A little bit of everything

My blog! It has been so neglected! I guess it's a good and bad thing that time is flying by so fast I haven't had time to blog...good for me, bad for my thousands of devoted readers (and by that I mean my sister and boyfriend) So many things have happened that I don't even know where to begin. I get like that so often when I try to take the time to right things down....I completely forget what to say! Last week was just filled with school and studying.
On Friday night Kristen and I decided to pick a new area to explore. We had been to the Murais plenty of times during the day but had yet to go at night. We took line 7 to Pont Marie and walked up Rue Rivoli. The whole area feels magical at night. All of the stores and boutiques were closed for the night but plenty of cafes, bars and restaurants were open with people spilling out. It's funny how when the day time stores close all new places come alive and you feel like you're in a different neighborhood. We turned on a street that looked promising and found a cafe off of a main street that had outdoor seating. We sat and had a glass of Côte de Rhone wine and enjoyed the warm night. There is something about being surrounded by beautiful buildings, cobble stone streets and good company that makes a night of sitting around drinking a glass of wine seem like so much more. The side street we were sitting on was lined with perfectly trimmed trees that had twinkling lights strewn through them. It made me miss my sister more than anything because it was exactly like we planned for her wedding....a warm night with a pretty setting and twinkling lights draped above for everyone to admire. I tried and failed to get a picture of it, good thing I can show her in person in about a month! We had finished our drinks and realized we were starving! We didn't want to go and sit in a cafe because in Paris that means at least an hour or two of sitting and eating so instead we found the BEST falafel in all of Paris. It was a restaurant with a window open to the street so you could either go in and sit or just get it to go. The one thing I love about this city is that many restaurants have this option and it gives people the option to pay a lot less for the same food depending on how much time they have. To eat the falafel wrap inside at a table was 10 euros and to go was 4.50 euros. We sat on the ground enjoying our food and explored a little before heading home. The night was so enjoyable it makes me appreciate that you don't need to be surrounded by tons of people or a club/bar to be having a great night.

The next morning we woke up at 6am to go to Normandy and Mont Saint Michel with our program. The trip was unreal and I have nothing but good things to say about every aspect of the trip. The bus left at 8am and I was in and out of sleep for most of it. The last part of the drive that I was fully awake for was especially memorable. I know it sounds very cliche to say but when I woke up and looked at the French country side I realized how good it felt to get out of the city. I saw nothing but green grass, trees, and grazing farm animals. It was such a breathe of fresh air to see nature and not city buildings and best of all it reminded me so much of home. At times the country side could have been Davidsonville or Salisbury.

Taking in the familiar country view

We arrived at a war memorial museum around 10:30 and stayed until 12:30 viewing the exhibit. We also watched a black and white movie that was made up from footage of World War II. We then drove to the American Cemetery and walked around. Omaha beach was beautiful and it's hard to put the entire day into words. I feel like a picture can say more than I can

The rest of the day went by much the same, seeing these amazing monuments and feeling like I couldn't believe WWII took place where I was standing. After a day of seeing Normandy we were surprised with a visit to an apple farm where we took a tour and enjoyed a tasting of the different juices and liquors they made there. We arrived in Caen around 7 and Kristen and I went to an Italian restaurant where we almost fell asleep in our from exhaustion.  The hotel was very nice and we watched 500 days of Summer dubbed in French and fell asleep in the most comfortable bed I have slept in in over a month. The next day we did more sights seeing at Mont Saint Michel. The original structure was built in 709. It is so hard to believe that something from 709 is still standing and actually exists. I had a great day running around the island taking pictures and more importantly taking it all in. I get so wrapped up in my world of living in Crofton that it always takes a little while for my brain to register the places I am seeing. It sounds like such a dumb thing to say but sometimes it's easy to forget that there is a vast, large world out there.

