every meal and are made fresh each day at the boulangerie

A Weekend in London

This weekend Katy, Brittany, and I went to London to visit our friends who are studying abroad at West Minster University. We had a great time hanging out with the girls and the whole thing felt like a homecoming of sorts...

Friday
IES organized a lunch for the students at Atelier Guy Martin, a restaurant that also has cooking classes for the public. It was really cool because we had a cooking lesson from a French chef and prepared our entire lunch together and then ate what we made. He explained the different tools and techniques to make the food and of course I loved every minute of it. The lunch combined two of my favorite things- Paris and cooking. How perfect!

After lunch, we went right to the train station to take the Eurostar to London. Of course we went through the chunnel, and after two hours we were in England. Caitlin, Molly, and Wren met us at the station and took us on the tube (="L"= Metro = public transportation) to their dorms. They all have individual dorm rooms at West Minster and it reminded us of freshman year when we all lived in the dorms at DePaul. We made dinner in the kitchen and got ready to go out. They took us to a popular London club and we danced for hours. The club was fun because the music was great and it was HUGE- there were three different levels for dancing and at least 60 people on each floor. Unfortunately, the tube stops running at midnight so we had to spend 40 pounds and take a taxi home (yikes!).

Saturday
Wren made sure we were all up early so we could have breakfast together and get moving to go sightseeing. We went to Buckingham Palace first and saw one of the queen's many homes. It was really pretty and there were people everywhere so it was great for people watching too! Looking around you could see that people were there from all over the world and I liked being at such an international travel destination.

Our next stop was the "Times Square" of London. I couldn't believe how Americanized the city was once we got into the center. There were KFCs and Pizza Huts everywhere (even a T.G.I. Fridays) and posters for American movies plastered the sides of buildings. To remind ourselves that we were actually in London we had to stop and take pictures in the classic red phone booths. We also walked through Chinatown and then eventually made our way to a real British pub. For lunch we enjoyed a traditional meal of fish n' chips and pints of hard cider. Katy and Wren decided to order a "chip sandwich" which turned out to be exactly that- two pieces of bread with fries as the filling. It was hilarious.

That night the girls wanted to take us to get curry. Apparently London is known for its curry and the dish is more popular than fish and chips. Who knew?! We got a little lost trying to find a place to eat but ended up meeting two fabulous Britsh women who were extremely entertaining. They looked like they were straight out of the 80s- big hair, bright pink lipstick, tight tube dresses and fur coats. They made getting lost totally worth it and helped to make our long tube ride enjoyable. Eventually we found an Indian restaurant and had really authentic Indian food. It was sooo good and reminded me of how I love to order Indian take-out in Chicago. After dinner Molly, Wren, and Caitlin wanted to take us to one of their regular spots to hang out on the weekends. It was a bar near their dorm with a young crowd and live music. We ended up talking with a few really nice British people and liked having a more low-key night.

Sunday
In the morning we heard about a great place to get breakfast called The Diner. It is supposed to represent a true American diner, so we jumped at the chance to connect with home. It was a nice guilty pleasure to be able to feel like we were back in the U.S. by eating omlettes, burgers, fries, and milkshakes. I definitely haven't had that kind of meal since I left and enjoyed it very much! The Diner was in a very... interesting... part of the city known for its counter-culture (lots of tattoo and piercing places, people in crazy outfits, huge record stores, etc.) so we walked around for a couple of hours and ended up in another British pub. There was a very important rugby game going on and when we got to the pub it was bustling with people. It was really fun to be in such a charged atmosphere. The way they feel about rugby is like the way most men feel about football in America. We watched rugby on the big screen and hung out for awhile until it was time to catch the train home.

Surprises
Overall the trip to London was cool. The girls love living there and it was nice to see what their lives are like over there. I was surprised that it turned out to be more like home than a foreign city, but it was nice to return to the comforts of the U.S. (friends from home, staying in dorms, seeing the same stores and restaurants, eating American food, etc.). For me, London felt like New York City with a palace thrown in the middle. I was also surprised, however, that it was hard to understand the British people when they spoke. I thought a weekend speaking English would be a nice break from French, but I could barely understand the people in London! I realized that I felt more comfortable listening to French people speaking French than British people speaking English. Ha! The third big surprise of the weekend was that on the train ride back to Paris I was really looking forward to going "home". London was fun but I couldn't wait to get back to Paris. It was the first time that I realized how comfortable I am here. I feel like my life here is really starting to get going and I have adopted this city as a home away from home.

