Goodbye Paris, Hello Unknown

Bonjour tout le monde,

Last night was my last in Paris for the time being. It has been a blast, but it's time to move on to Aix for the impending semester of a lifetime! Here's a brief recap of our last adventures:

This morning, Ashlynn and I descended the spiral staircase of Thibaut's apartment, luggage in tow, and saw Thibaut off to work. We exchanged bises and American hugs, and went our separate ways.

Next stop, a nearby café to kill time and to wait for Samy to arrive. I could really get used to this idea of leisurely munching, people watching and chatting over coffee!

Samy helped us navigate the métro to the train station before noon.  Swimming up-stream against throngs of Parisians and tourists; up, down, and around stairs; stop after stop, I suddenly felt the real-world implications of packing a rolling bag and a duffle. Do I need 6 pairs of shoes?

After finally arriving, and going to collect my tickets, I had my first Euro-crisis: I MISSED MY TRAIN! SOME-FREAKIN-HOW, I misread my TVG confirmation email and was several hours late. JUST HOW?! We literally sat for hours in the warm café to avoid being too early. I still can't believe it, but I had to buy a completely new ticket for €99. -On the plus side, I got to book the same trains as Ash and was able to get ahold of our program director with Samy's cell phone to let her know my status.-

Coffee was needed to calm my nerves. Upon sensing my distress, one of the workers/good samaritan who was servicing the vending machines opened one up and made me a latté from the inside! What a dumpling!

It is just what I needed to remember not to let a minor incident spoil what has been a fantastic adventure, in an overall fortunate and happy life. My glass is hall full - just look at that foam!

But, honestly, I am very fortunate. This entire week was made possible incredible by people like Samy who seek to share their positive lives. Reconnecting is Paris is definitely on the agenda for later in the semester!

Soon we were zooming across France, just hours from our knew homes. Aix-en-Provence, mystery, here I come!

Pretty Little Details: Court Séjour à Paris

Salut Mes Amis,

Instead of reading a play-by-play, I hope you'll enjoy these 25 shots from the last few days. Feel free to live vicariously through them!

A very stylish polar bear

Balconies!

Cliché, je sais

Secret passage - Palais de Tokyo

Réflexion à Musée d'Orsay

Existentialiste Hotspot

My first baguette sandwich

Eiffel Tower at sunset as seen from the Arc de Triomphe

Trocadéro after rain

Vendeur des fleurs

Thinking of you, Matt!

Seagull cuddle spot!

Traffic, traffic

Pierre Hermé macarons grâce à Thibaut

Mûr de L'amour

Downhill slide - Monmartre

Street portrait

Talent worth more than a few centimes

Sacré Coeur

Carbs

Métro

Pont des Arts

Surprise éclairs - Thanks Thibaut!

Green, green, green

My last view of the Eiffel Tower

I hope you enjoyed seeing some of these photos. Let me know which is your favorite in the comments.

Thank for looking!

Today's Way to Save Episode 2: Couchsurfing!

Bonjour tout le monde,

To keep this savings series rolling, I'm here to share my thoughts on Couchsurfing: the budget-friendly way to experience a new city like a local.

If you haven't heard of CS, it's an online community where travelers can connect with local "hosts" in the places they are traveling, who are willing to let them stay in their home free of charge. From my experience, hosts seem to be generous, pay-it-backward-and-forward kind of folks who understand the modern-day value of hospitality. Meeting new people is always on their to-do list, and they enjoy sharing what their region has to offer with like-minded travelers.

Without couchsurfing, I could have never seen Paris in such vivid, personal detail upon first arriving in France, nor would I have felt so welcome in New Brunswick last summer. Here's what I mean:

During my 4-day stay in Paris with fellow CEAer Ash, 2 different hosts helped us out: Samy, and Thibaut. Samy met me at the airport, helped me with my luggage and the metro, showed us around the city while he was free, and helped us get to the train station on our way out of town.

Thibaut, our host of 4 nights gave up his bedroom for us, made us to-see lists and directions, cooked for us, surprised us with famous desserts, and showed us around Paris's most noteworthy areas. He even taught me how to do "light painting" with his fancy camera equipment.

As is the couchsurfing way, BOTH of these guys took time out of their busy schedules to help us however they could, without asking for anything in return. They made our entire trip come together better than I could have ever imagined.

In addition to saving on lodging, AND on dining by cooking at the apartment, I feel like I gained much more during my time with my hosts than I would have at a hotel or hostel: notably, an insider perspective of what to do (and what not to do) in Paris, the chance to interact one-on-one with locals and to practice un petit peu de français, and the chance to rest up at the apartment when we were burned out without feeling estranged from the host culture!

Most importantly, I made irreplaceable friends with genuinely open and happy-go-lucky people who will always be welcome at my place...

So, all of that said, give couchsurfing a try! For me, it has been an absolute pleasure. As always, travel smart, let someone know where you'll be, and use some common sense. 

Tell me what you think of couchsurfing in the comments!

On Top Of The World: Arc de Triompe

Bonjour tout le monde,

Have you ever been taken aback by the sight of something beautiful? I feel like, here in Paris, between the Eiffel Tower and the city lights, I have been continually awestruck for the duration of my visit!

Most recently, I was astonished by my visit to the Arc de Triomphe with Ashlynn and Samy.

This 106-foot tall arch was erected in 1806 by Napoleon I to commemorate the soldiers who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. It took 30 years to complete its construction, and it is absolutely MASSIVE. The names of 500 soldiers are carved into the inside walls.

As it's free for students, we decided to take 284-step spiral staircase to the observation deck to soak in one of the best views in Paris.

I couldn't help but wonder just how many feet it has taken to polish these steps smooth...

The visual feast is inexpressible through words or tiny pictures. Traffic, monuments, lights, and clouds came together to take my breath away from 15.15 stories above the city.

Plus, as promised, the Eiffel Tower stood out marvelously from everything else.

If you ever have the chance, take the stairs to the Arc's observation deck, and try not to mind the wind!

Here in Paris: Day One Overview

Bonjour tout le monde,

After many years of anticipation, months of saving, and hours of very hectic traveling, I am thrilled to say that I have made it to Paris! My flight even arrived an hour ahead of schedule.

A friend of mine (introduced by another friend from Couchsurfing) met with me at the airport and helped me with my bags and the métro; it was such a nice help after being so tired from my flight. Not to mention he was extremely forgiving with my French, and great practice partner.

We headed to have an early lunch, and found a yummy Arabic place to have kebab beef and fries. I got mine on pita, making it a gigantic shaved beef, french fry and tomato roll-up with spicy and creamy sauces. Yummy! Then we explored the métro system for a few hours after having a 10-day pass made for me.

Later in the day, we took the métro to my Couchsurfing host's beautiful apartment right near the Eiffel Tower so that I could settle in and stop dragging around my luggage (finally!!!).

Once evening rolled around, my host took me to Aux Merveilleux de Fred, for the #1 rated brioche pastry in Paris, and led me to Trocadéro for the main attraction.

When I first saw the Eiffel Tour, I nearly cried! All lit up and glorious, it was just perfect.

For the rest of the evening, we wandered the city marking monuments off of my to-see list.

...and I ogled at the Eiffel Tower at every turn. It really is as beautiful as in any photo.

Palais de Tokyo, Place des Invalides, Les Champs Élysées, Musée d'Orsay, Le Palais de Justice, Le Pont des Arts, Saint-Chapelle, St. Michel and St.-Germain-des-Prés were also incredible to see at night! Paris is designed to be illuminated, it seems.

Last but not least, my host treated me to a splendid dinner at his favorite restaurant. Day one in Paris has been a singing success!