Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
i had a small panic attack, enforcing the fact that my time left here is closer to a month than 3 weeks. but i knew it didn't matter. afterwards, i sat and thought about it for a long time and have been thinking about it pretty consistently since then. 3 weeks. that's nothing. what was i doing 3 weeks ago? it was the first week of spring break i believe... it feels like almost no time has passed since then. i really cant imagine leaving at this point. i have finally gotten to that point where my urge to stay deeply overrides my need to go home. my life here finally feels real. i feel like i'm about to start over again by going home -- new adjustments, a new unknown. of course, i know my home and, in a way, i know what to expect but there is so much that i cannot anticipate. i cannot anticipate how this experience has changed me and how it will continue to change me. i don't know when i'll have the means to travel again or when i will see these people again. it's a pretty scary thought in some ways. some moments i feel more ready than others. last night my friend and i walked home along the seine after the ballet and a few beers at a small, intimate irish pub near st. michel. the entire way, we couldn't help but talk about how lucky we were -- to live in such an incredible location, so close to all of these beautiful and historical spots, so close to all of our friends, in one of the most romantic cities in the world. this is an experience we will never get back. and so, although, i have such a hard time living in the moment most days, i'm going to try really hard during my last three weeks here.
xo
Thursday, May 3, 2012
spring breaK #2:
the second half of my break was spent in the beautiful and wild city of barcelona. the trip was interesting to say the least, composed of many ups and downs but i don't regret a second of it. to be honest, the challenges i faced while there helped me to really grow in a way i wasn't sure possible. traveling was a bit of a pain in the ass this week but i suppose that's what happens when you fly with the cheapest airline you can find. but really, please never fly with ryanair. they are very strict and the flight attendants spend the entire flight walking up and down the aisle trying to sell you useless things. both the way there and the way back seemed to be much more exhausting than any other traveling i have ever done, hour long bus rides to small airports and waiting in long, endless lines.
but the hostel made up for the airline. "hip karma hostel" was the name of it -- i know, hilarious. it was actually very nice though. very clean and very "hip", cute exotic boys working at the front desk, comfy beds surrounded by dark curtains which made you unaware the time of day it was when you were laying in them. the first day we met up with our friends and ventured out to park guell -- the famous park designed by gaudi which has a breathtaking view of the city below. we brought our books and journals and some snacks and found a spot at the very top surrounded by trees and rocks to sit on where we talked for hours and listened to music on my friend's small portable ipod player. it was the perfect. that night we decided to go out. we went to a traveler's bar where we were told we could get a free meal with the purchase of a drink. the atmosphere made me laugh, crowded with broke, young travelers all with cheap beers and free meals sitting in front of them. we ordered cocktails and cheers-ed to our first night in spain. walking around that city at night is one of the most entertaining things you can do -- at first anyway. it gets old quickly. people are friendly and outgoing, especially if you're a young, female tourist. we made many friends on the first night -- the most memorable being a group of charming club promoters who hooked us up with wristbands that would give us discounts and free entry into clubs for the rest of the trip. the next day was spent at the beach where we were all burnt to a crisp by the intense spanish sun then got seafood at a restaurant right off the beach and went to bed early when we got back to the hostel.
over the next couple days, i broke off from the group a bit in order to get some of that much needed solitude i'd been craving so much the past week. it was really perfect in every way. i spent my mornings reading and writing in a nearby cafe or park over a cup of cafe creme. one of the days i went to the picasso musee and walked around there for a long time. it was SO wonderful -- they had everything from his sketches to some ceramics he had done and some of his graphic designs (which turned out to be some of my favorites). i spent a lot of time getting lost around the old, curvy passageways -- i stumbled into a couple thrift stores and became friends with the young girls working the cash registers. both days, i looked forward to and deeply enjoyed dining on my own -- something i had always wanted to do but had been to insecure to try until i came to europe since there is a sense of anonymity that comes along with it here. the first day, i went to this small, vegan cafe called "cat bar" which, as you may have guessed walls were covered in the most adorable cat-like decorations. the next day, i walked into a dark, romantic restaurant that was decorated with old furniture and dimly lit vintage lamps -- none of it matching. i sat at a table in the back with a candle and sipped on my glass of red wine while sexy, spanish music played over the speakers. it felt so good to take my time eating and drinking, taking in everything around me, no one to distract or rush me.