The Academic Part

I've been having so much fun in Paris that I almost forgot about school. Almost. This week and last week we have been in our propedutiques which are language-intensive review courses to prepare us for class next week. They are based on a placement test that we took the first week we were here. The course starts off as a review and then continues throughout the semester and turns into our mandatory grammar/culture class.

Today I had an appointment with my academic advisor at IES to register for the rest of the courses that I will be taking. After going over everything, I found the perfect classes to take and I am pretty excited to start "real" school next week!
Here is what my schedule will look like:

Monday
10:45-12:15 French Foreign Policy
12:30-2:00 Literature of Comic Strips

Tuesday
9:00-10:30 Grammar/Culture
12:30-2:00 History of French Civilization
3:30-5:00 TD

Wednesday
10:45-12:15 French Foreign Policy
12:30-2:00 Literature of Comic Strips

Thursday
9:00-10:30 Grammar/Culture
12:30-2:00 History of French Civilization

Friday
11:00-12:30 French Medieval History

*French Foreign Policy will count towards both my French major and my International Studies major

*Literature of Comic Strips sounds like a "blow off" class, however it actually covers very serious material. In France, they use comics to present controversial issues about politics and religion (we do that in the U.S. sometimes too) and they view comic strips as another literary device. For example, the animated film Persepolis was based off of a graphic novel discussing the Iranian Revolution

*The Medieval History course is at the Institut Catholique de Paris and I will be in a class with real French students. It will be hard, but the exterior courses are a great way to improve my language skills and potentially meet French people my age

*TD is the traveaux dirigees course to supplement the Medieval History course. It will be taught by a teaching assistant and it will be a seminar-type class where we discuss things from the professor's lecture. It is at the ICP

Settling In

It has been an eventful weekend here in Paris! I've had a few days off of school due to the strike on Thursday and a day off on Friday so I was able to explore and hang out with friends all while settling into my life here in France. It is nice finally feeling at home in the city of lights and each day brings new surprises!

Thursday

Since we did not have school, Madeline and I decided to go to Pere Lachaise. It is the largest cemetery in Paris (over 100,000 graves) and it also happens to be right in our neighborhood! About five minutes after we walked into the cemetery we met a man named Gilbert who offered to show us around. He used to be in charge of famous hotels in Paris and all around France, but he is now retired and considers himself to be an expert on Pere Lachaise. There were people doing the same thing (being guided by older men who knew the cemetery well) so we decided to go for it and it turned out to be a great decision! He told us things that we would have never known and kept us entertained with songs and stories for two hours while touring the area. We saw Jim Morrison's grave, Oscar Wilde's grave, Moliere's grave, Chopin's grave and so much more. For each tombstone Gilbert had a story to tell and we loved every minute of it! The cemetery is also home to graves for Russian princesses, famous authors and writers, and other celebrities. It was really incredible to see Pere Lachaise and learn so much about the people in it. I liked how the cemetery was both beautiful and creepy. It is an odd combination but made for a great afternoon in Paris!

Friday

No school again on Friday (we always have Fridays off of school at IES because they encourage us to go out and do things) so Katy and I explored the Marais area. It is a great area for shopping and she needed/wanted boots, so we found those and went into tons of different Parisian shops. We also stumbled upon the Place de Vosges. It used to be a castle and the buildings were so beautiful. There was a big park in the middle of the square of buildings and we sat and talked for awhile. It was a nice day so it was fun to just relax on a park bench and watch the people. That night Katy, Madeline, and I went to Brittany's host family's house. She lives in the suburbs of Paris right outside of the city in an awesome three story townhouse. We made dinner and ate with her host sister Lucie. Then we spent the night talking with Lucie about random things. She is only 17 but seemed much older. It was nice to hear a young French person's perspective on things. Later that night Katy and I met some friends at a pub near my house. It was cool because there is a really fun street right in my neighborhood where young people go to hang out on the weekends. I met new people and had a great time.

Saturday

There is a website specifically made for students in Paris. It lists events going on in the city such as concerts, art exhibits, museum tours, plays, movies and anything else that would cater to a younger crowd. Thanks to the website, we knew that there was a free art gallery show about Barack Obama on Saturday. The art gallery was right in my neighborhood (literally two streets away from where I live) so Katy, Brittany, and I decided to check it out. The owner of the art gallery, Dorothy, was an American woman who lives and works here so she was happy to see us and to be able to speak English to us (her French was horrible). She explained that she had the idea to do something about Obama and called up some artists that she had worked with and asked them to do something related to the topic. The result was pretty amazing and the response of people and artists was so strong that the exhibit was extended past its original end date and it grew to consume the entire gallery. There were paintings, photographs, sculptures, and all other sorts of artistic mediums used and it was interesting to see French artists' view of Obama. Even if you were not an Obama supporter, it would be cool to see. It was weird to find such pro-American art and sentiments in the middle of a Parisian neighborhood. It made us happy to be from the U.S.

