Paris!

Paris from the dome of Sacre Coeur, Montmartre. 22 May, 2016

I’m actually in Paris! This insane, ambitious, absurd plan of mine is actually being realized.

Well, I’m alive and well in France, and it’s been extraordinary. I’ve been here for four days now and seen just about every tourist site you possibly could in Paris, and then some.

The French-speaking element has actually been going alright. It’s more challenging than I thought it would be, for sure. Mostly because in class, you keep on trying to speak French even when you mess up, and in Paris, the moment they catch on that you’re not native, they immediately switch to English and refuse to go back. So, if you want to speak French, it really does have to be perfect on your first try. But I’ve caught myself thinking in French more and more often, and the switch between French and English is becoming incredibly natural to me. One day soon, one day soon.

French food is beyond wonderful – even with my limited vegetarian cuisine choices, it’s pretty much impossible to be disappointed after a French meal, and if you are, just ask for crème brûlée and it’ll solve your problems. The U of R group of kids on the trip (eleven, including me) is great – we obviously all are very different and we’d probably never hang out if it weren’t for this trip, but it’s an amazing bonding experience, exploring a foreign city with people you’ve just met. And I easily forget that we’re all from Rochester – it feels bizarre to talk about school, honestly.

The most French experiences I’ve had in my 100 hours in Paris:

1.      Drinking Merlot by the Seine at night, across from Notre Dame

2.      Eating chèvre crêpes in the heart of the Latin Quarter

3.      Seeing Paris from all three angles: The tower of Notre Dame, the dome of Sacre Cœur, and the summit of the Tour d’Eiffel.

4.      Going on a run through the Place de la Bastille in the foggy French morning, getting hopelessly lost, and asking for directions in French from a café.

Well – I’m off to Rennes (*pronounced Renn) until June 14^th. It’s a French city in the Brittany region, southeast of Normandy, on the west coast of France. There’ll be lots of exciting stories to come: I’m meeting my host family today (I literally know nothing about them except their name), and I’ll finally be unpacking this 49.5 lb suitcase I brought, and actual classes begin tomorrow morning.

Paris, France ; 22 May, 2016