Paris: La Ville-Lumière

As of today we have been in Paris for four whole days.  In those four whole days we have thoroughly exhausted ourselves in our lengthy explorations of the city.  Below I've included some highlights.

Most memorable eating spot: eating a delicious chocolate pastry under the pleasant shade of trees… while in a cemetery (in my defense, many Parisiens faisaient la même chose).

Une tarte au chocolat

The best food I’ve had is simple and fresh.  My favorite meal so far has been a sandwich of fresh-baked bread with tomato, brie, and chèvre that I ate with friends in front of the Centre Pompidou.  You will not hear me complain about the warm pain au chocolat I have for breakfast every morning here.  Our hostel buys them, as well as its loaves of bread and croissants, fresh every morning.  I’ve found a people who, like me, find excuses to eat chocolate at every meal of the day, and I’m happy to have made it.

A mural near the Pompidou (modern art museum)

Best park (as of today, which is our fourth day here): Le Parc Montsouris.  A friend and I spent a good hour sitting on a bench in this park this morning people watching.  Since Sunday is a day the French set aside to spend with family, we watched a entertaining parade of petits enfants, tiny versions of their well-dressed parents, tottering along the path, chasing pigeons, and frolicking in the grass.

Honestly I would love nothing more than to spend hours over a meal with friends here.  Every café I pass has this perfect, glowing ambience and is filled with people.  I cannot wait to join them.

Seen as of today:  Notre Dame, Sacre Coeur, Montmartre, Bastille, le Tour Eiffel, boat tour of the Seine

Still to explore: Le Quartier Latin, Les Halles, and spontaneous coffee at a petit café  (**This list will continue to grow as I learn more about Paris.)

See below for pictures of our explorations in Montmartre: 

Exploring Montmartre

Sacre Coeur

From South India to Paris, France

While clearing out my bookshelves as I packed for a semester abroad in France I realized something about myself.  I am a young woman in transition.  As I sorted through the books, out went the Pendragon and Princess Diaries series, in came my favorite books from my last two years of college.  Books like In Spite of the Gods and Maimonides' Guide of the Perplexed rested next to my high school favorites, Mrs. Dalloway, Life of Pi, and others.  Yet my childhood favorites remained on the shelves.  Good Night Moon, Charlottes' Web, and the Harry Potter series, sat next to my new, grown-up novels.  My overflowing bookshelves chronicle my transition from child to young adult.  As I contemplate a semester (four months) in France, I carry these books, the books that have led me to attend Davidson, to study abroad in India, and now travel to France, with me in my heart and mind.

I write this from Davidson, North Carolina, where I have spent that past few days catching up with friends and finishing up my summer responsibilities.  Just as it was strange to be here before leaving for India, it is strange to be here now.  I am happy to be here and see friends before leaving, to enjoy the Carolina blue sky and the golden sunlight of the early morning, and to have the time to read the paper at leisure.  For me, August has always had a sense of excitement that hangs in the still, hot air.  As the hot, muggy days give way to crisp fall mornings, I inherently know it is time for me to start anew.

For the past three years, each August has brought me a new beginning.  The fall of my freshman year I headed off onto a backpacking trip and then onto my freshman orientation.  The fall of my sophomore year I flew to India for a semester abroad in South Asia and the Middle East.  The fall of this year, my junior year, I fly to France, where I will live for the the next four months.

Why a semester in India and then a semester in France?  Could I have chosen to study abroad in two more different places?  Probably not.  Though, since I have never been to France, I cannot yet say.  So far I have been able to predict and experience these differences:

• Packing for three seasons in one suitcase is a nightmare.  Long-gone are the days in India where I could pack two pair of shoes and 5 outfits and be just fine for 4 months.

• In France I will be able to drink tap water and eat fruit and salad! (It's the little things.)

• I'm expecting a drastic transition from multi-religious India to secular France.  In India religion was a normal, almost expected part of daily life.  Everyone, save the few young, secular Hindus I encountered, considered religion a critical part of their lives (more on this, I'm sure).

Advice I've received: wear black clothing, walk everywhere, (within reason) say yes to new experiences, make friends with locals, and speak and think only in French.  Some of these tasks will be easier than others.

As with many new opportunities in life, everyone will have their own opinion and advice on the matter.  Only by going to France myself will I learn for myself, through trial and error, what works and what does not, such as where the good running paths and coziest cafes are, and what's the fastest route to school.  

So begins my next adventure!  A bientôt!