After a long weekend, I was completely worn out and fell asleep on the bus ride home. Getting back into the city felt surprisingly homey even though its not home. I don't think I will ever feel at home anywhere except Annapolis. It's scary and weird to think that one day I'm going to move away from there, even if I'll be back it's just strange to wake up one day and realize that you're growing up. All those years I wished for being 16 to drive then 18 for college and now 21 to drink and its all coming and going so fast. Well for now all the fears of change can wait because it's late and time for bed.

xoxo

Secrets of the French

Living here has opened me up to a lot of new cultural experiences many of which have personally enriched and educated me. However, a lot of them have been purely superficial and not educational in the least. Thus behold the list of

Why French People Intrigue Me To No End

1. The country is extremely formal, yet customer service is non existent. France is a place where not saying Hello and good-bye to store owners is an offense punishable by death, yet store owners bark at you for lingering too long in their boutique/bakery/grocery store and taking up space. Today I had a grocer yelled at me for being rude because I said "pardonez-moi?" when I didn't hear him over the bustle of the store. This coming from the country where they have two forms of the word "you"----"Vous" and "tu" Tu is considered to be widely informal and people must give you spoken consent for you to refer to them as "tu" and not "vous" even though they both mean "you"

2. I am in the fashion capital of the world yet French people DO NOT care about hair or makeup, or hygiene.  It's definitely a stereotype I had heard time and time again that French people and Europeans in general do not shower as often, I get that. However, I notice here that even the trendiest and most gorgeous of girls do not wear make up ever. And their hair? Forget it, it often looks so unkempt I wonder if there is a secret movement going on where everyone is aspiring for dreadlocks. Find the girl or guy with smooth hair that straightened, curled or simply brushed and you've found the tourist.  

3. The ingredients of what the French eat keep them thin not what they eat.  This conclusion comes from going into bakeries and grocery stores and seeing countless slender and thin people all going for the croissants, pastries, cookies and all of the foods labeled "FORBIDDEN" in the states if you're on a diet. I was perplexed by this and assumed maybe it was the first time that skinny girl had eaten in the week or maybe that guy was buying that pastry for someone else. Yet, I have found it really matters not only the portion size of what you eat but the ingredients that go into it. Here they use real sugar not high furctose corn syrup or anything made in a lab. Fresh food goes bad here in a couple of days because there are no preservatives. I am not pretending that you can eat anything in the world here but Ill take the pastry freshly made that day here with real ingredients than that hostess cupcake that has the ability to live on a self for God knows how long. 

4. Girls here love wearing very feminine clothing with one very bold, very masculine piece. When I have 6 minutes until the next train in the metro I have nothing better to do than people watch. As shallow as it sounds its mostly me drooling over what other girls are wearing. I see countless girls in a fitted dress with an amazingly feminine coat and then military combat boots. Or if they go with tights, heels and a skirt/top combo they have on a military jacket or an extremely masculine hat from the 20's era. I love seeing the different ways in which cultures define "beauty" 

5.  Dogs here do not bark. Ever. And everyone has them. The grocery store, boutiques, the bakery, and pretty much any indoor or outdoor establishment you can think of....there are dogs! Dogs of all shapes and sizes with one thing in common, the fact that they are so obedient you think France administers dog tranquilizers to everyone. I cannot get over how Ill be inside of the grocery store debating over cheese and a dog will be there looking up at me. They never bark and never run around. The people here don't ever uses leashes or tie them up outside. I don't get it!!!! Even the homeless people have them, I want to steal every last one of them  :)

Not a very long list but I tend to think of 20 different things when Im out and about and then I get home and forget them all. C'est la vie. More to come :)

Confessions from a pastry addict

  I have an addiction.  I have tried to limit myself to 4 times a day but I am afraid of slipping and accidentally finding myself in the corner covered in chocolate glaze having eaten 10 delicious things from the bakery next door or any other of the billions of bakeries in this city. Ah well, I'll deal with all of that another day. Most people ask why eat so many pastries a day to which I reply WHY NOT?! Anyway, school today was good, I felt like it was Tuesday the entire day and had woken up from a disturbing dream this morning so I felt a bit off for a while. I always feel pretty accomplished when I walk away from 5 hours of class in French having understood everything. I have been making friends in my class and really like going to an international school. So far I have made friends with a guy from England, a girl from Colombia, a girl from Australia and then a few girls from the States. I love that we all have the commonality of  loving French and Paris. After school I came home and made some lunch, my roommate Kristen walked in soon after with a pastry and that inspired me to go downstairs and get one too. I have too many enablers around encouraging my pastry habit......but what are ya going to do? It felt like no time at all had passed before I had to get ready to go to the opera! 

