Reflections & Gratitude

So I did it...yes this is a bit delayed but quand même. Navigated 3 airports, took the metro and RER to get to the first one all while lugging my stuffed luggage along. People did help me with the stairs though, I don't know if it looked like I was struggling or because I was a girl or alone but I appreciated it. I can tell I've come along way when I got to exactly the right stations and people were asking me for directions, I also even checked my luggage in French even after the lady saw my student visa. I had an interesting short flight from CDG to HTW, this crazy French business guy was trying to get a French phone and to use it on the plane and was basically soliciting the flight attendant, I wouldn't of understood anything if that had been the flight on the way to France...
 Then at Heathrow in London I attempted to get something to eat since they took euros but they'd only take one coin and I couldn't find a 2 euro one and the conversion to british pounds is terrible so I gave up. The flight was smooth other than the multiple crying babies but what can you do.

Second first impressions on America/Americans:
Do we reallly sounds like that?
Wow. We reallly stand out (especially abroad, so many in London)
So. Much. English.

Also having to remember not to say: merci/pardon/bonjour/bon journée/etc after having that drilled into my brain for 5 months. It was especially sad leaving the plane in London because all the staff was French and I had my last au revoir :(( It became so automatic that ordering things in English is still kind of awkward.
It's also funny that coming into London on train I was drilled with questions and by going through security THREE TIMES and I was more prepared this time but also more tired they were much nicer? Hmm

and then I was in Michigan and it was muggy and 80 something degrees. So grateful for my boyfriend for picking me up at McNamara though! It's just now getting real that I'm here and obviously I'm really satisfied with the experience I had and I'm beyond grateful for everything and finally to be home but I'm also quite sad. It's because there are so many things (mainly cultural) that just don't exist here or are harder to find, I miss the French way of life as difficult as it was to adjust to in the first place. Home has a different kind of sense (where is it?!) moving around like crazy these past 6 months. I feel like my life doesn't fit in my little room in Warren any more (good thing I'll have an apartment in Kalamazoo next fall!!) after living out of 2 suitcases for 5 months it's definitely time to de-clutter a bit. It's taken me a while but I'm settling into "home home."

Bisous
Liz

Paris encore une fois!

So before heading back to the states (where I am now) we decided to go to Paris for our last few days in France. It was less stressful as we didn't have to go from Besançon and fly in that day and because Paris is just amazing, the best place to see again before going home. 

Hotel des Invalides, very close to where we were staying. It's where Napoleon is buried.

It doesn't feel like Paris till you see the Eiffel Tower

The street where we were staying, instead of booking a hotel or hostel we decided to look on Airbnb.com and found an inexpensive apartment in the 7th arrondisement. It was nice and clean, our host was really nice and the location was great! It was kind of weird staying there like in someone's apartment but I had a good experience with it.

The second morning we were at a starbucks in Montparnasse for breakfast and Tyler was wearing a Western shirt and this couple in front of us asked if we went to Western because they did and were from Kalamazoo! It's a small world

Jardin de Luxembourg

Luxembourg Palace

Panthéon

Notre Dame & Pont des Arts again

Decided to go back to Père Lachaise on a mission to find Edith Piaf and Gertrude Stein (since the last time it was closing and we got kicked out)

Oscar Wilde

Gertrude Stein

And Edith! En fin!

Walked through Pigalle and saw the Moulin Rouge and happened to have starbucks just across from it. We decided to walk a lot since we were so close and just walk through lots of things on our way.

Found the wall of I love yous/Le mur des je t'aime

Maxim's from the movie Gigi and Midnight in Paris and a million celebrities of all kinds have been here

Didn't go in the Musée Rodin but I recognized it from a culture point with all the stickers

Grand Palais

Petit Palais

Jardin de Champs Élysées

This Guignol theatre is the one in the film Charade with Audrey Hepburn

EN FINNN, I went to Ladurée and it was a dream

I was by Shakespeare & Co before but I didn't go in until now. I was kind of disappointed it was all English books and not French but oh well, I still loved it

Decided to treat myself to a croque monsieur and a vanilla creme brûlée at Le chien qui fume

I'm so happy I got to go to Paris again before I left because there's nothing quite like it. There's something in the air that makes Paris magic. It's hard to believe all my European adventures over for now but it's definitely nice to be home! The flight was fine it was just very exhausting and also not that much fun having a layover and navigating 3 different airports but now I can finally relax.

Bisous

Liz