Mid-Spring Break

Today I met with my professor from UTA who came to Paris for his spring break. Whenever I see a familiar person in Paris it makes me love Paris even more! We met at St. Michel by the fountain and then we walked a little while until we found a cafe. We had some cafe au creme and talked for a good hour. After we stopped at a boulangerie so I could get a baguette :) and he got a crepe! We then walked over to Notre Dame and sat and talked there for a while before we finally departed. It was a relaxing beautiful day in Paris with the sun out and I didn't even need my jacket it was so warm. Well...a light jacket was perfect.

Talking to my professor made me realize how much I have grown and how independent I have become. It's very easy to learn to be independent in Paris. I think that if anyone has the chance to they should study abroad during their college education. It is truly life changing and worth every second. You learn so much about yourself and how you want to live your life. I know what type of person I want to become and how I want to live my life. Before coming to Paris, I was literally a disaster and I had no clue what I wanted to do in my life or how I wanted to live it. Now I have found peace and control. But my professor did say that I will have reverse culture shock once I get back to the US and I will have to get used to the US again. Hopefully I can bring my love of walking and being outdoors and doing things by myself back to the states with me. I know I can't bring baguettes home with me but this heavenly tasting goodness will lead me back to Paris in the future.

I've been in Paris for 2 months now and I am half way done already. Time has flown by and each day I am loving it here more and more. French kids are absolutely ADORABLE and I will always remember the time I saw a kindergarden class outside for a walk and each boy had a hand of a girl and they were bundled up so tightly with scarves and hats and mittens. They were nonstop talking in french and o how I wish that I could talk like them in french. It was the cutest moment and it made me want to take one of those kids home....just for a day and then give it back! haha! Besides seeing the darn tootinest kids, the beautiful monuments, different cities in France, and meeting people from all over the world, I enjoy my independence the most. From the time that I first arrived at the airport and basically had an emotional breakdown on the phone with the ISA director, I have become stronger as a person and I know that anything is possible if you just tell yourself to "just do it." (I totally agree with Nike.) There's not a person in this world that can make you do something. Only you can. Just believe in yourself and get out there in the world and do it. Make it happen. My professor and I talked about how dependent Americans are and that many women my age are so focused on finding the right man and getting married and already starting families. At my age, I am still young and I think that if women do not have the independence and strength to be on their own, they should find it in themselves before they go looking for it in a man. A man does not complete your life. Money does not complete your life. In Paris, there are SO many single people and I remember my ISA rep Christelle tell me "I don't need a man! I got myself!" I admire her. She is super outgoing and friendly and always smiling and happy! She's just the type of woman that I want to become! Overall, I think that I could live in Paris and be happy. J'adore le metro and I'm going to miss that the most! I love walking to wherever I want to go. I love the family lifestyle here...going out during the day to work/school and coming home and spending time together in the evening. Parisians don't sit at home during the day. They get out and find something to do even if they don't have work. And there is always something to do in Paris which is another thing I love. Tomorrow I leave for London and my professor told me to compare London to Paris and see if after 2 days in London I still want to come back to Paris. This is because I told him that whenever I went to Bordeaux, Cannes, Nice, and Monte-Carlo, near the end of my time in those cities, I just wanted to get back home to Paris. For some reason when I travel to other places now, after a few days I start missing Paris BEAUCOUP. I love it here. I love the Parisian life. While me and Michele were in Nice, we overheard a few people say "sont Parisians" while looking at us and that made me feel good. Although Parisians are thought to be somewhat stuck-up, atleast they didn't call us stupid Americans.

Right now I am packed and ready to leave for London in the morning. I will be staying for 3 days and I get back to Paris Saturday night. Then spring break is over for me. I have an essay to write that is due Wednesday and I have to start studying for my last midterm.