tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61474017721721597792024-03-04T22:26:16.733-07:0045 Days of MacaronsOn April 30th I am leaving for a study abroad to Paris with stops including Vienna, Belgium, and other exciting places. This blog will document my preparations for the trip as well as my experiences while abroad! :)Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13262853600247832990noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6147401772172159779.post-4228800986062552552014-11-26T13:01:00.002-07:002014-11-26T13:01:27.832-07:00Le internship and life lessons from Paris<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing scrabble during a day in the French countryside with "mes personnes âgées" </td></tr>
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The internship that I took part in was a really amazing experience. Sounds cheesy, I know, but it is so true. At the beginning I found it really difficult to go to retirement homes because the loneliness of the residents really affected me and actually made me quite sad. It was something new, and it took some time to get used to. After some time it became something that I looked forward to, a time that I could spend with someone in need and hopefully brighten their day in the process. It also made me so much more comfortable with my language skills than I was before I got there. Talking with people was now a piece of cake. Sure there was and still is vocabulary that I didn't know or some verb tenses that got me all sorts of confused, but in the grand scheme of things I was definitely feeling a lot more confident in my language abilities.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying a fun time with some stickers and Samia, aka coolest lady to work with ever!</td></tr>
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I also learned to interact and work with people that I wouldn't normally gravitate towards in my every day life back in Provo. I had to learn very quickly to work with people that had very different personalities from my own, and I needed to adapt and be able to work with each of those people and create effective relationships. I am grateful that I was able to learn this skill early on and that I have a personality that can work well with so many different people (hopefully that doesn't sound too braggy of me).<br />
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<img height="480" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/10007032_10204299919242617_2538979786786994801_n.jpg?oh=af3b8044f30e12e4203c2136fe6e7389&oe=54D8C9BD&__gda__=1423090441_091bab74cbd5111c6dfaa6bc0ffc6e6b" width="640" />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13262853600247832990noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6147401772172159779.post-63223127681453174202014-09-21T21:20:00.001-06:002014-09-21T21:20:14.303-06:00Picnic at Versailles<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Super well kept trees at the gardens of Versailles</td></tr>
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I love Versailles. I think it stems from my interest in Marie Antoinette that I have had since high school. I have devoured anything Marie Antoinette related for quite some time, including biographies, movies, music, art, etc. I find her to be such an interesting individual and that time in French history to be so intriguing, even though I am far from a history scholar, and my ability to retain all of the interesting facts I pick up is not all that stellar. So because of this love of all things Versailles I found it only fitting to make a trip out to Versailles with some friends and enjoy some picnicking. Because if there is one thing I've learned during my time in France it is that the French love their picnics and they are darn good at them too. I am not kidding its a freaking art form! Dees' friend Laura has the coolest mom ever, Therese, and she brought tons of delicious food and her French know how and found as an awesome spot to enjoy our picnic. Since most of us had already seen the chateau we just relaxed and enjoyed the sun while Emmanuella and Chloe went to go check out the palace of Versailles. <div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left to Right: Dee, Tanner, Chloe and Laura</td></tr>
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Afterwards we took a nice stroll through the grounds at Versailles, which are freaking immense, and got to see some adorable animals like baby goats, horses, and various birds. So cute! I was really hoping to see the hamlet which is a quaint little village that Marie Antoinette had built for her and her ladies in waiting, but by the time we got there it had already closed. Two words: huge bummer. I have been wanting to see the hamlet for so long but every time I've been to Versailles its either been closed or we haven't had enough time, but I guess that gives me another reason to make it back to France in the future. <div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chloe trying to feed a baby goat<br /><br /></td></tr>
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Overall it was a great day spent with some pretty fantastic people in a beautiful location. It is always amazing to me how vast the estate of Versailles is and how normal it is for people that live nearby to come and have lunch with their family in the gardens, or go on their daily jog right past a place that contains so much history. I can't not think about the people who lived at Versailles throughout history and the important decisions that were made there, the fact that you can step where they stepped and explore the grounds much like they themselves probably did is an amazing experience. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left to Right:<br />Dee, Laura, Chloe, Me, Tanner, and Malgo</td></tr>
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13262853600247832990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6147401772172159779.post-20792841521004576972014-09-21T20:27:00.001-06:002014-09-21T20:27:55.493-06:00The Catacombs <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting in line to see the bones!<br />
Left to Right: Chloe, Dee and I</td></tr>
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I should start by saying that I am terrified of small dark spaces, especially those that reside in the underground area of the world. So the catacombs were quite the daunting adventure for me but I was determined to make it happen! Last summer when I was in Paris I tried going to the catacombs two different times with friends, but the first time the line was ridiculously long and the second time it was raining cats and dogs so both times were a no go. So as they say third time is the charm and I was prepared with a plan. Chloe, Dee and I planned to go on a Saturday morning and made sure to leave early so that we could get there without being caught in a really long line. Our plan was a success! We left around 7 or 8 am, (I really can't remember since it's been a while) and we were like the third group in line...total success! We thought ahead and had purchased some pastries from the bakery near our apartment building before hoping on the metro and making our way to the catacombs, which coincidentally enough were only like two metro stops away from our lodging. How convenient! So having arrived, eaten our pastries, and chitchatted like the loud Americans that we are, we waited patiently (or rather impatiently) for the catacombs to open and for our adventure to begin. Side note: we also met some a really nice, and adorable, Australian couple while waiting in line.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dee motioning rather excitedly to the entrance of the catacombs, the inscription reads: <br />
"Stop! Here is the empire of the dead."</td></tr>
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Once in the catacombs, I was not nearly as claustrophobic as I thought I would be which was a major plus and there was not an overwhelming odor like I thought there would be with the remains of millions of Parisians in one confined location. It just smelled kinda damp and stuffy, but all in all not bad for an underground cemetery. There were poems and quotes on plaques at various parts throughout and some of them were quite chilling, adding to the overall atmosphere of the catacombs. I didn't find myself as creeped out as I thought I would be, I actually found it quite calming and humbling to think about all of the lives of these people that now reside under the streets of Paris. It really exhibits the mix of new and old that is everywhere in Paris. Just outside of the exit is a gift shop of sorts and then a few minutes walk away is a metro stop with bustling Parisians walking in and out. However just underneath is a world completely different, with carefully stacked bones and skulls a plenty. It is pretty astounding to think about the number of lives lived that are there.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awkward posing and smile, nobody prepped me on how to pose for a photo in the catacombs so I just winged it. </td></tr>
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<br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13262853600247832990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6147401772172159779.post-5987569478686065932014-09-21T17:54:00.002-06:002014-09-21T17:54:59.762-06:00Le 14 juillet <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fireworks at the Eiffel Tower</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Either fireworks or the Eiffel Tower is on fire....either way super cool! ;-)</td></tr>
