My last message from Paris... This is a bittersweet moment. I always thought that after spending a semester abroad, I would turn into this completely self-realized person who knew what she wanted to do with her life and who felt up to any challenge. Far from it, I have realized that I know nothing, and I only have a million questions left to ask myself about my life and what I am going to do after college. The important thing is that I want France to be part of my story.
Even if I only get to be here for small stints in the future, I realize now that my life is permanently entwined with Paris. I just want to make it count when I go home. There's nothing like this odd city, and at times, it's easy to write it off as too much of a world-wide myth center. It's like people just want to come here for the sites and the monuments, for the Mona Lisa and the Eiffel Tower. Paris, as I have lived it, is about so much more than those things.
Paris for me will always hold a special place in my heart because of the people who are here. Granted, not all of them are special. You meet some odd characters on the metro, and I am glad to see those adventures far behind me. But you also meet so many people with different walks of life. Part of what makes the French culture so special is how the world is something to study. I never want to forget the desire I have to explore the world like one great canvas upon which each culture has painted its heritage to be shared.
For me, I am already missing my corner of Paris, though I know that I'm always going to carry it with me.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Friday, May 4, 2012
Oh, the things I will miss!
There are only a few days left of my Paris adventures, a week to be precise. I just feel like this whole thing is a whirlwind of experiences I can't begin to share with all of you like I want to! So here's what I'm going to do. This next week is going to be dedicated to things I will miss about being in Paris. I've shared enough about tips and travel, etc. I just want to share the things that make my time here unique to me. Keep in mind that these things are also in no particular order.
The bells of Notre Dame! I wish I could take that cathedral with me everywhere, and not just a pocket-sized one! I just want to be able to look out of my window and see it for the rest of my life. Does this mean I'm coming back to Paris to live? Who really knows? One thing is for sure, they might throw me out of the city for not liking wine. For real, I can't handle any of it.
The Seine. I just love this beautiful river. It's big and probably smells terrible (caution: don't get too close), but it's the most oddly romantic body of water I've ever been around. Even the ocean doesn't seem to have the same kind of mystique for me... Perhaps it's just because of the view I have of the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and the Sainte Chapelle. That probably helps.
Walking. It's funny, but you don't really get to walk around in the US like you do in Paris. If you're walking, you are walking in a park or on a side walk in a neighborhood. If you live in NYC, you might have the closest parallel with the kind of walking I'm talking about. I hope that I can find a place to live where walking is not only common but a wonderful way to experience the city. I just wish that I'd done more of it sooner - despite the unnaturally cold weather.
Stay tuned for more. Boy, I'm really missing Paris now just as much as I miss home. It's best for me to do this while I'm still here, though. I don't know what odd things I'll be experiencing on re-entry!
The bells of Notre Dame! I wish I could take that cathedral with me everywhere, and not just a pocket-sized one! I just want to be able to look out of my window and see it for the rest of my life. Does this mean I'm coming back to Paris to live? Who really knows? One thing is for sure, they might throw me out of the city for not liking wine. For real, I can't handle any of it.
The Seine. I just love this beautiful river. It's big and probably smells terrible (caution: don't get too close), but it's the most oddly romantic body of water I've ever been around. Even the ocean doesn't seem to have the same kind of mystique for me... Perhaps it's just because of the view I have of the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and the Sainte Chapelle. That probably helps.
Walking. It's funny, but you don't really get to walk around in the US like you do in Paris. If you're walking, you are walking in a park or on a side walk in a neighborhood. If you live in NYC, you might have the closest parallel with the kind of walking I'm talking about. I hope that I can find a place to live where walking is not only common but a wonderful way to experience the city. I just wish that I'd done more of it sooner - despite the unnaturally cold weather.
Stay tuned for more. Boy, I'm really missing Paris now just as much as I miss home. It's best for me to do this while I'm still here, though. I don't know what odd things I'll be experiencing on re-entry!
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Spring Break
So here I am back in Paris with only 2 weeks left. Actually, with just under 2 weeks left! I can hardly believe it's that time already, mostly since I just returned from a lovely break. I split my time between London and Madrid, and let me tell you, I've never known traveling to be so prone to ups and downs as this trip was! Here are a few things I'd like to share with those of you who are planning travelling around Europe while you're here:
1. Cost
You may find yourself in a pinch for money. No problem! There are loads of cheap ways to see everything you want to see. You just have to find all the right ways to cut costs without suffering from them. One good way to do that is to find reasonable housing. If possible, stay with people you know. That may mean your cousin's ex-fiance, but I hope it doesn't! If you can't find someone you're related to, the next best thing is to take recommendations from people who have been to where you are going. They are great resources for you when beginning your search for bargains.