our second to last night in barcelona was a bit rough for me -- we were having a great time at a local bar, my roommate and i had just finished a wonderful conversation and we got up to search for the rest of our friends when we realized that my purse had gone missing. my first reaction was panic as i suddenly remembered all of the horror stories i'd heard about people's things being stolen in barcelona. i searched the entire bar and it was no where to be found. i was shocked, i felt like i had just had it around my shoulder and now it was gone. although, i was a bit of a mess that night, the next day i woke up feeling at peace. i was safe, worse things could have happened, everything in there was replaceable. of course, it would be a bit of an inconvenience and it would be expensive but i decided to let go of the guilt and anguish it was causing me, take it one step at a time, and enjoy my last day in spain. my friends and i spent the day laying around in a near by park filled with half naked hippies doing yoga while children and puppies ran around chasing each other. we ate flowers and laid under multicolored clouds and people watched. it was the perfect way to end a crazy trip, a nice, relaxing afternoon.
--- no pictures because my camera was inside of my purse...
<3
the second half of my break was spent in the beautiful and wild city of barcelona. the trip was interesting to say the least, composed of many ups and downs but i don't regret a second of it. to be honest, the challenges i faced while there helped me to really grow in a way i wasn't sure possible. traveling was a bit of a pain in the ass this week but i suppose that's what happens when you fly with the cheapest airline you can find. but really, please never fly with ryanair. they are very strict and the flight attendants spend the entire flight walking up and down the aisle trying to sell you useless things. both the way there and the way back seemed to be much more exhausting than any other traveling i have ever done, hour long bus rides to small airports and waiting in long, endless lines.
but the hostel made up for the airline. "hip karma hostel" was the name of it -- i know, hilarious. it was actually very nice though. very clean and very "hip", cute exotic boys working at the front desk, comfy beds surrounded by dark curtains which made you unaware the time of day it was when you were laying in them. the first day we met up with our friends and ventured out to park guell -- the famous park designed by gaudi which has a breathtaking view of the city below. we brought our books and journals and some snacks and found a spot at the very top surrounded by trees and rocks to sit on where we talked for hours and listened to music on my friend's small portable ipod player. it was the perfect. that night we decided to go out. we went to a traveler's bar where we were told we could get a free meal with the purchase of a drink. the atmosphere made me laugh, crowded with broke, young travelers all with cheap beers and free meals sitting in front of them. we ordered cocktails and cheers-ed to our first night in spain. walking around that city at night is one of the most entertaining things you can do -- at first anyway. it gets old quickly. people are friendly and outgoing, especially if you're a young, female tourist. we made many friends on the first night -- the most memorable being a group of charming club promoters who hooked us up with wristbands that would give us discounts and free entry into clubs for the rest of the trip. the next day was spent at the beach where we were all burnt to a crisp by the intense spanish sun then got seafood at a restaurant right off the beach and went to bed early when we got back to the hostel.
over the next couple days, i broke off from the group a bit in order to get some of that much needed solitude i'd been craving so much the past week. it was really perfect in every way. i spent my mornings reading and writing in a nearby cafe or park over a cup of cafe creme. one of the days i went to the picasso musee and walked around there for a long time. it was SO wonderful -- they had everything from his sketches to some ceramics he had done and some of his graphic designs (which turned out to be some of my favorites). i spent a lot of time getting lost around the old, curvy passageways -- i stumbled into a couple thrift stores and became friends with the young girls working the cash registers. both days, i looked forward to and deeply enjoyed dining on my own -- something i had always wanted to do but had been to insecure to try until i came to europe since there is a sense of anonymity that comes along with it here. the first day, i went to this small, vegan cafe called "cat bar" which, as you may have guessed walls were covered in the most adorable cat-like decorations. the next day, i walked into a dark, romantic restaurant that was decorated with old furniture and dimly lit vintage lamps -- none of it matching. i sat at a table in the back with a candle and sipped on my glass of red wine while sexy, spanish music played over the speakers. it felt so good to take my time eating and drinking, taking in everything around me, no one to distract or rush me.