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Holy cow that's a lot of fireworks! The French really know how to celebrate their national holidays, especially le 14 juillet. For those of you who do not know what this magnificent day is all about let me give you the deets (details for my older audience). :) Also known as Bastille Day, and officially in France as La Fete nationale, the 14th of July commemorates the start of the French Revolution and the Storming of the Bastille which originally occurred the 14th of July 1789. It also celebrates the Fete de la Federation on July 14, 1790 which commemorated the first anniversary of the revolution and the unification of the French people as a nation once more. Well now you are caught up on a brief history of this magnificent holiday, if you would like to know more feel free to peruse these links at your leisure:</div>
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<a href="http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/55627/Bastille-Day">http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/55627/Bastille-Day</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/french-revolutionaries-storm-bastille">http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/french-revolutionaries-storm-bastille</a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The crazy huge crowd at the Eiffel Tower for the concert and fireworks display, this doesn't even do it justice. So many people!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying a picnic with some pretty awesome people on the 14th of July<br />
Left to Right: Malgo, Chloe, and Therese</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Though I am never one to brave huge crowds, I figured that I should take advantage of such a rare experience to enjoy the 14th of July with friends in one of my favorite cities in the world in front of one of my favorite monuments in the world. It was well worth it. I joined up with a group of friends at the Eiffel Tower, the gang included: the Americans (Dee, Chloe, Tanner and I), the Fieschi's (Therese and Clarisse), the Italian (Mauro), the other interns (Jesus, Malgo), and the coworkers (Lily and Mikael). We had a picnic, catered mostly by yours truly who actually went pretty overboard buying delicious french picnic food. This included sausages, pastries, cheese (the stinky and un-stinky kind), baguettes (the most delicious form of bread to ever exist), soda, and loads of other good stuff. Because the French are classy they had a concert before the fireworks show, and not just any concert. There was a full orchestra, opera singers in fancy dresses, and all hosted by two very chic celebrities The video below shows just a little bit of that class, albeit from a distance as the orchestra plays the theme from Star Wars. </span></div>
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After the concert, during which we ate and enjoyed each others company as well as the music being performed, the fireworks show started. Seriously the most amazing fireworks I have ever seen in my entire life! I'm not even sure how to explain it other than to say that there was a man in a white body suit that scaled the Eiffel Tower and did all sorts of crazy acrobatic stuff, what the bananas...so crazy! Hope you enjoy a little taste of the awesomeness that are french fireworks in the video posted bellow:</div>
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Getting home afterwards was a mess, it felt like half the city of Paris had come out for the celebration and the metro was PACKED....but what a night! :)</div>
Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13262853600247832990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6147401772172159779.post-16372580965190493522014-09-20T22:58:00.001-06:002014-09-20T22:58:16.592-06:00The 4th of July in Paris<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Who doesn't love a photo of the Eiffel Tower?! I mean seriously no matter how many times I see it it never looses its magnificence or just plain cool factor. This particular photo wasn't taken on the 4th of July but I found it on my phone and really liked it, minus the tops of peoples heads in the bottom, but fixing it would require cropping and ain't nobody got time for that. Let's include another one for good measure:</div>
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Being in France for the 4th of July was the first time I believe I have ever been out of the country for such auspicious of a national holiday, and the lack of american flag embossed jean shorts and ripped I heart America tank tops was startling at first. I survived. I had work as usual at my internship and then had the afternoon free left wondering what on earth to do for the 4th of July in Paris. Oddly enough there are many options for an american in Paris who is looking to get patriotic. There is a party at the embassy (supposedly), a barbecue at the American Church in Paris complete with bluegrass music and corn on the cob, and various social outings for expats across Paris. We (meaning Dee, Tanner, Chloe, and I) went to the house of a friend of Dee (her name is Laura and she is fantastic as is her entire family, shout out to her mom Therese) and her mom put on a 4th of July barbecue for us and some of her friends and neighbors and such. It was so nice to not only feel at home by celebrating a national holiday, but to be doing it in France with a French family that loves Americans was a once in a lifetime experience. It was such a multi-cultural experience as there was also an Italian and several other people from various countries in Europe and even another american. We ended up eating grilled meat and chips and all sorts of good stuff, and even sang the national anthem (an experience which is on video but will not be seen here due to my atrocious singing ability and overall silliness). The Frenchies also sang their anthem and our sole Italian busted out the Italian anthem, gotta say he did a pretty awesome job for an impromptu solo! Overall an amazing end to my 4th of July spent in Paris!</div>
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<br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13262853600247832990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6147401772172159779.post-86431637623095294392014-09-19T21:46:00.000-06:002014-09-20T23:01:18.556-06:00Better late then never...right?What do I remember from my first day? Well considering that I am now starting to develop memory issues, much like the people that I accompanied, that first day is coming out all fuzzy in my head but I will do my best to give you all the low down. Much like anything else new, I was nervous to be doing my first ever "for reals" adult internship. What was it going to be like? Was I going to make friends easily? Would I even understand everything everyone was saying in French? Whewww! So many questions were running through my head, but thankfully the end results were much less frightening than my mind had made them out to be. Yes the day was tiring and a tad stressful, but mostly it was exciting! It was something new, full of new opportunities, new people to meet, new friendships to make, and many many new things to learn. One of those new things was learning how to manipulate a wheelchair in different scenarios and boy was it trickier than I was expecting!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the other interns as well as two employees from the office. Left to Right: Jesus, Lily, Dee, Malgo, and Michael</td></tr>
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Part of working with the elderly involves the know how of manipulating a wheelchair and doing it in a safe way as to avoid any potential injuries. Though there were three other BYU students there doing the same internship as me, two of them were in another group working specifically with alzheimers patients and the fourth had not yet arrived due to an unfortunate series of travel mishaps. There I was in a room of people I had barely just met, practicing how to get someone in and out of a wheelchair using vocabulary I had never ever heard before in my life. I tried to be a good sport and just follow along, picking up the occasional useful verb like "reculer" which means to move or push backwards, very useful in helping someone in a wheelchair to adjust and sit up straight to avoid the dreaded slouch. I had never before sat in a wheelchair and the experience of being pushed around in it and manipulated to sit a certain way or going up and down a ramp gave me a very different perspective of what other people experience. It was a tiring, but an excellent training. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A selfie from one of my first nights in Paris at a cafe with other interns, I was thrilled to just be there!</td></tr>
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13262853600247832990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6147401772172159779.post-40132134408172825872014-08-08T02:16:00.001-06:002014-08-08T02:16:08.606-06:00Cute Seat Mates and Other Treasures of Traveling<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Who is this ridiculously cute couple you might ask? Well its my friends the Holmes that I met on my plane ride to Paris! :) I was lucky enough to be seated right next to Julie and her husband on the flight and immediately knew that it would make a great start to my Parisian adventure. Nearly one of the first things she said to me was asking if I wanted a hand sanitizing wipe to clean my tray table and such, seriously such a sweet lady! Her and her husband are from Fresno, California and were going on a trip with their family to do some European adventuring. We talked about California, Colorado, the French, food, religion, farming, and how uncomfortable factor of trying to sleep on a plane. Julie also bears a striking resemblance to Katie Couric so I ended up telling her, and we enjoyed a nice laugh about her and her celebrity doppelganger. Needless to say we were meant to be seat mates!<br />