Next option, internet and guide books. It's been my experience that some websites will tell you helpful information, while others only give you what's convenient to share. Like, "Breakfast included," sometimes means you only get it certain days of the week and at certain hours, and it's not on-site. You should be thorough in your research, and if you don't mind surprises, go ahead and gamble. On the other hand, guide books will give you a lot of good information about everything you will want to do, whether it's sight-seeing or finding a hotel/hostel.
2. Travel
When traveling, you should know your own habits. Since I am not a good traveler, as some put it, I like to travel on airplanes rather than in cars for long stretches of travel. But since I also love a good bargain, on my trip to London I was happy to save some change to spend while actually in the city (and you need it; nothing's cheap in London!). Unfortunately, that meant taking a bus. After arriving late and then spending an extra 2 hours in customs, the out-bound trip seemed like a nightmare. When returning from London, the whole trip took no longer than expected and was smooth-sailing the whole 5 hours. Still, compare that to flying, and I think you might just be better off taking the plane.
3. Arrival
Once you get to town, the sky's the limit. Or really, your budget. You can manage to see a lot even over the span of a long weekend. I would strongly recommend the guides put out by Lonely Planet. Using the London guide not only helped me to get a sense of the geography of the city, with numerous regional and city maps, but it also helped me to prioritize my visit with suggested day trips and walking tours. If you don't want to pay much, you can easily flip through and get a feel for what's cheap. You can also find out the good places to go for food!
4. Souvenirs
If you want souvenirs that will mean something, don't just go to the souvenir shops. Talk to the locals, read the guide books, and most importantly, walk around! It's okay to be lost, just preferably don't be lost at night. Things get strange quickly for visitors when it's dark. But you can easily get to know people at shops and on the public transportation, especially if you speak the local language. Be sure and be sensitive to culture, too. Sometimes people don't like tourists meddling in their affairs.
1. Cost
You may find yourself in a pinch for money. No problem! There are loads of cheap ways to see everything you want to see. You just have to find all the right ways to cut costs without suffering from them. One good way to do that is to find reasonable housing. If possible, stay with people you know. That may mean your cousin's ex-fiance, but I hope it doesn't! If you can't find someone you're related to, the next best thing is to take recommendations from people who have been to where you are going. They are great resources for you when beginning your search for bargains.
Next option, internet and guide books. It's been my experience that some websites will tell you helpful information, while others only give you what's convenient to share. Like, "Breakfast included," sometimes means you only get it certain days of the week and at certain hours, and it's not on-site. You should be thorough in your research, and if you don't mind surprises, go ahead and gamble. On the other hand, guide books will give you a lot of good information about everything you will want to do, whether it's sight-seeing or finding a hotel/hostel.
2. Travel
When traveling, you should know your own habits. Since I am not a good traveler, as some put it, I like to travel on airplanes rather than in cars for long stretches of travel. But since I also love a good bargain, on my trip to London I was happy to save some change to spend while actually in the city (and you need it; nothing's cheap in London!). Unfortunately, that meant taking a bus. After arriving late and then spending an extra 2 hours in customs, the out-bound trip seemed like a nightmare. When returning from London, the whole trip took no longer than expected and was smooth-sailing the whole 5 hours. Still, compare that to flying, and I think you might just be better off taking the plane.
3. Arrival
Once you get to town, the sky's the limit. Or really, your budget. You can manage to see a lot even over the span of a long weekend. I would strongly recommend the guides put out by Lonely Planet. Using the London guide not only helped me to get a sense of the geography of the city, with numerous regional and city maps, but it also helped me to prioritize my visit with suggested day trips and walking tours. If you don't want to pay much, you can easily flip through and get a feel for what's cheap. You can also find out the good places to go for food!
4. Souvenirs
If you want souvenirs that will mean something, don't just go to the souvenir shops. Talk to the locals, read the guide books, and most importantly, walk around! It's okay to be lost, just preferably don't be lost at night. Things get strange quickly for visitors when it's dark. But you can easily get to know people at shops and on the public transportation, especially if you speak the local language. Be sure and be sensitive to culture, too. Sometimes people don't like tourists meddling in their affairs.
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