Isn't the Eiffel Tower just gorgeous?!? 

Some of our group at the Tour de France on July 20th! 

Paige, Me and Kristi after we stumbled upon the Eiffel Tower! 

Here we are having a few drinks at the best little Mexican restaurant in all of Paris! 

God Bless America...

I am just back from a month in one of the most wonderful cities in the world, Paris! I had the most amazing time and it has been incredibly difficult to come back to Knoxville. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE America, but knowing that I won't be wondering the streets of Paris looking for hidden treasures and adventures among the city is quite saddening. For those of you who have asked here is a brief run down of the last four weeks of my life...

On July 4th we left the comforts of home for an adventure that was sure to prove both exciting and trying for all of us. The first couple of days were pretty much a blur. There was some adjustment needed for the time difference, not to mention the culture shock that we all inevitably faced (some more than others). After checking in to our new home, Cite Universitaire, we took off to see the wonders that would await us in the comming month.

It took no time at all to learn the metro system, which was good since that and our own two feet were our primary source of transportation! Over the course of the next few days we would begin to learn more about the history of Paris and why the people do and say the things they do. But the real fun started on the second week.

Feeling a bit gutsy, we decieded to have a girls night out. Unfortunantly, we didn't heed the warnings that the french tend to be extremely obnoxious to American girls, especially when there is a national holiday involved! We headed out on the eve of Bastille (Bastille is the french equivalent to the fourth of July in the US), hoping for a night of fun and laughter. We had been warned that around Bastille day it is not uncommon for the locals to throw fireworks at people in the metro and other crowded places. As bizare as this sounds, I don't think any of us ever expected to actually incounter this experience. We were in for a BIG shock! After being approached by several over-zealous men, and followed by one through the metro, we thought we had escaped the worst. That was until we tried to end our night and couldn't find a cab. Seeing as it was a holiday and there were several people out celebrating the cabs were few and far between at 2 am. So we began our search only to find more trouble. As we waited at taxi stands around the Bastille area we were constantly bothered by young french men who would harass us and say the most vulger things. The next two hours were a nightmare! I got so bad that we were practically running down the street praying for a miracle , when out of the blue a taxi appeared and took all five of us home. We learned later that in France it is against the law to carry more than 3 passengers and there were 5 of us. We definitly had guardian angels that night.

After the shock wore off, we started trying things around the city again. The next night a few of us ventured down to the eiffel tower to watch the fireworks and then went to a little cafe where we met the most awesome french guy. His name was Martin and he was eighteen years old. He was still in school, but we were shocked to find out he had learned all of his english from watching American television and movies, which he loved. He started changing our impression of french people.

That Thursday, we went to the old oprea house to see a ballet. It was proabably one of my favorite things on the trip. Friday night we took a trip to Vaux, an old castle where a french aristocrat used to live. It was built by the same architect as Varseille (where Louis XIV lived). It was incredibly gorgeous.

On Saturday morning, some of us headed off to Nice. Nice was so beautiful, but if I learned anything there, it was not to lay out for 8 hours wearing only baby oil. I got FRIED! We also went to Monte Carlo one night while we were in the south of France. Monte Carlo was even better than I had heard. I have never seen so many Ferraris and Bentleys in one place. We managed to loose a little money in just about every casino along the Mediteranian, but the weekend was still a blast.

The next week we geared up for Belguim. First we went to Brussles for two days and then to Brugge, which was, in my opinion, the only enjoyable part of Belguim (other than the chocolate). While in Belguim we stayed in the old Monestary that had been converted into a quaint little bed and breakfast. It was so nice to be away from the awful living situation at Cite! The best story from Brussles was the night we went out for a group dinner. I hadn't eaten anything all day and I was pretty hungry. As it so often happened on the trip, I couldn't make sense of the menu. On the specials list there was a dish that translated to "American Plate" and it listed fries as a side dish, so I assumed this was safe. Another thing we discovered early on in Brussles was a beer called Duvel, which translated means "Devil," this is because it is about 13% in alcohol. I ordered a Duvel and the American Plate and so the night began. I was almost finished with the first Duvel when my dish came. I started crying, the American Plate did in fact have fries, but the main course was something that resembled raw meat that had made it's way through a food processor. It was awful! So I wiped my tears, eat the fries, and ordered another Duvel. By the time I finished the second beer I was about three sheets to the wind. This seemed to be great entertainment for nearly everyone else, but for me it was just another reason to hate Belgium! The day we went to Brugge I woke up terribly sick. As the day progressed, my sore throat got so bad I couldn't even talk. (Which I am sure was a nice relief for some!) On the train back to Paris I passed out and when I woke up I had the worst fever and all I wanted to do was go back to the states.

We had to start working on our projects for the final week, so I sucked it up and tried to make the most of it. Everyone stayed in Paris that weekend and we got to see the Tour de France on Sunday. It was so exciting to see all the Americans holding thier flags as they cheered Lance Armstrong on to his sixth victory. Thanks to the antibiotics I got just by walking into the pharmacy, I was feeling alot better by Sunday night.

The last week went by so fast, I can't even remember all the things we did. I do remember that as the trip progressed, for the most part, things only got better, and better! I had the time of my life and I would do the whole thing over in a heartbeat!

Going into the trip my expectations were not that high and I never expected to meet such wonderful new friends. As a whole the experience was a huge learning experience. I learned alot about myself and I am a richer person for doing it. I also have a completely new appreciation for my country and a deeper pride for all things American. While it was incredibly heartbreaking to leave Paris, I have never been to happy as I was when I landed at JFK on Monday afternoon. We are truely blessed to be American.

Welcome to my world!

This is my first attempt at being a blogger (I guess that is what you would call someone who posts blogs)! I wanted to share my thoughts and experiences with my friends and the nosey people who like to peek into the lives of people they don't know or don't know well. I hope that you will find humor, optimism and occasionally a hint of cynicism, but above all, I hope you see the world according to me. Enjoy!