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Arriving in Paris felt a lot like coming home, and I felt ready and capable to fit into my temporary new role as a Parisian, that is until I remembered that I am not the best when it comes to directions. I waited patiently for my luggage, and once recovered decided to take a bus into town and then the metro to my new apartment. Like much of this summer it was raining and the grey sky seemed to be an omen that something was not going to go my way that day. The bus was late, and not a little late but a lot late, however it eventually arrived and I hoped on, giant orange suitcase in tow. Another realization occurred when I made it to the metro, I need to start lifting weights....like now. My arm strength is not nearly what it needs to be to carry a suitcase up and down metro stairs, but you live and you learn. :) Tired, sweaty, and still a little lost I made it to my new apartment where one of the other benevoles (volunteers) was waiting to get me all set up in my new housing. Les Petits Freres puts all the benevoles up in the same housing complex which is an apartment building made for university students in Paris. It is modern, clean, safe, and full of diversity...I'm a fan! No matter how many times I think I've got this whole Paris thing down the first day always feels like my first time in Paris, it's like my brain is wiped clean in order to fit in all the new memories that I will make during my stay. Starving, I decided to head downstairs and ask the cute boy at the front desk where to find a nearby McDonalds. Thankfully he took pity on me, and at about 11pm at night took me to find a cheeseburger and fries. First day in France and I'm already eating McDonalds (and I enjoyed it too), quel honte! (what shame!)<br />
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Having eaten some food and made a new friend I started getting settled into my new apartment; unpacking really is essential in order to feel at home. Though I had no pillow my first night I fashioned a make shift one out of my softest and comfiest clothes and called it good. I was in Paris, the lack of a pillow was definitely not going to put a damper on that.<br />
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Coming up next: the first day on the job :)</div>
<br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13262853600247832990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6147401772172159779.post-17512632226021208902014-08-01T18:29:00.003-06:002014-08-01T18:37:29.697-06:00France 2014 And How Some Things Never Change<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well it would seem that some things never change. The metro is still smelly, the macarons are still delicious, and Paris is...well it's still Paris, and I'm still a procrastinator. Much like last summer I am supposed to keep a blog of my adventures in Paris during my time here and my experience with my internship. Unfortunately time goes by so quickly in France that before you know it you're a month in and haven't yet posted...oops! However I am quickly repenting and will catch everyone up, that is if anybody besides my professor is interested in reading this...on my various escapades in the greatest country in Europe.....but don't tell the other Europeans! ;-)<br />
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This summer I have been fortunate enough to be able to return to my favorite city in the world, Paris!!! I don't know what I did to deserve yet another summer in Paris, but I think it is starting to become a tradition....an expensive tradition but one that I would definitely like to continue. This time I am doing an internship with an organisation called "Les Petis Frères des Pauvres", which literally translated into English is "Little Brothers of the Poor". Here is their mission statement, taken from their american chapter website:<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"In 1939, and after a long intellectual and spiritual process, Armand Marquiset decided to dedicate his life to the poor. This project was carried out in 1946 with the creation in France of the association of les petits frères de Pauvres. He particularly committed himself in helping elderly destitute people. To love the poorest as brothers and to help them as much as possible: those were Armand Marquiset’s driving forces.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The action of the les petits frères de Pauvres is still achieved today around these fundamental values of respect and brotherhood. Volunteers and staff offer a long term accompaniment to allow people to rebuild their lives, to weave relational networks and to be released from their isolation."</i></span></div>
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I absolutely love this! I don't want to sound soapboxy, but I firmly believe that the elderly should not be forgotten. They should be loved, respected, and taken care of in their old age. Thankfully there are organizations like Les Petits Frères that also believe in this and hundreds of "bénévoles", volunteers, who aid in the cause. I have the wonderful opportunity of visiting people each week, spending time with them, talking, and listening to whatever it is they want to share. I find it incredibly rewarding, and at times quite fatiguing and sad to hear stories about those that feel they are alone in the world in their old age, but I feel that the good quite outweighs any negative side effects.</div>
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It's getting late and we are going to the catacombs early tomorrow morning, so thank you for reading and I will post a lot more tomorrow! :)</div>
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13262853600247832990noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6147401772172159779.post-65061422156888586702013-06-03T03:39:00.001-06:002013-06-03T06:16:28.328-06:00Giverny<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div>Thursday May 23rd<div><br></div><div>Because we had a couple free days to travel Hayley, Savannah, Ashley and I decided to go visit Giverny. It was only a short one hour train ride to Vernon and then a 15/20 minute bus ride to Giverny. The weather wasn't amazing but it wasn't horrible either. First we went and explored the gardens, and it was like something I could have only ever dreamed of. No wonder Monet's paintings are so beautiful he lived in a gorgeous area! Everything was so green and the flowers were so colorful, I was in heaven. We got to see the lily pad ponds and even take a picture on the bridge covered in lilac, what an amazing experience! Our tickets also included Monet's house, which was also full of warm inviting colors like yellows and blues. In the gift shop there was a video playing on Monet and I learned a lot of things that I didn't know about him including that his mood depended on the weather, and that he was so specific about his gardens that if one of his children picked a flower he would get very upset. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFvifVecsSy8S6khvwg57pCtjCCYtqMvA-6zYa2bYLAVqROxDPmu9FHniLtVlq1i9Z8gb9BvKaE1VnzNq0nJBdE2e5DJ5uPoNpQPGf1QSBDiZ6z_Z-gKfA_0qXVs38Tp5A587XgDygGaw/s640/blogger-image--1321786247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFvifVecsSy8S6khvwg57pCtjCCYtqMvA-6zYa2bYLAVqROxDPmu9FHniLtVlq1i9Z8gb9BvKaE1VnzNq0nJBdE2e5DJ5uPoNpQPGf1QSBDiZ6z_Z-gKfA_0qXVs38Tp5A587XgDygGaw/s640/blogger-image--1321786247.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcydmd69p49DwjMm0DT96PbVcP1_HIghwSKyUyI2XDVHZloggXJUG8d7Jr5OGK2at8d6q9OIQuuJPUK7O3N_5m-Pi-2pIy1Vab-ktFEQWTxgkOWu2atH0X0CnKyt17xJwlXFfjWwXiNwU/s640/blogger-image-1711542679.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcydmd69p49DwjMm0DT96PbVcP1_HIghwSKyUyI2XDVHZloggXJUG8d7Jr5OGK2at8d6q9OIQuuJPUK7O3N_5m-Pi-2pIy1Vab-ktFEQWTxgkOWu2atH0X0CnKyt17xJwlXFfjWwXiNwU/s640/blogger-image-1711542679.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8uoxEUYK6WTwYChJcsfH4FM1J5Qm3ubZtEisRDbEst5tY5pJGM8FXhKTMSjlYobwKJCNFzYE_yP3kBFdgXgWxA2uM0ycarD4FUMs7GdA7PVtyglCIsA5gacPF4ynggQ4cAXltNzGmJ4E/s640/blogger-image--283804926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8uoxEUYK6WTwYChJcsfH4FM1J5Qm3ubZtEisRDbEst5tY5pJGM8FXhKTMSjlYobwKJCNFzYE_yP3kBFdgXgWxA2uM0ycarD4FUMs7GdA7PVtyglCIsA5gacPF4ynggQ4cAXltNzGmJ4E/s640/blogger-image--283804926.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>The whole time I was there I couldn't stop thinking how much my family and friends back home would enjoy it, especially my Mom and it made me miss everyone a bit. I hope that one day I can come back with my Mom because I just know she would love it! :) We also visited Le Musee des Impressionists which was a smaller museum but it had some of my favorite artists such as Paul Signac. For lunch I had a quiche, always a good choice in my book, and then later some hot chocolate and ice cream. I never used to be that into hot chocolate, but since I've been here I have been hot chocolate crazy! Maybe that's on account of the rainy weather we've been getting.....regardless I'm fine with consuming lots of got chocolate as long as I don't burn my tongue in the process. I absolutely loved this whole day! :) </div><div><br></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13262853600247832990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6147401772172159779.post-46738006745846294162013-06-02T18:11:00.000-06:002013-06-03T03:33:08.550-06:00Skyscrapers, Monet, and Marie Antoinette<div><br></div>*sorry there aren't photos, I will add them soon*<div><br></div><div>Monday May 20th<div><br></div><div>Around midday a couple of my friends and I headed out to La Defense, which is the modern area of Paris. It's full of skyscrapers and it reminded me a lot of Chicago. Though I definitely prefer old Paris it was really interesting to see a different side of Paris, full of businessmen and women and lots metal and glass buildings. There is a giant mall there so what did we do....that's right we went shopping! I finally gave in and bought myself a leather jacket and boy am I one happy girl. Before shopping we had lunch at McDonalds, yes you read that right. I'm not gonna say its my proudest moment but I figure since plenty of the French go to them than its good enough for me. I got a hamburger and fries, and then a hot chocolate and some macaroons