La vie Stephanoise

Well, it's finally happened! I'm in St. Etienne!!! I just finished unpacking all of my stuff after a successful trip to the Auchan (which is like Walmart but much, much better) for groceries and towels and other necessities including a 46 cent baguette. People here are definitely nicer than in Paris, I've already noticed! I'm just relieved to be here settling in!

These are a few of my favorite things...

In no particular order...

1) Café

2) Rachel and I doing whatever we want in Paris, even though the French pretty much think we're insane. (The pictured café had a stick of chocolate in it...obviously meant to be eaten seperately.)

3) Sitting on benches.

4) Sitting on the ground looking homeless.

5)Making mad faces while posing in front of national monuments (see the tiny Eiffel Tower?!?)

6) French trains

7) The Rhone-Alpes region of France, which just so happens to be where I'm going to be living for the next 7 months!!

This is St. Etienne!!

8) French salad dressing, french bread, and putting french mustard on everything!

9) Sunny days

10) SKYPE!

In other news: Today I went to St. Etienne, which is the town I'll be living in, for the very first time!! My only knowledge of the city was from my host family who said it was 'not beautiful'...not a good sign. To me, it was adorable. It's a little French city, and I think I'll be very happy there!

The other very important thing I did today, besides laying eyes on St. Etienne for the first time, was checking out the apartment/roommate that I set up before leaving for France. I was beyond nervous that something was going to go wrong, so I didn't want to say anything to jinx it, but it's for real! I officially HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE! (M&I coworkers: I didn't even need the canned chicken or cardboard sign yet!) The apartment is pretty cute and there is a fireplace IN MY BEDROOM. It's very typically French, with a really nice French girl named Mathilde, and it's exactly what I was looking for! And it's close to the center of St. Etienne, which is wonderful! Needless to say, it's a major relief. I feel beyond lucky to have gotten this figured out, and just as I was told it all worked out in the end!!!!

So after 2 months, I am no longer homeless! :)

A day in pictures

So today was my first day back in the swing of things in Paris! However, choosing a Sunday to do that was kind of a dumb choice as most things are closed on Sundays. It was good walking around and reminiscing at any rate though!!

This is a picture taken from where Rachel, Holly, and I sat on the banks of the Seine for quite some time today. We have been having some AMAZING weather in Paris!!!

The following picture is of a man we saw. Mind you, it was about 67 degrees in Paris today. Parisians were wearing coats and scarves. Also, look at all the people around, unphased!!!

Pschitt! What a drank out of a cup that had a picture of a giraffe wearing nothing but a bikini and boasted pulp and bubbles.

That's all for now, folks. France is weird.

Oh Ternaux....

For my first full day in France today was definitely a strange one!! Like I said in my post yesterday, today I went with Rachel to Reims! Reims is a very pretty town, and apparently only about 45 minutes by train from Paris, which is really great for Rachel!

Anyway, we spent pretty much the entire day taking wrong turns and making bad decisions (but not fun ones really) all of which made us realize how much tougher we are now than we were 2 years ago!!

At one point we were so lost/tired, we just decided to sit down on a bench at a bus stop for TWO HOURS!!! Let's just say, when people say 'apartment hunting' they mean really HUNTING. It was practically the most impossible thing ever to find these places we were looking for, not helped at all by the fact the Rachel didn't have a decent map of Reims, internet wasn't working, and her phone was dead! Oh la la...

At any rate, we made it back safe and sound, and the day was quite eventful.

I LOVE being able to come home (home in Paris anyway) and be able to use the internet, while it lasts at least!! I opened my inbox to 25 new emails! One of which was from Jamie, promising to write me everyday. Pretty much the nicest thing I've ever read. :)

It tears my heart in two to think of all I'm missing back home, but makes me really happy to know that people are thinking of me, because I'm definitely thinking of them.

Je suis arriveé!!

Well, I made it! My flight was exactly what I expected it to be, actually it was an hour EARLY of all things!! Who has ever heard of a flight getting in EARLY!? Anyway, I got all of my luggage, sans problème, and met Jacques and Marie-Lou (my host parents during my study abroad in Paris in 2006). They decided to take me (straight off an airplane, stinky and gross) to what ended up being one of the nicest restaurants I've ever been to for lunch. The food was great, and it was a lot of fun to see them and catch up!

I remember right after I left Paris the first time, I would have really odd dreams for months about how strange it would be coming back. Needless to say, none of that was true. Actually, the strangest thing of all is that absolutely NOTHING has changed! I feel almost like the last 2 years didn't happen. When I left Paris in 2006, I had felt like those four months never happened either. It's like I live a bizarre double life or something!

Ma minou Rachel came over tonight! It is so comforting to have her here in France with me, going through all of the same things I am. Tomorrow we are going to Reims, where she will be teaching, to find her an appartement!

As for me on the apartment front: I think I've found one, but I don't want to jinx it before I've met the girl and signed the lease! I will keep you all posted!

Anyway, I am absolutely exhausted, so even though it's 4pm in Wisconsin, I'm headed to bed!!

Leaving on a jet plane...

Well today is the day I've been waiting for since the minute I stepped foot off the plane on my way back from Paris almost two and a half years ago. This isn't to say that I wasn't happy to come home then, but more that it's just weird feeling like I want to be two or three places at once. My desired superpower would really come in handy right about now!!

It's around 8 AM, and my flight leaves at 6:00 tonight. Of course, I haven't really started to see just how much I can fit into my giant suitcases quite yet!! I feel ready though. I'm actually surprised at how prepared I feel. Kim left for Spain on Tuesday and Rachel left for France yesterday. I just got an email from Rachel saying that Paris feels just like we never left, which is a good thing! The next time I post on this blog I'll be in France... !!!

My going away party was on Saturday and thought it was a stressful and exhausting day, the party was really fun. I really appreciate everyone that came, especially the ones that came from out of town. We went to a townie bar in De Pere of all things, but it was hilarious. It's times like those that make me wonder how crazy I must have to be to fly 3000 miles away and leave everyone behind. It was great to see everyone, but definitely bittersweet to say the least.

This is a picture of Rico hulahooping at said townie bar.
Note: the only visible people in the entire bar are people from the party.

Also note that is was after the Angry Pirate shot..


Anyway, I'd better get packing! Hopefully all goes as planned! I've never been a light packer...

Kim:2 - French Consulate:0

Well today was the big day in Chicago!! I officially HAVE my visa and now there's nothing holding me back!! I have to admit, I was pretty stressed out about getting the visa (no real surprise there to some of you), but everything went better than I could have possibly hoped! I got there at 10:45 for an 11am appointment, and left before it was even 11! Then I had to go back at 12:30, and was there for less than a minute before I was handed my visa and sent on my way! A definite success!

Then it was a long journey back to De Pere where I am finally on the last leg of my journey before the real adventure begins!!

It has been SO much fun, albeit exhausting, staying with friends over these past 3 weeks! I am beyond grateful for all the hospitality, support, and love I have been shown during this crazy time in my life! In three weeks I have had more than a few homes, so thanks go out to: Ma minou, Sara & Craig, Jamie (and her roommate Kaila), Amanda, Mike, and also my relatives in Chicago!! Now here I am, back where I started, and it feels more than a little strange.

That being said, words can't explain how excited I am to sleep in my own bed!! In fact, off I go!