Je suis vraiment desolee

Bonjour ya'all!

I'm sorry I haven't been updating for the past few days...I got sick on Friday and went and tired myself out on Saturday so that I couldn't move all day Sunday. On top of that, I was a tad depressed.

I just felt very alone, and being in a foreign country where I have to think three times before I even say the simplest statements really was starting to wear on me. That combined with the fact that all my money is disappearing WAY faster than I'm used to (Euro conversions have been horrible) and being away from my family, friends, and boyfriend was an...interesting combination. But around last night, I hit rock bottom, and after that, the only way to go is up. So I'm slowly beginning to appreciate things again, although I will admit that I have been wanting a vacation. Barcelona, maybe?(I know. A vacation from PARIS? But Paris is mostly work for me, not necessarily a lot of play.)

BUT.

On Saturday, S. and I helped my host mother with her art show, and then we went exploring. We walked THREE MILES to the Eiffel Tower, but it was nice to just slow down, and meander, and talk.



My host mom's exhibition.



Best cheeseburger ever. And S.



Sunday, like I said, was full of the sickness. I was mad. EVERYTHING here is closed on Sundays. How does the city function whilst everything is closed, you may ask? Well, I don't know, but apparently it does. Even the Supermarkets and Pharmacies were closed. Seriously.

Yesterday, I had class in the morning and then I came home around 3 and read in the local park on Blvd Perriere. It was 70 degrees and sunny, and I think I got a tiny bit of a tan. :-)



Today was...funny.

I went to classes this morning, and during my lunch break, trekked to the other side of Paris to the house of Balzac, a famous French author. The house was nice and all, and free (!) but the interesting part was getting back into the Metro station.

My NAVIGO pass didn't go through. It just wouldn't work, I kept getting a stupid red X. So I said, Okay, this is no big deal, I'll just buy a one-way pass and check with someone later.

That would have been a great idea if I had money. Well, I had a 10euro bill but the machines only take those 1 and 2 euro coins, so I had a problem. SO THEN I thought, well, I'll just go to the attendant.

There was none. Yeah.

So i called my professor and she suggested I just jump the turnstile. I couldn't believe it. I was going to get arrested. I would be in jail, being leered at by creepy men called Lenny, who smelled like beer and piss and I would have to make my one phone call to my Director. If they even let you have your one phone call. For all I knew, they would ship me on a plane back the States, in a dirty New York harbor.....

But I took her advice anyways and jumped the freakin turnstile.

I was terrified. But here's the thing; NO ONE EVEN CARED.

They didn't even look twice.

Just the same, I kept my head down until I got on the train and off at my stop at Montparnasse.



Whatever. After my classes, I came home and had dinner with my host family. All the children were home and we had a blast. We played a game of Risk after dinner, and I don't remember when I've had so much fun playing a board game.

But now, it is time for bed. br>


--C.