and I thoroughly enjoyed it all. The mall was super fancy complete with free shoe shinning machines and water fountains! You maybe thinking that water fountains aren't that exciting but they seriously are, and it's because I can never find any in Paris. Unfortunately this water fountain was dispensing warm water and not cold for some odd reason so what could've been a joyous moment was marred a bit by the warm water, oh well. </div><div><br></div><div>Tuesday May 21st</div><div><br></div><div>The morning commenced with school and a midterm, and I've got to say it is hard to juggle school and sightseeing and everything else. There is just so much to do! Then we went to the Musee de Marmottan. This museum has a lot of paintings by Monet and other impressionists, so definitely right up my alley. In the basement of the building there was an exhibit of paintings by a female impressionist painter (I'm having trouble remembering her name right now), and I've got to say I did not enjoy her stuff. I've never been one of those people that can look at a painting and analyze it and such, so I just go by what I like and don't like. Needless to say I like a lot of pretty paintings! :) </div></div><div><br></div><div>Wednesday May 22nd</div><div><br></div><div>Today started out with a morning stroll through the market at La Motte-Picquet. I loved it! It was just so full of life and all sorts of different and interesting smells and people and things. I didn't buy anything but it was still great. Then we hopped on the metro to go to the catacombs, and apparently it was right outside of the metro stop but we spent a good 10/15 minutes looking for it until we figured it out. I've noticed that stuff like that happens a lot, probably a side effect of not having smart phones and 3G everywhere we go....which in my opinion is actually not such a bad thing. As it happens sometimes the catacombs were closed. I thought the sign was a bit mysterious and scary, maybe somebody tried to steal some bones or something.....who knows! What I do know is that I was bummed it was closed because I had just gotten up the courage to venture down in the land of the dead, but oh well...I'm pretty sure they will still be there when I come back. Then it was back on the metro and over to Sainte-Chappelle and La Conciegerie. The stained glass in Sainte-Chappelle was absolutely astounding! In terms of cathedrals it is on the smaller size but the windows made it seem so much bigger with the light streaming through them. Each of the windows displays a story from the Bible which made it very interesting to look at each and think about the amount of work put in to each one in order to convey a particular story or message. La Conciergerie was something I had wanted to visit the last time I was in Paris but hadn't had the chance to. It served as a prison during the French Revolution and was where Marie Antoinette was held right before she was executed. The actual area where her cell was is now part of a chapel so there was a cell re-done to imitate what hers might have looked like. It was sad to think about all the innocent people that were killed and it has prompted me to want to learn more about that period of time in French history. Overall a great day! :) </div><div><br></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13262853600247832990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6147401772172159779.post-63851457476628765242013-06-02T18:07:00.002-06:002013-06-02T18:07:57.176-06:00Brocante and happiness!Sunday May 19th<br />
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Sunday means church and so to church we went! Everybody in the Paris ward is really nice and other than fighting a bit of a desire to sleep it was a pretty darn good three hours. Afterwards we journeyed over to Rue Claire for a Brocante, basically like a big vintage fair...so super up my alley. I could definitely spend all day at something like this and we pretty much did! I noticed that there was a lot of old silverware so if you were looking for fancy old silverware that was definitely the place to buy it, sadly I was not in the market for that but I did buy a vintage sea foam green skirt (modest length and all!).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rachel and Savannah looking adorable at the Broacante<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I can't believe that this is what my Sunday was like, talk about perfect! Sundays are one of the days that we have dinner with our host family so it was a nice opportunity to eat good food and have good conversation, or at least try to (the French is still a work in progress). The weather was iffy and is still continuing to be kinda gray and cloudy and I catch myself more often than I would like complaining about being cold when I should just look up and remember that I'm in Paris and that life is wonderful! I feel </span>terrible<span style="font-family: inherit;"> for stealing it but my friend Sierra, who is on this study abroad program, posted this amazing quote on her blog that I just have to share:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">“I want a life that sizzles and pops and makes me laugh out loud. And I don't want to get to the end, or to tomorrow, even, and realize that my life is a collection of meetings and pop cans and errands and receipts and dirty dishes. I want to eat cold tangerines and sing out loud in the car with the windows open and wear pink shoes and stay up all night laughing and paint my walls the exact color of the sky right now. I want to sleep hard on clean white sheets and throw parties and eat ripe tomatoes and read books so good they make me jump up and down, and I want my everyday to make God belly laugh, glad that he gave life to someone who loves the gift.”</span></h1>
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13262853600247832990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6147401772172159779.post-33842189582599491762013-06-02T17:20:00.003-06:002013-06-02T17:20:47.315-06:00Chateaus and some weird art!Friday May 17th<br />
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Back to castling (my new verb which means visiting lots of castles) after a fun filled night in Chemery! Breakfast was very yummy and included lots of bread and yogurt (which is super amazing here in France, I don't know what it is, it's just better!) After saying goodbye to our little castle and the dog (who for some reason still would only let me pet him for a second before he moved onto somebody else with better hair or something like that) :) we went to Chambord. It was freakishly huge and beautiful!!! The picture below is of my sweet friend Michaelanne in front of the chateau.<br />
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I feel like I should issue an apology here for all the exclamation points being used and for the lack of depth in commenting on the places I've visited, it is a little hard to be intelligent sounding when you are running crazy behind on blog posts but I'm trying! :) And of course last but not lease we visited Chenonceau, my favorite! This was the only chateau that we actually got to see the kitchens, and for some reason that was super cool and not to mention beautiful. The audio guide that we had was also super entertaining and had all sorts of fun tidbits about mistresses and things of the like. The forests surrounding it were very calming and enjoyable to just walk around in.<br />
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Then it was train time and back home to Paris!I still can't believe that I'm calling Paris home, it just feels so crazy! So I'm still not quite sure how it happened but we ended up going clubbing again that night. I think I might be getting a reputation for being a party animal but trust me that is anything but the case! We went to this club called Duplex and it was actually a ton of fun, its nice to just dance away your worries. :)<br />
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Saturday May 18th<br />
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On account of the whole clubbing situation the night before Saturday consisted of quite a bit of sleeping and then homework.....but then all that hard work (slash last minute rushing) lead to "Nuit des Musees". I don't know how often it happens but for one night pretty much all of the museums in Paris, and I think all over France in fact, are free for one night. We had hoped to go to the Modern Art Museum, but the line was crazy long! So we went to the Palais de Tokyo which happened to be right next door, but little did we know what we were getting ourselves into! I experienced a lot of differing emotions in this museum, anything on the spectrum from fear all the way to giddiness (well maybe not that emotion, most of the stuff was pretty bizare). Also I'm not sure why I'm not smiling in this picture (I guess I thought we were doing serious faces, but apparently I missed the memo on smiling). :)<br />
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Afterwards a bunch of us walked along the Seine and enjoyed some beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower before heading home for the night. The area that we were walking around is coincidentally right over the street where Princess Diana was killed, there was even a statue commemorating her and pictures and such. It was super sad to see that especially after the fun night we had just had, it definitely made me pause for a second and think.Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13262853600247832990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6147401772172159779.post-44520437816140779002013-06-02T16:42:00.002-06:002013-06-02T16:42:48.113-06:00Still playing catch up!Tuesday May 14th<br />
