november

Hello all! Thought I would post some pictures from my fantastic weekend in Edinburgh. Sam was a great host, the food was excellent, and I loved the city. I did a bunch of cool touristy things, but then got to hang out with locals and do some things that weren't mentioned in my guidebook that were really great. Mostly revolving around the awesome, modern cafes that seem to have sprouted up all over Edinburgh! Overall, one of my favorite trips so far. I definitely would recommend Edinburgh as a place to study abroad to all the people who don't take a language or are science-y majors and need those credits.

Today was a great day in Paris. I went to a local market with a friend and we loaded up on produce, it is so so much cheaper to buy produce at farmer's markets here than at any supermarket, which is awesome. Then we strolled through the Marais to a very cute cafe/boulangerie, and got cafe cremes and macarons. I am not a macaron fan at all, but these ones were out of this world - family, get excited - we're gonna do the same things when you arrive in TEN DAYS! I have dinner with my host family tonight. Hopefully my roommate might say something at dinner tonight, but I'm not counting on it. Needless to say, we are not buddies!

The first two pics are of my day trip to Fontainebleau with friends, and the rest are of Edinburgh!

Hello all!

Well I'm writing this as I should have been running in a 10k this morning...unfortunately, I didn't have the correct medical certificate and was deemed "unfit" to run. They told me it was "ce n'est pas possible", which happens to be the frenchies favorite phrase. They use it most of the time when things are absolutely possible, for example, when I was told it was "ce n'est pas possible" to check-in for my flight to Barcelona. Another example, when I burned something on a pan my host mom told me it was "ce n'est pas possible" to clean it...and then i cleaned it. I guess it goes along with the Frenchies general nature to complain about everything! Ahem...the strikes.

But I went on a beautiful run after I couldn't do the race, in the park next to the Tour Eiffel, right underneath it, over a bridge on the Seine...it couldn't have been more gorgeous out at 930 am. It actually took my breath away at one point, when I was crossing the bridge, the sun was hitting the river and there were a few ducks and the trees are just starting to turn fall-like...Paris is called the City of Light for a reason. Anytime of the day the lighting here is just perfect.

The lifestyle in Paris is just so beautiful. People here take pleasure in everything they do. They have long meals and take long walks. They take breaks and eat cheese and pastries because they want to and because it makes them happy. I feel like so many Americans only rest or indulge because they feel like they "deserved it" or "earned it", not just because life is short and beautiful, and why not! The French cherish beauty and pleasure so highly. It even is shown through their academic system...to graduate from l'ENA (Ecole National d'Administration, analogous to Wharton Business school), students have to perform an oral exam, and propose arguments to various questions. They are graded more so on the eloquence and beauty of their speech, and not as much content! The French LOVE their language.

I haven't taken many pictures recently, but these ones are from Pere Lachaise, the really cool, famous Parisian cemetary.

trip to Italy!

My trip to Italy was fabulous, minus the gaining 5 pounds situation. Which will be taken care of as of tomorrow. First I went to Florence with a friend from my program in Paris, and then I went to Rome alone. But I have some friends studying abroad in Rome so I was not alone the entire time! I LOVED the duomo and the views of Florence, i LOVED the food in Rome and wandering around running into ancient buildings. My friend and I rented a Vespa for the afternoon in Florence and that was probably the most terrifying experience of my life, I do not recommend ever doing that again. My trip made me want to see more of Italy!

Tomorrow I start my classes at Paris 8 Vincennes St-Denis, and I'm a little nervous about being held to the same standards as normal Parisians..I'm hoping the professeurs will take it easy on me. Today I went to les vendages a montmartre, which translates to the "grape harvest of montmarte", basically it is a giant food and wine festival right by the sacre coeur. The weather was perfect, the food and wine was so good, and the whole day was really fun. What is so great about studying abroad is that you get to experience these little cultural happenings that you wouldn't normally if you go on vacation - impromptu concerts, festivals, and events that happen during the non-vacation times of the year. For example, the FIAC art show is happening in a few weeks, which is supposed to be some big deal, and I never would have been able to attend it if i hadn't been in Paris in the middle of October.

Anyways, i'm at the halfway point in my abroad experience - how weird is that?!

I can't believe it is almost October! September definitely flew by. I had a very relaxing time in Paris this past week, I had a lot of schoolwork so I didn't do many exciting things, but I did eat a lot of absolutely amazing food. Today me and a friend wandered around the central/east-ish areas of Paris, and ended up finding the most amazing street of three incredible patisseries/chocolateries, and then we went to the centre pompidou.