This one is dark but I love the inside, I cannot wait to take my loved ones here

The ballet itself was choreographed to Vivaldi and was absolutely beautiful. It had a modern twist on it and at times I felt like I must not be following the story because it went over my head but overall it was one of my most memorable experiences in Paris. Other than tonight I have been keeping up with my exploration of the city. We have a trip to Normandy coming up the first weekend in March and I am eager to go and learn new things outside of Paris. I love being in Paris but I am definitely the type of person that needs a little break from city living every once in a while. Yet, I am so happy that my friends here are adventurous and willing to just walk outside and start exploring. On Sunday we decided to go to the Père Lachaise cemetery where a lot of famous people have been buried. The cemetery is so so so huge, we got lost a few times but made the best of it. It's eerie to think of all of those who are buried there but in an odd way it was a good day. We walked around and saw that a lot of families have gigantic plots there. (People are no longer able to be buried in the city of Paris unless they have an existing plot or are famous).

Edith Piaf-A movie based on her life, La Vie en Rose is on my favorite French movies. 

On a less morbid note, we then went to explore more of the the Murais. I found the most amazing chocolate shop and bought a few things to snack on. They had huge barrels of different kinds of chocolates and treats that you could scoop into plastic bags and pay for them per 500 grams. I told my sister how I felt nostalgic for the days at Basics where you could scoop candies into bags and pay for them the same way. How I miss the days of begging my mom to let me get a 5 pound bag of gummy worms.  

Piano made entirely from chocolate. In the words of Joey Lawrence...."WHHOA!"

The fact that March will be here shortly astonishes me. March means the start of a great and amazing whirlwind of visitors and traveling. Starting the first weekend in March I have something planned or someone coming to visit pretty much every weekend until my brothers birthday on May 14th at which point I will be two weeks away from coming home. I am so excited for these adventures and to have this semester to live my life to the fullest and even though it will be strange to pick up and move home I won't be sad because I have the best people in the world waiting at home for me. For now I will leave you with a list of things I plan to do this summer

1. Go to the pool with Jess and/or Ryan

2. Eat boston creme donuts with Jess

3. Walk the parkway with Jess

4. Get Bob Evans with Jess and Ryan

5. Watch all the HP's with Ryan

6. Then go get cheesecake factory with my mom and Jess

7. Are you sensing a theme?

8. Anything involving food, Jess, Ryan or any other loved one.

9. Turn 21

10. BE 21!!!! Getting drinks in downtown Annapolis on a warm summer night :)

The list goes on and on.........

Even the rain can't make me frown

Coming up on three weeks in Paris and I cannot believe how fast my time is flying by!! Although, I will say I was glad to be done with school on Friday. Thursday after school I went to a meeting at the Sorbonne's library. The librarians were so nice and showed us what kind of books and dictionaries were available. The building was beautiful and it was great to find out I could check out books and movies for free.

 After that I had nothing to do so I went to the Louvre to walk around with my roommate for a few hours. ISA had given us un carte jeune for the Louvre and with it we all can go to the Louvre for free whenever we want for a year. It was so great to be able to go and explore knowing I could come back. I didn't feel rushed to see everything and I went home and looked up a lot of my favorite paintings and statues to learn more about them. After walking through the museum we walked through the gardens of the Royal Palace. I have such a hard time conceptualizing that so ;many royal and important figures I have read about in my history books were lived their lives right were I am living mine today. I am so eager to learn about the past because when you're in a city like Paris, Rome, or London the history consumes you.

Hanging out in the Louvre 

I am so excited to show my family and Ryan around Paris. This city has stolen my heart. I feel like I repeat so much how much I love it here but frankly Im just shocked with how I have gotten attached to this city....it already feels like home.  I love going to carefourres for my groceries and knowing the lady who owns the bakery next door, I have even talked with our neighbors! The best part is that the more I love Paris the more I also appreciate and love Crofton. It's just good to know that I can live somewhere new even though I will be so so so happy to be home this summer. Sometimes just knowing you can do something makes a world of difference in who you are as a person.