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First class of course with the wonderful Sprengers (no seriously they are wonderful teachers not to mention pretty cool people....and they aren't even paying me to say this). Today was one of the days where they cooked for us at the BYU apartment (right next to the Ecole Militaire metro stop) so needless to say we were all pretty full by the end of it. After that we visited le Musee Carnavelet and we focused on the exhibitions on the French Revolution because that was what we had talked about in class that day. Then we hit up another vintage shop that we just happened to run across and my friend Lauren bought some really awesome shoes that I totally wish were in my size...#jealousmuch! We also went to Sacre Coeur at Montmartre. Sacre Coeur is my absolute favorite church in the world it is so peaceful and wonderful! You can't take pictures in the inside so we just went inside and there were nuns singing and a priest and everything so we just sat and listened for a while. Even though its not a Mormon church I could definitely feel the spirit there and it was nice to just soak it all in.<br />
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Wednesday May 15th<br />
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Started the day off right with a nice dose of school and then onto Les Invalides. I have seen it from the outside before but never gone in so I was really excited to see where Napoleon is buried as well as walk around and see some of the exhibits that there are. Of course I have to mention the small man large tomb situation, which is a bit odd but if you are Napoleon I guess you can have whatever kind of tomb that you want....hence a giant freakin tomb in the middle of what used to be a church and then was a hospital for soldiers and now houses a dead man. After this we went and saw The Great Gatsby (Le Magnifique Gatsby en francais) on the first day that it came out and I LOVED IT! I apparently lived under a rock before this day because I didn't know the story line at all so I was completely shocked the whole way through, learning the plot bit by bit. It was in English but with French subtitles.<br />
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Thursday May 16th<br />
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We left bright and early Thursday morning for a train to the Loire Valley for two days. Trains are quickly becoming one of my favorite modes of transportation. Pluses: you get to see the beautiful countryside, you can take photos, you can eat and sleep fairly comfortably, you can get up and walk around. Cons: super stinky bathrooms (who knows why it just is the way it is). Once we arrived it was a continuous flow of chateau after chateau, and really who doesn't love that!? Not this girl! I loved it!!!!! :) Everything was so beautiful! First was the Chateau de Villandry which is well known for its gardens, pictured below:<br />
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We even saw swans in a lake, hello picturesque! The next stop on our castle tour was the one known as Sleaping Beauty's castle called Chateau d'Usse(pictured below), which was the inspiration for many Disney castles. We just saw the outside of this one as well as the outside of Azay le Rideau, another very beautiful castle.<br />
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Then back onto our giant tour bus (which has the weird power of making everyone, myself included, really sleepy and needing naps big time) and onto Chateau Royal de Blois. The tour guide was surprised when Madame asked him to give the tour in French instead of English and for whatever reason he kept asking us if we could understand what he was saying during the tour, and then he just finally switched to English. Of course we couldn't understand every word but for the most part we could understand, I just think he was being super condescending. Kind of like he didn't think we could handle his advanced speech so he needed to dumb it down for us in English, thanks but no thank mister tour guide. The chateau is really interesting because it has several different styles because of when each part was built and such, definitely look this one up. I would explain more about it but I'm not a history major for a reason ladies and gentlemen. :) Here is a picture of me on a throne at Blois.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Okay so then the coolest thing every happened!!! We drove to a little castle called Chemery and got to sleep in it for the night!!! Can you believe it?! I slept in a castle! It was very quaint on the outside and the lady that owns it was very sweet, there was even a dog (I tried to be his best friend but he wasn't really having it...maybe dogs don't like me?). Apparently it is haunted because a long time ago someone was buried alive there or something like that...who know what happened but I do know that I didn't hear anything besides some snoring that night. The attic was definitely a bit creepy though. We played truth or dear that night, and it was the first time I had ever played (hello deprived childhood!)....I just stuck to truth, dares are too scary! </span></div>
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13262853600247832990noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6147401772172159779.post-23485505594641423782013-06-02T15:37:00.001-06:002013-06-02T15:37:07.101-06:00Wow I'm slow at blog posts!Okay so I am officially a terrible blogger...no but really I am! So I am going to try to catch everyone up on the past few weeks. So where were we:<br />
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Monday May 13th:<br />
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We had class again (who knew that was happening everyday, not me! Haha but really!) and the amount of homework needing to get done starting to seem a little daunting to me. One of my favorite things that we visited on this day was the L'Hotel de Soubise. We went to it because it is such a great example of rococo style as seen in the lovely photo below:<br />
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Next stop was the Louvre. I've been once before and both times I just feel so overwhelmed by the amount of people and art in one building. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it but I definitely was a bit haggard by the end of it. I love the sculpture of the Winged Victory and really any of the rooms where there aren't a million and a one tourists with their cameras and odd sense of personal space. :) It really is amazing to think how much time and energy each artist put into their work that is now in the Louvre....even the small pieces or ones in rooms far in the back.To the people who created those pieces they meant a lot even if we may just pass by it on our way to see the Mona Lisa (which by the way is just okay...but definitely still go see it just for the thrill!) :) Then we did some fun vintage shopping, one of them (Omaya Vintage) was pretty hardcore rock and roll so that was neat! Savannah and Hayley both bought vintage denim Levi shorts, so jealous!<br />
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Afterwards we headed back to the church building for FHE (Family Home Evening) and we were even fed dinner, and afterwards some of us went to Amorino's #bestgelatoever, just right by Notre Dame. Yumm!!!!Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13262853600247832990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6147401772172159779.post-5624703147396004342013-05-23T16:25:00.003-06:002013-05-23T16:26:40.579-06:00Friday Night FunSo to continue on from the last post, which was about Friday May 10th, I was super sleepy from the long day but to celebrate Savannah's birthday we went out clubbing. (Oh wait on a quick side note I had the best hot chocolate I've ever had at Versailles. There was a restaurant called Angelina and it was pretty much like chocolate fondue in a cup, aka delicious!!!)<br />
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Okay so back on topic....now clubbing is something I had never done before and I was so nervous to go but it ended up being a lot of fun, and also the longest night ever! This caused us to sleep in until around 2 or 3pm the next day. Once we were up and running on all cylinders again we went meet up with other friends from the group for a birthday dinner at an Italian/French restaurant. I say Italian/French because there was pizza and pasta and such but everything seemed to have a bit of a French twist to it. My friend Greta and I shared a pizza and a pasta dish and both were very yummy. The best part of the night was when my friend Ashley thought she was ordering a steak but really ended up ordering steak tartar (which is raw)....needless to say she wasn't expecting that. After that we all went to the Eiffel Tower to count down to midnight to celebrate Savannah turning 20 and enjoy the beautiful sparkling lights! :) It was wonderful!!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kiana and I at dinner<br />
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Then Sunday brought three hours of church in French, slightly daunting at first but so worth it! Church started at 9:30 and was at the same building where we have school. Its not a super big ward but everybody I met was very friendly. I was surprised at what I was able to understand, although one man gave a talk and I think his native language was Spanish or Portugese because there was definitely some non French vocab sprinkled amongst the very quickly spoken French. :) I could definitely see myself living in Paris and going to this ward every Sunday. What a blessing that the people of France will get a temple in a few years. Of course since it was Sunday I had to take my customary Sunday nap, so after church Savannah and I got to have a little nap time before dinner with our family. All in a days work! :)<br />
