Because I haven’t blogged in a really long time I will start with 2 Sundays ago when I went to my host brother’s (Julien) Rugby game. My host mom invited me because I had kept asking her when Julien had a game close to home so I could go. So finally I got to go to one and it reminded me of when I would go watch soccer games. All the parents sitting in the stands cheering on their boys and then after the game both teams ate lunch and the parents had prepared all the food. It was very family oriented and everyone was very happy and friendly. I remember receiving a lot of bisous that day!
So the first week of May I had 3 finals and so I basically studied and had a boring week in Paris. My 3 exams were all essay and my hand cramped up multiple times, especially during my 3 hour exams. I think I wrote for 2.5 hours nonstop in 2 of my classes.
Saturday May 8 I went shopping with Kirsten and I finally found my dress that I have been looking for my whole time in Paris. J It is an off white color with pink florals on it as if they were painted on by Monet. I also bought 2 skirts and my host brother tried them on just to see how they would fit on him…hilarious. Kirsten bought me 2 macarons for my birthday and I had the chocolate caramel and vanilla. They were absolutely amazing and especially the chocolate caramel and vanilla. YUM!! After leaving the mall in the afternoon I then went home dropped off my clothes and I went to the art festival along the canal near my apartment. There were skits and theatrical acts going on all along the canal and in the park. It was very relaxing to walk around and I definitely enjoyed this one skit with a man and a woman. The man was doing different tricks for the kids and my favorite was when he was juggling apples and he took a bite out of the apple every time he caught one and then when his mouth was full he spit out all the apple pieces on the kids sitting in the front row. So adorable! Later it started to rain and then I went back to the apartment. Because my host mom had gone to the hospital me and Julien went to his best friend’s house for dinner. His mom also had a foreign exchange student and she was from Canada. She was going to Parsons in Paris which is a fashion school. She was so sweet and I spent the evening talking to her after dinner while Julien hung out with his friend.
Sunday May 9 I met up with Michele at St. Michel and we went to Angelina’s for some hot chocolate! It was SOOO YUMMY! It was thick and creamy and probably the best hot chocolate I have ever had! After that we walked around Paris a little more and then we departed. I went back to my neighborhood to walk around because there was like a huge garage sale going on but yet it was along the street. So I walked through that and Michele called me back and she came to meet me again. So I took her to the art festival along the canal and we enjoyed a baguette listening to a concert for the evening!
Monday May 10…MY BIRTHDAY J I went to Disneyland with Daphne and it was probably the BEST birthday I have ever had! I felt like a kid again and I was sad leaving the park at the end. Daphne had been to Disneyland in Paris multiple times so we didn’t even need a map. I believe we used it one time just to make sure we were taking the shortest route to see Jack Sparrow. I first got my picture with Buzz Lightyear and he blew me a kiss as I said good bye. We then went on to ride the Hollywood Tower ride and that was soo much fun! I had a blast and the workers played the part So well! They never smiled and they kept straight faces the whole time and made jokes about us needing good luck and to hold on tight so we don’t die. After riding that we then went to go take a picture with Sully who is a Monster in Monsters Inc. In the studio park we also rode the Finding Nemo roller coaster and that was AWESOME! We watched the parade go by with all the characters and we also did the Armageddon attraction. My favorite part was when the floor dropped and the fire blazed in the middle of the room! Later we had our picture taken with Minnie! In the main park I had my picture taken with Winnie the Pooh and we walked all through the castle and I ate a candy apple while Daphne had popcorn. We then went and saw Jack Sparrow and got our picture taken with him with our pirate faces! And we also rode the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. We then went to Space mountain….My FAVORITE!! I loved it when we swirled on the coaster with the ride lights surrounding us! It was awesome! After we did everything that we wanted and we saw everyone and took tons of pictures we did some souvenir shopping and I got a tigger mug, some mickey suckers, a keychain, a Disneyland pen, and some candy for my birthday present to me! I would have to admit that I went with the best girl because she was just excited as I was the whole time! And she stood in a long line with me to see Winnie the Pooh! I’m very lucky for her to go with me because she knew where everything was and I saw everything!! O and we even went through the Alice in Wonderland maze which was cute!
I can’t believe I will be home on Saturday. Home as in…BEDFORD, TEXAS. I’ve grown so much from this experience and I have seen so many things. I have seen multiple ways of life and I don’t want to take those small things in life for granted like I used to. I have made life-long friends and I know I will be back to this city of love in the future. I will definitely be visiting my host family again and they have invited me back to visit. I feel like I have changed for the better and I have become more focused and determined and I’m back on track. I can’t wait to get home and get a new dog and to spread some more happiness and smiles! I feel like I have grown in my independence and I have been told that if I can make it in Paris I can make it anywhere. Although this last week has been gloomy with cloudy weather and rain, I’m going to make the best of my last 2 days here! Thursday I plan on going to the Louvre one last time and then Friday a picnic at the Eiffel if it’s not raining and not too cold. Saturday my plain takes off from Paris at 7:40am. My shuttle is picking me up before the crack of dawn at 3:30am and I’m not excited. I am going to miss Paris and I will definitely cry leaving my host family. But it will feel sweet coming home to a place where everything is familiar and everyone speaks English J Here I come Texas!
It's not Goodbye Paris...it's See you later!
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