After the art gallery we wanted to see the Catacombs so we went down the the area where it is but unfortunately it was closed. Not a problem for us, however, because we didn't mind looking around the area. We found the Montparnasse Cemetery where other famous people are buried and walked around for awhile just looking at everything. Then I went with Brittany to her house to make dinner and get ready to go out. Katy's friend invited us to a free concert so after dinner we met up with friends and saw a Battle of the Bands type concert. It was fun because there was a casual atmosphere, good music, and a lot of young people. We danced and listened to music for the rest of the night and then eventually parted ways and went home. The girl that invited us goes to IES and another one of our friends from IES came, which was good because we're meeting other people from school and actually hanging out with them outside of class.

Sunday

This morning Madeline and I went to a farmers market in our neighborhood. It was the biggest open air market I've ever seen! They had literally EVERYTHING- fruits and vegetables, meat, cheese, bread, desserts, lotions and soaps, clothes, jewelry, cookware. Literally anything you could ever want. I bought a necklace with an orange pendant (I'm in love with it) for 2 euros and Madeline got tons of fruits and veggies to make food. There were so many people there and all of the people at the stands were so nice and willing to help. Apparently it happens every Sunday morning, so since it is right by our house we plan on going there all the time. I think it was one of my favorite things that I have done here so far.

Overall it was an eventful weekend walking around the city and seeing new things. I'm beginning to settle in here and it is a great feeling! I feel like I am getting to know the city, but more specifically my neighborhood. I love the area where I live because it has so much to offer- cafes, cute stores, historic monuments, the farmers market, and fun places to go at night. I truly lucked out with the housing situation and I'm really looking forward to learning everything about the Bastille arrondissement.

Clubbing at the Louvre

Last night Katy's host brother invited us all to go out with him and his friends to a club and it was SO MUCH FUN! It was a different experience going to a French club, but we were with a group of French people our age who could show us the ropes and help us have a great night.

The first major difference is that Laurent (Katy's host brother) told us to meet him at 11:30. They go out much later than we do in the U.S. Of course I had to drink coffee after dinner to make sure that I could stay up that late :) After we met him and his friends (who were all very nice), we walked to the club and when we turned around we realized that we were standing about 50 feet from the Louvre. It was pretty incredible. We definitely don't go out dancing at a place near world famous museums in Chicago...

Inside the club they were playing all American music. It was hilarious because everyone knew all the words to all the songs! Ha! There was even a song we had never heard about Obama. It was kind of bizarre but so fun because we of course loved the music.

We also learned very quickly that French guys love American girls. Of course there were some creeps, but we were with Laurent and his friends so we felt very comfortable and stayed with them the whole night. We also met really nice people from all different backgrounds.

Clubbing in Paris is very expensive and we definitely won't be doing it often, but it was a great experience and a great way to meet new people. Plus, now we have a group of French friends that we can go out with or ask questions to or whatever. All in all it was a great night clubbing next to the Louvre!

Le Commencement

Being in Paris is truly a dream come true! I still can't believe I'm here and will stay here for a long time. It has only been four days and yet I feel myself getting accustomed to Parisian life. The metro is no longer scary, conversations with my host mom are no longer awkward, and I now refer to the apartment as "home".

The first couple of days were a little strange. The combination of two plane rides, a six hour time difference, and an hour fearing for my life in the cab made the first day a little jolting. However, after a good meal (courtesy of Colette) and a relaxed night out with friends I felt better.

Yesterday we took a bus tour (for free thanks to IES) around the city and saw all the major sites- Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe, le Seine, Champs Elysees, and so much more. Then we had a true French lunch of hot sandwiches, fruit tart, and coffee. After lunch we walked around and found Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart) and walked to the top of the hill for an amazing view of the city. It was truly breathtaking. We also saw the restaurant from the movie Amelie, the Moulin Rouge and its street full of.... interesting stores, and street artists painting beautiful art.


Last night we experienced Parisian nightlife and to my surprise every place we went into was playing American music. It was fun to hear the French people singing along to motown songs.

Today we explored the Latin Quarter, which was fun because we found Jardins de Lafayette (a big park) with a giant sculpture of a head. We also saw a peace monument and several boys playing soccer (even though it was pretty cold outside and raining sometimes).

It has been a tiring first few days and an emotional roller coaster, but I am so excited to be in Paris and can't wait to see what comes next!