<br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13262853600247832990noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6147401772172159779.post-39076289016319995322013-05-23T15:47:00.001-06:002013-05-23T15:47:34.199-06:00Falafel and Versailles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Still playing catch up but bear with me! :) Friday brought some more class...which you would think might be boring, but think again!!! After class brought another little field trip to the Jewish neighborhood to try some falafel. Now I think I might've had some before but I couldn't remember if I liked it or not so this was quite the adventure. As you can see in the picture it was recommended by Lenny Kravitz so pretty much a golden stamp of approval right there. Definitely not my favorite food item ever, but I'm glad that I tried it.<br />
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After my adventure with the falafel we headed out to Versailles. We had to tack the RER, which goes out to the suburbs of Paris, in order to get there so it took about an hour. I can't remember if I fell asleep or not, but I'm gonna guess a yes because that is what tends to happen when I sit for more than ten minutes on a train or something similar. I don't know if it has something to do with the relaxing humm of the train or the beautiful scenery we were passing, but either way its a good recipe for a nap! :) Unfortunately the weather was not very nice at all, and we had to wait in line for a long time...it was crazy! Thankfully all of the girls on the trip are really fun to talk to and we spent the whole time just chatting away and being a little silly. It was different than the last time, a lot more rooms were available to be seen than the last time I was there. I really enjoyed getting to see more than last time, but I didn't like the way they arranged the "tour", but oh well it was still amazing! The Hall of Mirrors was still my favorite part of it, I just like to stand there imagining what it must've been like to live at that time and to have walked through there.<br />
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I really wanted to go see the gardens and explore the Petite Trianon and such but the weather and our energy levels for that day just didn't permit that. Thankfully the weather should be a little nicer next Monday when we were planning on going and renting bikes to tool around the gardens. Getting home from Versailles was a little frustrating because we needed to put more money on our metro passes to use the RER but the lines were crazy and once we got to the front the machine wouldn't work so we had to go wait in another line to get a real person to help us. Once we took care of that we had to get through the turnstiles but for some reason mine worked but Savannah's didn't so she had to sneak behind some random guy. We did get home and all was well! :)Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13262853600247832990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6147401772172159779.post-17806707555189202692013-05-23T15:05:00.002-06:002013-05-23T15:07:18.339-06:00Dinan, Notre Dame & ClunySorry again for the lateness of this post, I'm still playing catch up! So after a yummy breakfast at our hotel in Saint Malo we heading back out on the road and stopped by a small town called Dinan. It was really amazing to just walk around and take it all in. It was still very early in the morning so nothing was really open but we did have a very yummy treat on our way out that Monsieur Sprenger grabbed at a local bakery that happened to be open and have enough for us all (well at least enough for us all to have half of one)! :) I am terrible and can't remember what it is called but when I remember I will be sure to post all about it, basically it was buttery and delicious....enough said.<br />
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Then we had a pretty long bus ride to get back to Paris and then meet our host families. There was definitely some sleeping as well as some games, which is always fun in a bus of mostly all girls. Since our family lives technically in Paris (Boulogne to be exact) we had to take a taxi to get to there house, and those who lived farther out in the suburbs had their families waiting to pick them up. I was definitely a little bit nervous but the taxi ride went fine and we found our home without too much confusion. It was definitely a shock to be in an environment that is so unlike normal for me but exhilarating at the same time. Savannah and I both have our own room but we both just decided to sleep in her room because she has the big bed, with a giant blanket with the American flag on it, #america! Dinner was so different from what I am used to in the states and I really like it. For the first course it was a plate of sliced tomatoes and avocados; which usually aren't my style but I gave it a valiant effort. Then came the main course, the cheese course, and then desert. Dinner takes a lot longer because each course is served separately but it gives a good amount of time to talk and discuss various subjects.<br />
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On Thursday we started our classes which are held in the LDS institute building in Paris, its in an interesting neighborhood right nearby Centre Georges Pompidou apparently known to be a very colorful neighborhood complete with a bakery called "Gay Choc" with baguettes shaped like various body parts. I'm in three classes: a conversation class, Francophone culture and French Civilization. So I feel like I'm going to be using the word different a million and a one times in these blog posts but class was so different than it is back home at BYU campus. Everything here is much more intertwined which I think really helps to understand the material when it all relates to each other. Then we were on our way to Notre Dame....just like any other after school activity ;) Our program directors Madame and Monsieur Sprenger are the best and they always have good tips and tricks for our various excursions. I'm never much of a believer in cutting lines but in this case it was definitely warranted (the line was crazy) so we just kinda melded into the front of the line and were told to say "Je vais prier" if anyone stopped us, supper stealth! :) The grandeur of it is amazing and after learning more about the gothic architecture in one of my humanities classes last semester I appreciated it so much more than the first time I saw it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My friend Rachel and I in front of the Museum</td></tr>
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Our next stop was the Cluny Museum, which I had never heard of before, but really enjoyed! It was a totally manageable size and had a lot of interesting medieval artifacts, my favorite were the statues that were separated from their heads. They said it was because the people at the time thought the statues were of Kings so they wanted to destroy them but it turned out they were just of religious figures. There were also some tapestries and jewelry from the time, including an amazing golden rose. They date back to the 11th century, and only three have survived. The tradition was that every year the Pope would give one to someone of religious importance that he wanted to celebrate.<br />
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<br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13262853600247832990noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6147401772172159779.post-19812396502082453652013-05-15T15:53:00.003-06:002013-05-15T15:53:46.184-06:00Croissants galore!!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well ladies and gentleman I'm officially in France! Also I officially am the slowest blogger ever! There is just literally no time for everything that I need to get done in one day.After taking a 2 hour flight from Vienna to Paris I met up with Rachel (one of the other girls on the study abroad). Because her flight came in before mine she waited for me to get in. Unfortunately not having 3G at all, or wifi most of the time can be a bit of an issue when you are trying to meet somebody in a super duper large airport. Thankfully we figured it out and moved on to our next adventure, getting a taxi to take us to our hotel for the night. Once we found the official taxi stand the man there called one for us and it came fairly quickly. I've never really been a taxi person and have never really had the need for them, so this was definitely a new experience. I just can't believe it costs 60 euros to get somewhere....I could buy like a whole outfit with that much money! We met up with other people from our group and set out to accomplish some of the things on our "First Day in Paris To Do List" such as take a picture in front of the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame, buy a metro map (L'indispensable) and Periscope (a weekly guide to events in Paris), and make it to the Sprengers apartment all by 6pm. It was so exhilarating to be in Paris! Dinner with them was wonderful, and the hotel was actually not too bad....breakfast was yummy but probably would have been more satisfying if Savannah and I hadn't had to rush to eat it. Basically I ate like 3 small croissants in under 5 minutes.....yep! :) Then on to the bus and our next adventures: Normandy, Mt St Michel and Saint Malo. Monday night the hotel we stayed at was not very nice...it was bunk beds in each room with the bed on bottom being twice the size on the one on top. Thanks to having a wonderful roommate (aka Savannah) we decided to just share the spacious bottom bunk. For dinner that night are options were pretty darn slim, basically McDonalds or a place called "Buffalo Grill". Guess what we chose!? If you guessed Buffalo Grill then you are right! It's pretty much like something out of the wild west, but with a bit of a French twist. Like tea at the end of dinner, and ice cream on top of a donuts I ordered a hamburger and it ended up being the most massive hamburger ever! Definitely an interesting experience.<br />
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Monday we spent time at the beaches at Normandy as well as the American cemetery, which was really peaceful. I've always wanted to visit there and this was such an amazing opportunity to spend time there and really think and reflect upon the sacrifices that those buried there made. I could feel the Spirit there and it was such a beautiful day that I just quietly walked around reading the names and taking it all in.<br />