I miss my sister more than peanut butter and Italian dressing combined. I take for granted what its like to have  a person who gets me be around all the time. I never feel weird or embarrassed by anything  I say or do around my sister. Its such a wonderful things to have an unconditional best friend. I feel bad for everyone else in the world because they don't have my sister and brother. Oh man now I miss those two more than anything and can't wait to see them. In a weird way though, I have learned to  like the distance from my family, friends, home and even boyfriend because absence really does make the heart grow fonder. Cliches were invented for a reason :)

Boat rides, wine and olives

 I already have a nice morning routine involving waking up, reading and making breakfast, getting ready for class and taking the metro to the Raspail building of the Sorbonne. My roommate Kristen and I have the same school schedule but different buildings so we are up in the morning together hanging out. This morning I walked next door to the boulongerie and bought un pain au chocolate for breakfast, it was so good and made me start my day off in a good mood. My goal is to obviously explore as many areas as possible but I like going to a lot of the same cafes and bakeries because I want to be a regular and know the owners. Already the lady at the bakery smiles at me so I'm making progress! A smile from a French person is the equivalent to an invitation to dinner from an American!! Ok, not really but my point is Parisians especially are bred to be cold people. Just today I told my friend how much I miss being able to smile in public. It sounds so odd but smiling and especially eye contact here are considered to be almost sexual and definitely verrrryyyyy personal. I am looking forward to being able to walk the parkway and smile and say hi to everyone I see. After class I went back to the apartment to eat some food and then headed over to the Eiffel tower were ISA had organized a boat ride on the Seine. It was gorgeous to see the sun set on the river and then see the city all lit up. We took lots of pictures and enjoyed the scenery for the hour of the boat ride.

                I wish the night vision on my camera was better but here is picture of me on the boat ride

Everyone went in different directions afterwards and Kristen and I were the only ones left still taking pictures and walking around. We were on our way to the metro when we decided that we were going to just keep walking around and maybe find a cafe to sit at for a little while. We ended up exploring the neighborhood just down from the Eiffel tower and found a great cafe that still had happy hour going on. The cafe had tables all on the side walk but there were clear partitions and heat lamps to keep you feeling warm and enclosed from the city. We ordered glasses of white wine from the menu and they were HUGE! I felt I was getting my 4 euros worth. Along with the wine they brought out olives and roasted peanuts to snack on. The olives were marinated in some sort of herb and the peanuts were freshly roasted. At first I found it very random to have that brought out as their free snacks, usually its just bread or nothing at all. Surprisingly the food went really well together, the taste of the olives complimented the salty taste of the nuts....those sneaky French people always have good snacks up their sleeves. The two of us sat and talked for 2 hours before realizing what time it was. I have noticed a huge difference in my life with not having a cell phone. I have such a loose reference of time and am finding that I like not being connected every single minute of the day. I would have never sat at a cafe for two hours with a friend at home so spontaneously. I would have gotten a text or a call or something to remind me that there were 13759494833 things I had to do that day. I like the lifestyle that I am living right now and I think I am loving it so much because I know that it is only while I'm here that I get to live in such a relaxed, different way.

Its hard to believe that I left home 16 days ago. It does not sound like a long time but to me it has felt like a long time to be in a new city on my own. School started on Friday and has been going well. It's only Tuesday but I am already getting back into the routine of school. I'm happy to say I've already seen a boost in my confidence in meeting new people, getting around Paris by myself, and not being afraid anymore of getting lost. Over the weekend my roommate Kristen and I went to a huge flea market on the outskirts of Paris. There were so many great things there to buy, I have lots of ideas for presents to bring home for my family and friends now. After that we took ling 7 back to our neck of the woods and decided to get off at Pont Marie which is in La Murais, one of the oldest parts of Paris. We walked up and down the main street and found an area called Place des Vosges. We strolled around the park and enjoyed just talking and looking around. One of the things I love about Paris is that they allow for space throughout every nook and cranny of the city to have parks. There are so many places to sit and enjoy the beautiful buildings with statues, fountains, benches and grassy areas. Everything is so well manicured and I really appreciate how much Parisians pay attention to detail in the look and feel of their city. 