our second to last night in barcelona was a bit rough for me -- we were having a great time at a local bar, my roommate and i had just finished a wonderful conversation and we got up to search for the rest of our friends when we realized that my purse had gone missing. my first reaction was panic as i suddenly remembered all of the horror stories i'd heard about people's things being stolen in barcelona. i searched the entire bar and it was no where to be found. i was shocked, i felt like i had just had it around my shoulder and now it was gone. although, i was a bit of a mess that night, the next day i woke up feeling at peace. i was safe, worse things could have happened, everything in there was replaceable. of course, it would be a bit of an inconvenience and it would be expensive but i decided to let go of the guilt and anguish it was causing me, take it one step at a time, and enjoy my last day in spain. my friends and i spent the day laying around in a near by park filled with half naked hippies doing yoga while children and puppies ran around chasing each other. we ate flowers and laid under multicolored clouds and people watched. it was the perfect way to end a crazy trip, a nice, relaxing afternoon.
--- no pictures because my camera was inside of my purse...
<3
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
SPRiNG BREAk:
drinking a cup of coffee at my desk and enjoying my first time alone in days. break has been perfect so far. although, it feels like it has taken place over one long blurr of a day rather than 5 separate days -- full of loud laughs, countless bottles of wine, late nights that have quickly turned into early mornings, rainy afternoon walks, blissful emotions. the closer i become to the people around me, the more rich this experience seems to become and the more anxious i become when i think about leaving this magical, romantic place. i have begun to film random moments with my friends, mostly for myself, to enjoy later in the future -- nothing specific, just small bits of conversation sitting in my room late at night or drunkenly dancing in the streets of paris.
i am slowly beginning to plan out the music fest for this summer -- the date is still up in the air but it should be happening within the first two weeks of august. my cousin, rory, and i have decided to give it an official name this year: "Seldom Seen Music Fest." i am really looking forward to putting together a beautiful weekend of music on the farm that i hold so dear to my heart. i am also hoping that some of my study abroad friends will be able to make the road trip and join in the fun!
in general, really loving this moment and feeling so ready for the adventures in my future - tonight, this summer, and years from now.
sending love & light -- <3 <3 <3
drinking a cup of coffee at my desk and enjoying my first time alone in days. break has been perfect so far. although, it feels like it has taken place over one long blurr of a day rather than 5 separate days -- full of loud laughs, countless bottles of wine, late nights that have quickly turned into early mornings, rainy afternoon walks, blissful emotions. the closer i become to the people around me, the more rich this experience seems to become and the more anxious i become when i think about leaving this magical, romantic place. i have begun to film random moments with my friends, mostly for myself, to enjoy later in the future -- nothing specific, just small bits of conversation sitting in my room late at night or drunkenly dancing in the streets of paris.
i am slowly beginning to plan out the music fest for this summer -- the date is still up in the air but it should be happening within the first two weeks of august. my cousin, rory, and i have decided to give it an official name this year: "Seldom Seen Music Fest." i am really looking forward to putting together a beautiful weekend of music on the farm that i hold so dear to my heart. i am also hoping that some of my study abroad friends will be able to make the road trip and join in the fun!
in general, really loving this moment and feeling so ready for the adventures in my future - tonight, this summer, and years from now.
sending love & light -- <3 <3 <3
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Monday, April 2, 2012
it was one of those weekends that it really hit me where i actually am. i look around at my life and wonder how the hell i got here -- sitting in a white and yellow, sun filled room surrounded by photos of love. i feel so genuinely blessed in my life right now.
loire valley, as expected, was absolutely breath-taking. the group was slightly different yet equally as wonderful. many make believe games were played as we walked into each chateau as if we were viewing it as a possible home for the upcoming summer months -- we discussed in detail of the parties we would have, who would take which rooms, and how we would spend most of our time laying in the gardens and swimming in the water. i came away with much too many "husbands/lovers", "roommates", and "future homes" which just goes to show that some things never change...