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One of the beaches we visited was Pointe du Hoc, one of the more famous ones, where the Americans climbed up the cliffs. There were huge craters left from bombs, which I had heard about before we got there, but they were even bigger than I had imagined. They also had hide-ways/bunkers left over from the Germans and you could go down into some parts of them. These areas had a very scary feeling to them, but I definitely think it was still important to go there so that I could learn to really appreciate the sacrifice that the American troops made that day. Tuesday brought Mt St Michel in the morning. It was kinda foggy which definitely added to the mystique of this castle in the distance all by itself. The monastery was built way in far away from anything else so that it could be safe and was given lots of fortifications as well. The audio guide was in French, which can be a bit tricky with how fast they talk, but after a while I just ended up taking pictures and looking at all the amazing stained glass and gigantic fireplaces everywhere! Also it is surrounded by water/sand/quicksand/beachy areas which a few other girls and I decided to explore, it was so much fun! It was so muddy and slightly terrifying but also super wonderful!<br />
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That afternoon we got to Saint Malo, which was absolutely my favorite place ever! I could totally see myself living there. The people were so friendly and the water was so clear it was like something out of a storybook. The city is from a Medieval fortified city so it has a wall that goes all the way around it (called a rampart) that you can walk on and see amazing views! We stopped by a used book store and I got an old children s book in French,way cute! We stopped by the beach, ate delicious crepes, and moseyed around town for a bit. That night we met some 18 year old high school kids and talked for several hours and then got to have rides with them on their motorcycles....so unlike me but in the name of my new years resolution I did it and it was so exhilarating! Okay so to be continued because I need to sleep! :) </div>
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13262853600247832990noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6147401772172159779.post-22807480342721000492013-05-06T15:04:00.000-06:002013-05-06T15:05:31.866-06:003, 2, 1.......weinerschnitzel!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Wow! So a lot has happened since I left Colorado bright and early Tuesday morning! I've been meaning to post but have been very busy since arriving in Austria. Right now I'm waiting at the airport for a quick 2 hour flight to Paris and then hit the ground running. (well I was but this blog post has taken a while to write so now I'm it's day 2 in Paris) Thankfully I've adjusted a bit already to the time difference, and the lack of sleep because of all the fun things there are to do instead! :) I'm a bit tired but who cares when you in Europe right?!!!! So here is a run through of what I did here in Austria:<br />
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So after three different planes (which really wasn't too bad) I made it to Vienna. Waiting for my suitcase at baggage claim barely took any time at all because my bag was already there when I arrived...wonderful! There's nothing worse than having to wait forever for luggage when you've already been in and out of planes all day (but really there are worse things, like burnt mac and cheese....that's awful!). When I exited to the arrival area my aunt Margie and uncle Loren were right there waiting for me and it was so nice to finally see them again. We stowed my luggage in a locker and hopped on some public transportation (so easy and nice to use in Vienna). Coming up from the train station it left us in a area with a fun small amusement park area and park called Prater . Because it was a holiday in Austria there were a decent amount of people out and about and it was really fun to walk through, also there was a super old Ferris wheel (Riesenrad). Then we met up with Tibor and walked around and went to St. Stefans, which is a grand cathedral in Vienna with stained glass windows and a Gothic feel to it. That was were we met up with Tracy (Tibor's wife) and that was so much fun because I had never met her before and also because she has the same name as my mom (minus the e). I don't want to bore everybody with lots of details....but this is basically my stream of consciousness from what I remember from the whirlwind that was the past few days. I got to see a lot of Vienna that first day and do a lot of walking around town, we even encountered a protest march...I always love a good protest!<br />
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On Thursday I had a little trouble waking up because of the jet lag, but once I was up and running Loren, Margie, Tracy, and I went to Schonbrunn Palace. Schonbrunn was the summer residence of the Habsburg royal family. The tickets that we got had a 2 hour wait time on them so we walked around the grounds and checked out a few things in the meantime. Everywhere you turn the grass is deep green and the forest was so lush and seemed like the kind of place you could wander around all day and just get lost but not even mind it. We walked up the hill behind the palace that has a monument called the Gloriette, it gives you an amazing view of the palace and of Vienna. It was a bit cloudy but it was still a gorgeous view. After that it was time for our tour,but since Loren and Margie have seen it before it was just Tracy and I for the tour. We saw about 40 different rooms , and it was amazing to learn about the history behind it all and everything was very beautiful. My favorite room was this tiny room that was all blues and creams and had 213 hand drawn ink pictures hung all over the walls and even part of the ceiling, crazy!!!<br />
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Friday Tracy and I went to a flea market that was ridiculously huge and had the most delicious food ever, booths right and left! We had Indian food, Langos (a deep fried flat bread with garlic on top), and some sweet bread filled with jam. Tracy found some cool stuff, namely a vintage brown leather bag, and I found some gifts for family! We met up with Tracy and Tibor's friend Oliver and stopped by a grocery store to get some food and then had an impromptu picnic near museum square. That night we went to waffle night at the institute and played games, it was so much fun!<br />
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On Saturday Margie and I went to visit her daughter (my cousin) Tara her husband Robin and their four kids. It required a few different modes of transportation but it was very scenic the whole way and very relaxing. The last time I saw Tara I was about 3 years old and it was so amazing to finally see her and meet her whole family. We totally have the exact same nose, bumps and all!! And we both have three finger foreheads (if you don't know what that is, try measuring your forehead with your fingers). Several people thought we were sisters, we even have the same kind of hair and we are both brunettes. We spent a while chatting and catching up, playing with the kids, and then Tara and Robin made homemade pizza....which was delicious!!!! Then we went to an area by the Danube (I can't remember exactly what it's called) and ate gelato, fed the swans, and enjoyed the sunshine. The time went by so fast and before I knew it Margie and I had to head back to Stockerau, it was sad to say goodbye but so nice to get to know her family....they were all amazing! The kids were so cute! :)<br />
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Sunday meant that I had to head back to the airport and depart for Paris. Loren and Margie came with me because their ward meets in Vienna. It was definitely bittersweet to have to say goodbye, but I know that I will see them again and hopefully it won't take so many years the next time.<br />
<br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13262853600247832990noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6147401772172159779.post-78715618310896861042013-04-28T19:37:00.001-06:002013-04-28T21:53:21.787-06:003, 2, 1 Take Off!!!!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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So in about 1 day and 15 hours I will be on a plane heading to Europe. I cannot believe that time has gone by so quickly, I hardly feel prepared to leave but leave I must! First stop is Austria to visit my family that lives there. I am so excited that I get to visit them as I don't get to see them very often because of how far away I live from them. Thankfully they speak English as well as German so I won't be too lost, but it's going to be an interesting experience not knowing the language of where I am. I've got English down pretty well, except for the occasional (or not so occasional grammar slip or spelling error, and I'm learning French, but I only know the numbers 1-12 in German....that's it! Maybe I'll google some key phrases so I can get by, or maybe I'll just practice my non verbal flirting skills....either way I think I'll be okay. So in terms of packing I am 99% finished which feels really good after the awfulness that is the beginning of packing. I feel really good about everything that I packed; especially in the clothes department. I have some super cute dresses that will be fun and easy to wear as well as pants, shirts/sweaters, a pair of shorts for those nicer days, and shoes (aka my favorite sperrys, and a new pair of super cute keds.<br />
