Paris, Je T'aime

So as many of you know, I finally arrived in Paris this week and what a week it has been! I meant to get this blog up and running much earlier but this is actually the first time I've had the time and/or energy.

En debut, let me start by saying I LOVE IT HERE! As I was saying to my roommate last night as we sat on a bench overlooking Notre Dame (yes, the one with the hunchback), Paris almost a mythical city. By all accounts, it shouldn't be a real place, yet here we are!

I'll do my best to summarize the past week. After about 18 hours of travel, 3 airplane meals, and only 2 or 3 minor nervous breakdowns, I arrived in Paris on Sunday morning. My lovely roommate Camille took a cab to our homestay, and proceeded to giggle like maniacs the entire time as we attempted to get our combined 300 pounds of luggage into the courtyard, dial in two codes, and up a spiral staircase. Speaking of my homestay, we are living in the 11th Arrondisement, which is on the Rive Droite (or right bank for our american friends) near La Place de la Republique, with la famille De Virville. Our new french parents are possibly the cutest old couple I've ever met; Catherine is a former librarian who now is a nanny to her many grandchildren, and Jacques (doesn't get more french than that!) is a retired Biology professor. The apartment is pretty spectacular, complete with library and its own suit of armor!

We ventured to school the next day, which by the way is about a block from the Eiffel Tower, and I must say, it was quite different than anticipated! Our teachers and BU staff are quite characters, but in the best way possible because I really feel like I'm going to learn so much from them. Although, I have to point out that at least 3 of their introductions started with "So I came to Paris to study abroad, then I met someone and we got married...." and they've all encouraged us to date french, so we'll just have to see what happens! After our first day, Camille and I walked home from school and along our route, hit about every Parisian landmark including the Eiffel Tower, Les Invalides, Musee D'Orsay, Musee Louvre, and Notre Dame!

On Wednesday, we had a "degustation" where we sampled wine and food from different regions of France, which basically meant BU got us all drunk before noon, I could get used to this. The rest of the week has been a blur of sites, sounds, and of course tastes! Last night, BU again wined and dined us at a creperie and took us to a lovely movie called Le Petit Nicholas, which was basically all french children and possibly the cutest movie I've ever seen. On that note, as my classmate Andrew so eloquently stated, all french children are just cuter! They're always singing, skipping, or doing something so adorable you can barely stand to look at them...I WANT ONEEEE!

Tomorrow we're off to Chateau Versailles, home of former King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, with whom, as many of you know, I'm obsessed, so I'm very excited to visit again and explore the grounds more thoroughly. Hopefully this weekend I'll be more fully over my jet-lag--which has, quite frankly, taken me out back and had its way with me this trip--and I'll be able to dish about the tres chic Parisian nightlife (outside of the gay bar in Le Marais that we ventured into last night, don't judge!)

A bientot mes petits chous! Beaucoup de bisous xoxox