saturday we viewed château de chambord and château de blois, two massive, royal castles which seemed to go on and on with rooms covered in gold leaf and floral wallpaper. that afternoon we had a wine tasting at chateau gaudrelle, an ancient, family-owned business whose focus is mainly white wine but varies in all different directions from dry, sparkling whites to still, sweet dessert whites. we were lucky enough to try a little of everything! that night we stayed in tours, which i didn't realize is actually just a big college town. in the middle of the town is a square filled with all kinds of cheap bars and great looking restaurants, young students sit around drinking and hanging out. it was the perfect atmosphere to spend our saturday night.
sunday we all awoke early to continue our journey. first, we saw chateau d'azay-le-rideau which was great because there was almost no one else viewing it that day so we were able to get some great photos and really appreciate the smaller details of the castle. we took off our shoes and had a sliding contest in one of the royal bedrooms then spent the last bit of our time there laying in the grass outside talking about our hometowns and future travels. after that we went to château de chenonceau, which we almost all agreed would be "the one", our home for the summer, where we would spend our time when we weren't adventuring around europe. in other words, it was our favorite. surrounded by the most astonishing gardens, including a maze, and acres of paths carved into the forest. the castle was big but not massive and it had an incredible 5-room kitchen which overlooked the water. we were blown away.
the ride home went quickly and smoothly -- especially compared to normandy. no one got sick or claustrophobic and the ride was much shorter but it still left us all exhausted and ready for a long night's sleep.
time is going so quickly. after this week, we have a 4 day weekend for easter and then 2 1/2 weeks off for spring break. after that, i'll only have a month left here. it's unbelievable that it's already april and, on account of, we only have 9 days of class in the duration of this month, it's bound to fly. i'm not sure how i feel about going home at this point. one semester does not seem like nearly enough time here yet i am anxious to spend the summer months with my friends and family in iowa.
going to see a vivaldi concert tonight -- really looking forward to it especially considering that since i've been here, i've spent a lot of time listening to opera and classical music (including vivaldi). it serves as great studying/relaxing music for early mornings and late nights.
bisou ! xo
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
i'm so bad at this -- mostly because i keep a personal journal that i write in like 3 times a day. but i will try harder, even if it's a little bit.
Lately, I've been busy, but also not at all. My sister's visit was wonderful for the most part. Everything was perfect until Venice when Josie and I got really sick with some flu/bug and ended up spending the rest of our time in Italy as well as when we got back to Paris in bed. We did get to experience a bit of Venice and Josie got to experience about 5 days of Paris before everything so it wasn't terrible but it was still a bit of a disappointment. We did a lot of sightseeing, a lot of shopping, a lot of eating, and a lot of aimlessly walking around. She got to see first hand how obnoxious French boys can be when two of them grabbed her face and made out with it at the club we went to Saturday night -- twice i had to rescue that poor little girl as she timidly squealed for help. All in all though, I was content just having her by my side all week. Her leaving made my time left here seem long and empty for a few days but I got back into the groove of things pretty quickly.
It has literally turned completely from winter to spring here in the past week and a half. It's completely gorgeous. Whenever I am in my room, I leave my windows wide open. It's perfect - they open up among freshly budding tree branches and the smell of summertime. Seriously though, it's beginning to have that summertime smell and it makes me ache for bonfires with friends and porch beers. But really, I've been in the summertime mindset since January. Last night while skyping my friend, I referred to something that happened last September as "last spring". This is like one long vacation. Even school for the most part doesn't feel like school to me. Which is why midterms has come as sort of a shock for all of us here in Paris. We're like "Wait, we actually have to take exams and write papers? WHAT IS THIS?"
Next fall when I go back to school, it's going to be a huge slap in the face. I'm worried that I'll have a hard time adjusting. I can barely remember what it feels like to be stressed/overwhelmed over school work. Monday was my first "exam" and my teacher's directions were something like this: "Okay, just sit down. You're going to have one question. You can take it in any direction you want. It can be answered very simply or not at all. Just write whatever you want - I don't care if it's a sentence or two pages. You can cheat if you want but you probably don't need too. Just don't use your notes. Actually, you know what, I don't want to be a stuffy teacher - use your notes if you want. When you're done writing, you can leave." Yep. That's what it's been like for me here. Not all teachers are as laid back as he is but they definitely give us a little bit of a break seeing that we're studying in Europe. It's so hard to concentrate on school - last night for example, a quick dinner with friends turned into walking around for awhile, getting gelato and judging each boy that walked past us, and then long conversations over several glasses of wine at the outdoor patio of a cafe. We could've stayed out all night, just taking in the spring air and people watching while musicians such as Bob Dylan, Harry Nilsson, and Elton John played on a tape deck behind the bar.