Already I have met some great people at the Sorbonne. I love how there are tons of different nationalities of students and all of us have the common denominator of French. Today I went to lunch with two girls I had met in my French Language class and my roommate. One girl is Colombian and the other is from Connecticut. We went over to the Latin Quarter across the street from Notre Dame and had a three course lunch. I had French onion soup, roasted chicken with potatoes and then chocolate mousse. It was so filing but I notice how the French cook with so much flavor from herbs and spices and even their mouth watering food doesn't taste fattening at all. I've yet to eat anything greasy here, everything has been good :) The french onion soup was by far the best part, it was so delicious and they had put the traditional chucks of fresh baguette of top. I will definitely be taking my family and Ryan there. I miss my family and Ryan and friends so much. I was looking through pictures last night of the weekend before I left and the little party we had at my house. It was so fun to have all of us together and I can't wait to see them again.

                                                       Too much sibling love? No such thing!

I love this picture because they look so in love and happy and really committed to that bottle of Captain :)

Ryan and Melissa holding down the beer pong 

And now, it is time for French grammar homework....I might need to walk downstairs to the Patisserie  to get an eclair to get through this.

Paris is my Playground

Oh how I have been a bad blogger....5 days and no post. This week has been busy and full of unexpected day trips around the city. On Tuesday I went to Versailles. I had been there once before but being back a little bit older and having studied history I found it so much more fascinating. I cannot wrap my head around the fact that I was walking around grounds and palace that was occupied as early as the 1600's. It may seem like an obvious thing to say but I find myself getting caught up reading about the facts and history that I almost forget that these kings and queens we read about were real living people and I was able to walk the same halls as they once did. It is such an amazing and somewhat eerie feeling.  I am so happy that our way of life is so drastically different. At the peak of its time Versailles had more than 3,000 people living there. Most were servants and were not to be seen or heard. When woman would be giving birth to their children, the rooms would be full of people all waiting to hear that she gave birth to  a boy...that kind of life is so unimaginable. It was a great day and I am excited to go back when it is spring time and the gardens are in bloom but even in February it was beautiful.

                           My 3 roommates and I in front of just a small portion of the palace.


Other than Versailles I have been all around the city lately which I love. We went to Sacré Coeur one day to see the basilica and admire the views from the highest point in Paris. It was a lovely sunny day and I realized then the difference between visiting Paris and living here. When I'm visiting a new city I want to get in as much and possible and go to certain places with a purpose. That day my roommates and I looked outside to sunshine and thought, why not hike up to Montmartre and sit on the steps of the Sacré Coeur and look at all of Paris? We couldn't see a reason why not so we did. That day felt amazing and I could not believe I get to make all of Paris my playground (I realize that sounds corny but it's the best way to describe it!) Then on Wednesday we went to an Irish pub with about 15 people from my program to watch the France vs. Brazil football match. I got a pint of Guinness for 4 euros during happy hour which was great. The atmosphere was so fun and French people were chanting the national anthem at various times. I liked having a relaxed environment to get to know new people and hang out but mostly I loved feeling like a local :)

The church was so big and pretty I couldn't get the whole thing in a picture!

Today was my first day of school. I was very nervous for not only the academics but for the little things like taking the metro by myself and navigating my way through the city and of course keeping up with the classes. My French teacher spoke no english and I was so happy by the end of the 2 hour class that I understood every word with ease. I was so relieved and happy! At home I don't have anyone but my best friend to speak French to and speaking with natives here feels so refreshing, it's a whole different part of my brain and I love being able to use it. I think I'm going to love going to school at the Sorbonne and feeling like a French student. After I met my roommate Kristen to buy school supplies and walk around the Saint Michel/Saint Germain area. Things are going better than I expected here even considering I still get pretty homesick. I miss all the everyday things like talking with my sister and mom, eating family dinners and even our bipolar, moody cat. I think time will fly by here but I will still be able to have a great experience.

