So yes spring break is done and I can honestly say I am very happy to be back in South Kensington. As wonderful as Barcelona and Paris were, London has started to feel like home and when I got back, I wanted to jump for joy. It's not so much that I didn't have fun over break because the places I went to were both amazing but I definitely had my eyes opened and it feels as though I've aged at least ten years. Mom and Dad says it's because I'm experienced now. I couldn't agree more.
My last entry was a bit rushed because I had a tour that was about to take off and I really wanted to share how great Barcelona had been so far. I thought I would do the same with Paris but most of my days I was out and about in the city and when I got back to my hostel I was too tired to actually write anything. Seriously, I went to bed around 10:45 the first night and 11:30 subsequently for the rest of my time there. Still I enjoyed being in Paris. Never in my lifetime did I think I would get the chance to visit.
However the toughest part of the whole trip was the language barrier. Between the five of us traveling, there were two semesters of college French and one year of high school French. I remembered a decent amount from French class, mostly vocab but I can't speak sentences and to be honest, I am a perfectionist when it comes to languages. If I can't say it right, then I won't say it at all. I'm always nervous I'll say something wrong and the context will be misinterpreted or I will not know how else to get what I am saying across. Of course it ended up causing problems within my group, especially when two of the five don't know any French whatsoever, so I have to learn how to be a little bit more comfortable when it comes to a country where I know the language a bit more than others.
Although I will say, if I ever end up going back to Paris (and I kind of want to because it's probably a lot nicer in late spring/early summer and there are other things I didn't get the chance to try) I will either need another semester of French under my belt (or Rosetta Stone), a French boyfriend, and either my sister, my best friend, my cousin (or all three) to go with me.
Aside from what was going on with me and my group, I got to do some amazing things I never imagined would be possible. First of all, yeah I went up the Eiffel Tower. I didn't go to the very top because I don't like heights and would have most likely had a panic attack on the elevator ride up there. So I settled for the second floor and still got an enchanting view of the city. Granted the day was overcast and a bit misty, it was still fantastic to be able to be up there. My Mom had done the same when she was younger and when I skyped her, it felt really nice to actually talk about it with her because she has been there and done that (though she was not a fan of the city at all and I can't really blame her). Also, did anyone know that the Eiffel Tower sparkles at night on the hour? It's gorgeous! I still get chills whenever I think about it. Of course being the nerd that I am, whenever I thought of the Eiffel Tower, all I could think about was the scene from the movie Anastasia when they finally make it to Paris and that damn musical number. If you don't know what I'm talking up, look up "Paris Holds the Key to Your Heart" from Anastasia and you'll see what I mean.
Of course the Disney movie references didn't stop there because I visited Notre Dame cathedral. To make you even more jealous, I WENT INSIDE! Holy cow that place is gorgeous and I even lit a candle (2 euros well spent I say) and I even got to hear the bells ring. You can actually go up to the bell tower and take a tour up there but my money supply was running low and I still had Versailles to go to but maybe next time. And judge me all you want here but when we were heading back to the metro, all I could think about was how badly I wanted to watch the Hunchback of Notre Dame. I even compared and contrasted how the church looked in the movie to how it looked when I was right in front of it.
Before I get to Versailles, which is the last big thing I will say in this post, I did go to the Louvre and saw the Mona Lisa as well as Venus de Milo (I have pictures of both!). However it was too overwhelming for me. At one point I sat down and just stared at a portrait for fifteen minutes just to process what the hell I was doing. You need two days to get through that museum to appreciate it all. I did most of it in two hours and I wanted to get the hell out and never go back. Seriously my brain imploded and it felt as though my energy was completely depleted from my body.
So my last day in Paris ended with a trip to Versailles and it was the best part. Versailles is just outside of Paris and is home to Versailles Palace which was first built by King Louis XIV and last inhabited by Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette when the French Revolution broke out. Now I can see why. That place is the epitome of French oppulence. Gold gates, doors ten times my size, fireplaces that use trees instead of logs, an entire wing that was an art gallery filled with sculptures and paintings, and a large garden that was a labyrinth with at least ten different fountains plus the long canal that was in the middle of it all. I bought the Passport ticket which allowed you all of Versailles for 18 euros (a pretty damn good price if you ask me) and it was so worth it! Also, despite the fact the day was chilly and gray, the place still looked magnificent (and the garden wasn't even in bloom!). The gardens were free and open to the public so I saw quite a few people running and felt very jealous. I would love to run around that place; it would be the best long run of my life!
I would love to go back when the garden is completely green and maybe when they have a special event going on, like a concert or fireworks show, which they do have but of course it was a bit too cold for events like that. That was my favorite experience of France and something I definitely wouldn't mind repeating if I were to ever go again.
Paris itself is a gorgeous city, though a little dirty (a lot of the metro stations smelled like urine but I'm sure that was mostly to do with the large number of homeless people who live there) but I think you can find that with any type of city. Go to New York and you have one of the dirtiest cities around. However that shouldn't take away from what it offers you. Not many get the chance to be in a famous city and some probably never will but the fact that you have that chance now, I wouldn't take it for granted. Hell, I got to even see the Moulin Rouge and the cafe from Amelie because I got lucky enough to stay in the Montmarte neighborhood. I'm sure not a lot of people can say they have done that and I am grateful to be one of the few who can.
However I am just so glad to be back in London and I'm glad I don't have anymore immediate travel plans because I need a break. My internship starts on Wednesday and I am super stoked for it. This means I only have seven weeks left of my semester before I'm back in the States. I am excited for home because I miss my parents and I've been mostly homesick for Guilford. I feel sad when I see news about my teammates breaking records and doing work and I can't be there to celebrate with them. I also miss my job at the Sports Info Office and it hurts that I won't be able to say goodbye to a few people who will be graduating that I've worked with for the past two and a half years.
Mostly though, I miss my sister, my best friend Molly and my cousin Matt. I think I finally hit the place where being back in the States is something I want so badly. But at the same time I don't want to leave London. I love it here. I've had such good times already and met wonderful people that I know when April comes I will not want to go home.
So for right now I am completely content to be here as it has become a third home to me (Guilford is my second home). I loved London the moment I stepped off the plane back in January, but it took me an entire week to really appreciate just how much it has become a part of my life.
Just for the record, I do have a lot of pictures from break but I think I'll post them on Facebook if you want to check them out. I can't just pick a few to post here and there are over 200 photos so you might as well hop on over to my page and look at all of them (and they will be up shortly though it might take a day or two depending upon how lazy I am feeling).
Cheers!
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