Besides that, I've spent a majority of my time lately reading in the parks and walking around. My favorite spot is finding a shady area to sit in the Tuilleries or by the Seine -- both are incredibly beautiful and within a ten minute walk from my apartment. I can't spend enough time outside now that the weather has warmed up a bit.
Anyway, here's to hoping the rest of midterms week goes smoothly for me -- and that i can get in a little bit of studying this morning before I have to go to class. I'm going to Loire valley this weekend to visit some castles and taste some wine ! Really excited for another road trip along the French countryside and a change of scenery for the weekend. As usual, feeling so lucky and full of life.
<3 <3 <3
Lately, I've been busy, but also not at all. My sister's visit was wonderful for the most part. Everything was perfect until Venice when Josie and I got really sick with some flu/bug and ended up spending the rest of our time in Italy as well as when we got back to Paris in bed. We did get to experience a bit of Venice and Josie got to experience about 5 days of Paris before everything so it wasn't terrible but it was still a bit of a disappointment. We did a lot of sightseeing, a lot of shopping, a lot of eating, and a lot of aimlessly walking around. She got to see first hand how obnoxious French boys can be when two of them grabbed her face and made out with it at the club we went to Saturday night -- twice i had to rescue that poor little girl as she timidly squealed for help. All in all though, I was content just having her by my side all week. Her leaving made my time left here seem long and empty for a few days but I got back into the groove of things pretty quickly.
It has literally turned completely from winter to spring here in the past week and a half. It's completely gorgeous. Whenever I am in my room, I leave my windows wide open. It's perfect - they open up among freshly budding tree branches and the smell of summertime. Seriously though, it's beginning to have that summertime smell and it makes me ache for bonfires with friends and porch beers. But really, I've been in the summertime mindset since January. Last night while skyping my friend, I referred to something that happened last September as "last spring". This is like one long vacation. Even school for the most part doesn't feel like school to me. Which is why midterms has come as sort of a shock for all of us here in Paris. We're like "Wait, we actually have to take exams and write papers? WHAT IS THIS?"
Next fall when I go back to school, it's going to be a huge slap in the face. I'm worried that I'll have a hard time adjusting. I can barely remember what it feels like to be stressed/overwhelmed over school work. Monday was my first "exam" and my teacher's directions were something like this: "Okay, just sit down. You're going to have one question. You can take it in any direction you want. It can be answered very simply or not at all. Just write whatever you want - I don't care if it's a sentence or two pages. You can cheat if you want but you probably don't need too. Just don't use your notes. Actually, you know what, I don't want to be a stuffy teacher - use your notes if you want. When you're done writing, you can leave." Yep. That's what it's been like for me here. Not all teachers are as laid back as he is but they definitely give us a little bit of a break seeing that we're studying in Europe. It's so hard to concentrate on school - last night for example, a quick dinner with friends turned into walking around for awhile, getting gelato and judging each boy that walked past us, and then long conversations over several glasses of wine at the outdoor patio of a cafe. We could've stayed out all night, just taking in the spring air and people watching while musicians such as Bob Dylan, Harry Nilsson, and Elton John played on a tape deck behind the bar.
Besides that, I've spent a majority of my time lately reading in the parks and walking around. My favorite spot is finding a shady area to sit in the Tuilleries or by the Seine -- both are incredibly beautiful and within a ten minute walk from my apartment. I can't spend enough time outside now that the weather has warmed up a bit.
Anyway, here's to hoping the rest of midterms week goes smoothly for me -- and that i can get in a little bit of studying this morning before I have to go to class. I'm going to Loire valley this weekend to visit some castles and taste some wine ! Really excited for another road trip along the French countryside and a change of scenery for the weekend. As usual, feeling so lucky and full of life.
<3 <3 <3
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