First Week Thoughts

Now that I have been living in Paris for almost two weeks I feel like I have been here for a lot longer as I am started to really know my neighborhood and recognize the people that live here.  The first couple of days were really hard, the jet lag made me feel completely out of it and not myself, I was sleeping for hours and hours at random times of the day and I couldn’t sleep through the night, but luckily that is over with.  Once the jet lag was over with, I was able to venture around this the 11 and 12 arrondissements without a map which was an achievement.  I love everything about our neighborhood. Around Ave. Daumesnil there is a long running trail, two grande marches (outdoor markets), a bunch of boulangeries, cafes, and shops, and just down by the Bastille there are a ton of bars, and Accent is only a five minute walk from our apartments. 

The markets are my favorite place to shop and the produce is so fresh; I have been getting the best grapefruits I have ever had and I feel like I’m immersing myself more in French culture when I shop there.  I have been waiting for a croque madame, which is basically a grilled cheese with ham and an egg on top, ever since I took French in high school and I have had two so far and they are amazing!  I’ve been eating my way through Paris and even went to my first fondue dinner last night with accent which was so good.  

I am also getting the hang of the metro system and I have even explored a little by myself (don’t worry mom only during the day).  I am always in awe when I step out of the metro station because there is always an incredible building or statue or something everywhere I go.  It’s fun to pick random metro stops and just see what we find.  I’ve also done a little bit of shopping, mostly window though because clothes here are a lot more expensive than back home especially somewhere like Galleries Lafayette.  

We are starting to get our calendars together and are thinking about doing some weekend trips together.  Oh so the people I am hanging out with are mostly all SDSU students and I have been going out a lot with three other girls from State, my roommate Nikki, Caitlin, and Thuy Tien (“2-10”).  They are really fun and we are basically always all together when we go explore.

I love being here and I am trying to do as much as I can the only thing that is difficult is the weather, it is just so cold and it’s hard to stay out all day when it is in the thirties, so hopefully it warms up soon so we can go explore more of Paris.