Mon début

Chers amis! My journey has officially begun! And it has already been an adventure.

Let's begin.

The flights over were fine, nothing big to discuss. What I can say is that it felt like I was studying abroad all over again: Flying to Heathrow, enjoying a smoothie at the same place we all got ours almost 2 years ago, looking at Harrod's but not actually going.

Then I arrived in Paris, and so my journey on the RER began. Much easier considering my luggage is much less than before. The addition? Being surrounded by very enthused Spaniards, very very enthused Spaniards. I didn't miss them when I got off.

Getting to my host family's house was nothing. I was on autopilot: Get off at Chatelet, get on line 11 to Pyrenees. Walk and take the right on rue de la Mare. In minutes. I was welcomed by my host father, and then my host mother later that afternoon. Was I tired? No! I ventured to Notre Dame & Ile Saint Louis... Unfortunately at Notre Dame then I felt the days worth of travel on my little body.

Walking around was amazing. The weather is GORGEOUS. I'm in for a week of high 50s/low 60s and sun... in Paris. Why didn't I bring shorts?!?! I then proceeded to sleep like a rock.

Aujourd'hui, j'ai rendu visite a mon amie Jamie! (FYI, Jamie is a fellow Francophile who is one of the few people who understands my love of France & Paris, truly.) She teaches English at a school in Dijon. We met at a metro stop and we ate at a favorite cafe of hers and mine, where I enjoyed baked camembert. Pictures to follow.

After we ventured to the Musee Marmottan Monet, which houses works of Monet and other Impressionists. Among that, it had some interesting work on Napoleon and manuscripts from the Middle Ages. We were also in luck; the museum had a special and very new exibition on Berthe Morisot, one of the few women who was a talented Impressionist painter in her own right. (Despite being the sister-in-law to Edouard Manet, another celebrated Impressionist).

After that we further explored the Cimetiere de Passy and Place des Etas-Unis. Then we met some of her friends. The one thing I'm leaving out: the walking. Holy GOD did we walk today, my feet are tired and blistered.

But you know? It's so worth it. When I'm here, sometimes I think, "Why don't I just teach English in France? Why don't I just drop everything to spend a year here?" And then when I'm in my element (namely, studying religion) I just want to pursue it. And frankly, I don't doubt my choice of study and future. Obviously if I could obtain another degree here or a French-speaking country I'd love it.

It has to have one condition: That it will allow me to return to France, even if I only have a week of a break, I'd want to spend it in France. I could easily keep coming to Paris, and I'd like to. But I saw a taste of France when I was abroad: the Cote d'Azur and Normandy. I'd LOVE to go back to Normandy, and venture to Provence. And who knows, with Jamie in Dijion, perhaps that shall be my next trip.

Time to keep relaxing and then to bed.