My favorite Parisian food so far (and don't worry Mom, Dad and Isaac - you will be going to all of these places):

1. the falafel at L'as du falafel in the Marais

2. the roasted goat cheese/ham/walnut salad that you can get at any cafe

3. the croque monsieur at this tiny cafe off the champs-elysees somewhere. will have to find exact address.

4. pain au raisons in general.

5. chocolat chaud at angelina's (i must try the chocolat chaud at bread & roses to compare)

6. gelato at amorino

i feel like there are more but i can't remember them right now...must start making a list to share with all the people going abroad to paris next year!

so i know after that list most of you probably think i am gaining copious amounts of pounds but most of the time i eat really healthy things that i cook for myself for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but then every other day i'll splurge on some delicious snack or meal. mmmm.

well on friday i'm off to rome and florence for my fall break! love you all

The photos are from today..basically a Centre Pompidou and food adventure. We went to this awesome lebanese place where they make the pita-type bread right in front of you and we found a cupcake bakery! But got tarts instead...

week 3

Well I just got back from Barcelona! Can't say it was the best weekend of my life, definitely had ups and downs, starting with the whole almost missing my flight situation. Crisis averted however!

Things I liked about Barcelona:

1. roaming around the cobblestoned streets in the Gothic Quarter

2. the Picasso museum

3. the Dr. Suess Gaudi architecture

4. seeing friends from Hopkins

5. eating my way through the Mercato de Boqueria

6. speaking Spanish

Things I disliked about Barcelona:

1. the weather!! did not see one ray of sunshine until I left

2. the food did not sit very well with me

3. confusing Catalan with Spanish

4. traveling alone..but that's not Barcelona's fault.

Why Paris is better than Barcelona:

(No, just kidding. Although I was making that list in my head all weekend.) I really enjoyed comparing France to Spain, and I'm so happy I chose to spend my semester in Paris. I did enjoy speaking Spanish a lot though, definitely miss that.

Okay so the pictures... the first one is a Gaudi mansion; the second one is of the gummy candy wall at the Mercato; then me at La Pedrera, another strange Gaudi building; fourth one is of me and Hopkins friends and two Spaniards at the Placa del Sol; and then my hostel, which is the large gray building!

Week 2

Well I am about two weeks into my stay in Paris...can't really tell if its gone by slow or fast. Definitely feel totally settled in now, regardless!

This past week, classes didn't start until 4pm so I did a lot of "touristy" things like check out the Centre Pompidou, go to cute areas of town for lunch, etc. Class is actually pretty draining, 2 hours of intensive french language 4 days a week, and then 3 hours once a week of 'contemporary thought' - basically a class on the philosophy of modern paris. It is not easy, and its at 10am on friday and my professor opened up the class discussing whether "the present even exists" and I knew then that it would be a rough 3 hours!

Friday night, a friend of mine and I cooked dinner at my house (she picked up one of those delicious rotisserie chickens) and we had a fantastic apricot pastry for dessert...heavenly. I actually do not know why french people are so skinny, the whole "they walk everywhere" and "they eat small portions" is actually a myth. Yesterday, we explored the latin quarter and hung out with some new Parisian friends! Today we're checking out the "big daddy" of all flea markets, supposedly.

Next thursday I'm off to Barcelona! Getting very excited. Love you all! A bientot!

So the top photo is of the is of the family's cat who is super snuggly and friendly named Tigeroux, the second one is this local family-owned boulangerie, i thought it was funny that we now have tons of au bon pain chains in the US, and the last one is of me in the rose garden at Jardin des Plantes.

Bonjour mes amis!

Hello everyone! This will be my blog for the semester. I'll try and update every few weeks or so to give you all a sense of what my life is like here in Paris and traveling abroad! I live in the 16th arrondissement, which is basically a huge fancy residential area in the west of Paris. Its not the most exciting, but it is very beautiful and the apartment is huge and safe. So far, my program seems GREAT, and the girls in my program are really fun. (Notice how I mention girls, there are only 3 boys on the program. Isaac - that means take French! just kidding.)

I'm having some trouble formatting this blog, but the first photo is of me and my new group of girlfriends. The second two photos are of my university, Paris 8 Vincennes- St. Denis. The next one was a pretty shot near Notre Dame at night. The last two are of my walk to the Boston University center right through the Eiffel Tower! The weather here has been perfect and my walk to the BU center is pretty much idyllic.

I'll try and put up photos of where I live and some with me actually in them, but i'll update you when I do so.

LOVE YOU ALL!