Well, Paris is almost one week.
One.
Week.
Holy cow!
Some things have changed since my last time in France.
*My French, well, let's just say hasn't really improved. I've lost a lot and it's really frustrating.
*I'm in a much better place in terms of who I am, and a lot of that is due to my semester spent in Paris.
*I'm on a much, MUCH more strict budget this time.
But on the plus side,
*I'll have a phone and laptop to keep you all updated, and to hear back from grad schools too :-)
*I have my itinerary written out and I can't wait to implement it.
*I'm going to a place where I can speak the language if I needed help, and luckily learned my way of getting around the city.
*I'm staying with my wonderful, amazing, fantastic, and warm host family.
I'm expecting to just cry when I arrive, because I never knew how much this city would become a part of me. Yes, I am probably stuck on a high-beginner speaking and writing level, and yes I probably won't be able to visit again for a few years, but something resonates with me. Is it the feeling of being French or Parisian? Perhaps, but I believe it has to do more with enjoying life: a beautiful painting, a glass of wine, a homemade sandwich, a stroll through a park. And I think the French are wonderful teachers in enjoying life.
The city has a pulse: students going to classes, parents going on errands and going to work. The Paris I saw was one where art, music, religion, fashion, and food all fused into one. Everything that I truly love to study or enjoy lies within this city. If only money wasn't an obstacle.
So I invite you all, throughout my week, to journey to Paris with me. Watch me revisit my favorite places that I hold dear, but also exploring new places. Expect museum visits, old haunts of where I studied, parks, and shopping. Expect moments of bliss, nostalgia, and melancholy. Come with me to my second home.
