getting acquainted.

my first few days in paris have been excellent. 

yesterday, we all went on a batobus tour on the seine. it's such a great way to see all of the city's biggest landmarks. we sat on the top of the boat, and the sun was really hot that day so i got a tad sunburned. lesson learned! then we walked to the eiffel tower because there was a massive organized michael jackson tribute going on there. i'm pretty sure they set the record for most people doing the moonwalk at once. there was a michael jackson impersonator and they blasted all of his greatest hits. everyone was singing and dancing in remembrance. that's how he would have wanted it :). oh and i had a nutella crepe there, too. it was magic. 

i want to post pictures on here, but the ones i took yesterday i took on my phone and my stupid service provider here won't let me send anything outgoing :( i'll work on it and get it out to y'all later. 

last night we went to this irish pub across from our housing and made friends with the waiter. he gave us free champagne! so worth having a chill night. 

today we went on a tour of the building where we will actually be taking our classes and stuff. it's SO BEAUTIFUL. like quintessential paris. quaint and full of little details everywhere (will post pictures of that later). 

then we walked around that neighborhood in the 16th arrondissmont and looked in some stores. i had my first real croque madame today. loved the fried egg on top. 

it's been so hot here! i was expecting it to be a lot cooler so i brought a bunch of jackets and such, but i certainly won't let the heat beat me. 

tonight i think we are just going to rest and maybe plan a weekend trip. barcelona? amsterdam? we'll see :)

1st night

i don't think it would be hard to believe if i said that paris is magical. i spent my first night drinking wine on the seine river with some girls i met in my dorm. i used my broken french to ask a security guard where "le marché pour du vin" was! i was proud, though it took some fudging to understand each other. we met all kinds of people and had a blast. we wound up at this club that is on a boat on the seine... it looks like a light house and there is an awesome dj there. its been great so far. i'm soooo jet lagged and am looking forward to some shut eye.

tomorrow the study abroad gang is taking a bato bus tour... should be fun. 

i can't believe i actually made it here! lets just say that my cute little itinerary didn't go as planned...

...off to paris

ugh i JUST finished packing.. 2:43 am. 

i'm officially taking two suitcases (one weighing 45.5 lbs the other weighing 35 lbs), a back pack, and a large tote. i'm gonna be gone for 6 weeks.. don't judge! 

my itinerary for tomorrow:

8:30am-wake up

9:45am-leave for Austin airport

11:45am-depart from Austin

????pm-arrive at Washington-Dulles

????pm-depart Dulles

7:30pm-arrive New York JFK

9:30pm-depart JFK

11:00am, 27 Juin 2009-arriver à Paris! 

wish me luck for traveling! two connecting flights. noooo fun. the next time you hear from me i'll be in Paris! 

oy

i've done some preliminary packing preparation.

... this isn't looking so good. 

preparation has begun

i need to make a list of things i need to pack:

-clothes

-shoes

-jewelry

-some purses

-book bag

-toiletries 

-prescriptions

-notebook

-pens/pencils

-french pocket dictionary (do i really though? there is wordreference.com...)

-last semester's french book

-nail polish

-nail polish remover

-bandaids (safety first!)

-ipod and headphones

-laptop

-laptop charger

-my books of choice (infinite jest and LA candy.. i like a good juxtaposition)

-towels

-washcloths

-laundry materials

-shower shoes?

-dorm decorations?

-PASSPORT!

-TRAVEL DOCUMENTS

-oohhhh i'm forgetting something....

if you think of anything i'm missing or that you think i could use in paris.. PLEASE let me know!

Bonjour!

i'm really trying hard not to make this cliche... but all the french is kind of ruining that, right? what are you gonna do. ANYWAY, i made this blog so that friends and family can keep up with me while i'm in the city of lights (i can't help it) and so i don't have to repeat it twenty thousand times to everyone i know. yay!

so i don't have any news yet... just that i'm REALLY REALLY REALLY EXCITED. i leave this friday, and though i am not looking forward to the journey as much as the destination, there is definitely something in that build up before i step foot on the other side of the pond that gets me giddy. i LOVE packing. i've been mentally preparing myself for weeks. which dresses? how many shoes? towels? etc? should be fun. 

i'll try to post pictures on here and whatnot, but i'm not making any promises on how thorough this will be. i'll try my best. have fun with it! post comments and stuff and let me know how you're doing/what you think. though i'm hoping to be so caught up in my jetsetter parisian lifestyle that i'll hardly notice you friendly followers, it's still nice to hear from home :)

Salut! (you have to stop me)