The word of the day

The only way to describe my first week of living in Paris is surreal. Its surreal to think about the endless amount of history in this densely packed city and all of the great people who have been here. Its surreal to think that I actually live in this city and am part of a culture so different from everywhere else in the world. The food, scenery, way of life and over feel of the city is surreal. My 3 roommates and I have been picking an arrondissement per day and then setting off to explore. I have only been here for a week and already feel more comfortable using the subway than I thought I would after the entire stay. I truly see the appeal that cities have for a lot of people. In the span of 5 days I have been able to see some of the most beautiful places at my leisure. One day this week my roommates and I went to the Louvre, strolled along the Seine and just looked at all the buildings and sights. Another day we walked through the Latin Quarter and found the most amazing book store I have ever seen. Notre Dame was lit up right across the street and we could see couples talking a walk along the Seine. We stopped and got crepes with nutella and I finally stopped and realized....this is where I live! I am the stereotypical girl in Paris who can sit in cafes and read a book and then decide to go get a pastry at one of the most amazing patisseries all while walking past churches that are over 500 years old. I am at a point in my trip where I am absorbing everything I see, smell and hear. I plan on taking full advantage of everything while I am in Paris. Just this morning myself and my two roommates woke up at 7:30 to go down to one of the open outdoor markets. The shops open especially early on Sundays and sell the freshest fruits, vegetables, meat, cheese and pastries. We walked along the cobble stone street and bought breakfast at the patisserie and then hand picked vegetables and fruits to eat for lunch later that day. By the time we left I felt very french having fresh meat, cheese and bread all in my reusable grocery bag. These are the memories that can't be captured in pictures but I will keep them with me forever. It feels great to be able to use my french everyday and I can only see this semester getting better and better.

 Walking past a bakery almost always means buying something delicious, today it was a chocolate eclair

The perfect place to stop and have a cafe avec du crème

First few days in Paris

Today was the fifth day I spent in Paris but I feel like I've been here for weeks. Signing up to come live and go to school here was such an extensive process with tons of paperwork that by the time I was getting ready to leave, I had kind of forgot that I was actually going to be living in a new city in a completely different culture. The weekend before I left was so amazing I was pretty reluctant to be going. All the feelings of sadness and fear settled in and I kept asking myself "what did I do to myself?" I knew it would be a life changing opportunity and was so appreciative that I was going but honestly I pretty much only felt scared. I hate saying goodbyes and I cried and cried on my flight from BWI to Charlotte. It is such a surreal feeling to think "wow I just put myself on a plane and when it lands I'm going to be in Paris." I arrived at the airport scared, nervous and exhausted. I think the guy at customs could tell which is why he didn't ask me any questions....he just stamped my passport and nodded. I made my way to the baggage claim and was trying to look out for people in my program. I remember my sister saying that it would be easy and just to look for the other kids under 22 looking scared out of their minds with too much luggage. After about 10 minutes I saw a guy that had the same airport map that ISA had given to me....I immediately went over and asked him if he was with ISA and to my relief he said he was. He went to go shake my hand and I hugged him instead.  I was just so relieved to have met someone who was in the same boat as I was and not be alone. He was a good sport about the random hug. From then on time flew by. ISA picked us up at the airport and dropped me off my apartment. They gave us a tour, some maps, a metro ticket and told us to be at the ISA office at 10 the next morning. I was so happy to find out that I loved my apartment and my roommates. The next two days of meeting with my program directors and everyone else in the program went very smoothly. Tons of tours and trips have been organized for us and I couldn't have asked for a better week. There are still moments I get very homesick but I know time will fly by so I'm enjoying every bit of it.  I can't help but feel proud of myself. I still think all the time that I cannot believe I'm actually here. I'm so eager to so what the next four months have in store for me. I have a lot more to write, but it's late and I'm waking up early with my roommate tomorrow to go to an outdoor market and buy fresh fruit and cheese. So for now I'll leave you with a picture of a church we came across along the Seine.