I leave three weeks from today, but make a 3-day stop in Iceland on the way home. Need to get on booking a hotel/hostel....
It was so hard going back to school after Spring Break. So hard. Especially when my professor who cancelled class decided to schedule a make-up class- for Friday morning. Bleck. But I made an exciting discovery over the course of the week as well: I can read French! As in, actually sit there and fully comprehend an article, with all of it's tenses and nuance, from start to finish. Granted, it takes me a lot longer than it would to read the same article in English (something I could scan in 15 seconds in English takes me maybe 2 minutes in French), and I do of course still have to look up the odd vocabulary word. But I'm properly reading French! I am also finally getting to the point where I can listen to and speak French without having to consciously translate everything. I wouldn't dare claim to be fluent, but I think I may very well be approaching proficiency. Wheeee!
I was also able to help a girl learn about adverbs and adjectives at my volunteer position- the same day that we worked on them in my own grammar class.....
Today was absolutely excellent. The Central Folk took an organized trip to Giverny, about 45 minutes outside of Paris. Giverny is where Claude Monet lived and worked for most of his career. His house has mainly Japanese art inside, which has a historical explanation but was still odd, but the gardens. Oh my goodness the gardens. I will have a full post on the visit at some point, but just know that today, I walked along the famous water lily pond. No blooms on the lilies at this point in the year, sadly, but it was GORGEOUS.
I've scrapped my plan to take a day trip to Geneva next weekend. When I first conceived of the idea a month or so ago, I was worrying about only going to a few countries while over here. Now that the time is upon me, however, I am far more worried about not being able to fully enjoy the rest of my time in Paris! It is so lovely out now, and there are so many picnics I still want to have! I've located an available rooftop for the evening picnic my foyer-mate Vanessa and I want to have, and I have several girls who are amenable to at least one more picnic along the Seine, and under the Eiffel Tower. Probably also a return visit to the Bois de Bourlogne. I need to watch the sunset at Sacre Coeur, and get another crepe! I haven't had one in probably two months- it's an absolute travesty. I need to see Elise at least once more before I go. And I need to pass all of my finals. Psh, details.
Finally, I leave you with a picture I stole off of another girl's Facebook. It is probably the only photo that exists that proves that I indeed swam in the Mediterranean while on Spring Break. This one's for you, Daddy:
Love the photo in the Mediterranean! And I think you are so smart to back off and just Live in Paris while you're there. What an opportunity. Travel and sightseeing is always going to be an option in life, but Living somewhere is only an option a very few times. Lucky you to have figured that out. Enjoy! And don't stop sending these posts - those of us who are past the option of Living somewhere else are living there vicariously instead! ;)
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