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For anyone who is interested here is my basic packing list. (Oh and unless you have an intimate knowledge of my wardrobe...which would be a little creepy unless you see me often, you might not get the references to particular pieces of clothing but I will do my best to describe them.)<br />
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Dresses<br />
-Polka Dot Dress (1950s style)<br />
-Black (Bought it in Canada, super relaxed basic black dress with polka dot detailing in black)<br />
-Flower Dress (super cute Karen Walker for Anthropologie dress, very colorful)<br />
-Red dress (Recently purchased from Banana Republic <a href="http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=94903&vid=1&pid=558257002" target="_blank">http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=94903&vid=1&pid=558257002</a>)<br />
-Cream dress with redish/orangish flower embroidery from the J Crew Factory Outlet, yay for 50% off!<br />
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Skirts<br />
-Blue knee length with pockets (from Anthropologie, super comfy and cute)<br />
-Black (again with the ever important pockets)<br />
-Black and white striped skirt (recently purchased on clearance at Banana Republic)<br />
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Sweaters<br />
-Grey pull on (Thank you Gap!)<br />
-Cream pull on (Again, way to go Gap for providing my wardrobe with wonderful and soft sweaters)<br />
-Navy blue cardigan<br />
-Beige cardigan<br />
-Jean jacket (from J Crew factory outlet, literally the best jean jacket ever!)<br />
-Navy blazer<br />
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Pants<br />
-Black ankle pants (Audrey Hepburn inspired)<br />
-Dark wash blue jeans<br />
-White pants<br />
-Khaki shorts<br />
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Shirts<br />
-White t-shirt<br />
-Black t-shirt<br />
-Polka dot button down<br />
-Black shirt with leather detailing on the top (Purchased on a shopping excursion to Nordstrom where Amy purchased a lace white top and I bought this shirt, if your basing it on colors clearly I'm the evil one in the friendship and she is an angel) ;)<br />
-Blue striped<br />
-Turquoise half button down<br />
-Polka dot chambray<br />
-Anchor shirt (definitely gives off a sailor look)<br />
-Navy shirt with white bow (purchased at the BYU bookstore when Echo and I felt like shopping but because of our lack of a motor vehicle were left only with the bookstore, which oddly enough turned out to be a great shopping experience as evidenced by this cute shirt I now own.)<br />
-Flowery lace shirt from Anthropologie (unfortunately sleeveless, but remedied with my cute jean jacket)<br />
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Tanks<br />
-Beige<br />
-Black<br />
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*Super cute navy swimsuit with polka dots, as shown in previous swimsuit blog post.*<br />
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Whew! So if you made it this far you read the whole thing, or at least skimmed it, congratulations and thank you! :) Sorry this one was so long, I will try to post more frequently and hopefully not quite as lengthy in the future. It has just been a crazy past couple of weeks what with finishing my second year at BYU, packing, coming home, and getting ready for Paris. I cannot wait to start this amazing adventure!!!<br />
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<br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13262853600247832990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6147401772172159779.post-19850376967783378742013-04-09T21:03:00.003-06:002013-04-09T21:08:46.299-06:00Smiling and besties!<span id="goog_1720135065"></span><span id="goog_1720135066"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Echo and I at a supper yummy Italian place in Salt Lake<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">So in one of the readings that was assigned for my study abroad prep class it gave six codes. They were basically six things that are essential to know in order to successfully live in the wonderful, and at times slightly odd, country of France. The first one, though I'd heard a little about it before, caused me a little bit of shock. It says "Don't Smile!", exclamation point and all! So as anyone who knows me might know, this is a bit of a problem for me. That's not to say that I am always smiling all the time, that is certainly not true....especially when I'm in a bad mood (sorry for that family), but when I'm happy there is definitely no way to get me to stop smiling. The worst is when I try to stop smiling when I recognize that maybe I'm creeping people out with my ear to ear smile and then I just end up looking like I'm in pain or just like an awkward person (which is true a lot of the time). :) So after fully reading this section about not smiling I recognized the challenge now before me. The French just aren't like Americans at all in the smiling department. In America we smile all the time at strangers, especially here at BYU (Brigham Young University), but in France you just don't do that. To them if you are a stranger that means that you could be dangerous and hence not somebody they want to just be willy-nilly smiling at, which I guess makes sense. Now this isn't to say that the French never smile, they definitely do! I remember seeing some smiles when I was in Paris a few years ago, but they definitely weren't as frequent as they are here in the States. All of this was really interesting to read about, and if you want to learn more about it make sure to read <i>French or Foe? </i>by Polly Platt (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/French-Foe-Getting-Visiting-Working/dp/0964668424">http://www.amazon.com/French-Foe-Getting-Visiting-Working/dp/0964668424</a>) </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> So the pictures above are partly meant to prove to those that may not know me or see me often that I do indeed smile, but mostly to give me an excuse to talk about my cute besties Echo and Amy! :) Echo is leaving for California to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for 18 months in June and since I am leaving for Paris April 30th we don't have much time to hang before we have to part ways. She is such a great friend and always makes my days happier when I see her! Amy is my bestest friend from back home in Colorado and I miss her dearly. I'm taking this time to make a rather public apology for being a terrible friend and not keeping in touch the past few months, I am officially an awful person! :( Amy is such a wonderful friend and not to mention just a rock star person all around! </span><span style="font-size: small;">Great friends just make life that much more awesome, and Echo and Amy are the best best-friends a girl could ask for. I am looking forward to making equally as wonderful friends during this adventure that I will be embarking on soon. I cannot wait! </span></div>
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13262853600247832990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6147401772172159779.post-6442993668403459662013-04-09T11:49:00.002-06:002013-04-09T11:49:19.866-06:0020 days.....holy cow!!!! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I pinned this nice little quote on my pinterest a while ago and was just thinking today about how true it is, especially in light of my upcoming trip to Paris. Though I always knew that I wanted to go on a study abroad to Paris, there were the occasional bumps along the way that made me think maybe I shouldn't go. I'm glad that I followed my dreams and am going to be living the life I have always imagined. Not that my life isn't completely wonderful, but I want to do better at certain things in my life. I want to work on being more adventurous, maybe do a little less talking and a little more listening, and as always consistently work on certain gospel principles (i.e. pray every day!!!!) I think that this trip is a great start to all those things and more! Everyday can be a new adventure and I find that when I live in everyday in the present and take the opportunities that come my way I am one happy girl! :)<br />
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So planning wise I haven't had a lot of time to do much this week as finals are coming up pretty close and there is only 6 days till the last day of class, crazy how time flies! I know this is cliche but it seems like it was just yesterday when it was the first day of the semester and I was trying to decide what to wear for the first day of school. No matter how old I get I always get nervous on what to wear for the first day of school. You want to strike that balance between chic and not trying too hard, and that is one tiny line! It is always a safe bet to stay close to your personal style (for me that would be a dress) and wear something comfortable....but not too comfortable (you don't want to be falling asleep on the first day of classes do you?).<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2yG1v87_KLisX_hDoFrj35Wu58vNbJsuyZfli6hmjecMuzWPUijtEI8W2NxRidr41Xx2tgOM50qYNYDal6UpNi20-co3QkDU9tbAHUNNFhLVz0p_EMldFl2UdYMrJdzEmnE_ZVi6M8yc/s1600/linen+shirtdress+stripe1.png" /><a href="http://www.bodenusa.com/en-US/Clearance/Womens-Dresses/Above-Knee-Dresses/WH477/Womens-Shirt-Dress.html?NavGroupID=4">http://www.bodenusa.com/en-US/Clearance/Womens-Dresses/Above-Knee-Dresses/WH477/Womens-Shirt-Dress.html?NavGroupID=4</a></div>
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<br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13262853600247832990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6147401772172159779.post-25549329755879712712013-04-03T00:14:00.001-06:002013-04-03T00:14:06.364-06:00The perfect chambray<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgMa2SHyY5yzR6x8RyB1Ju79PVtL4UXWUiG29joraxhDK1UzR9ri7S8gFTT0kn21iBmvZfaK85QP2Xj3Xz_UepQkRN8eOSBsWoTO6NiQZlh6k7_JPIfgh9sOcn3A8XRVaFlmcLVKuWJU/s1600/pindotchambray1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgMa2SHyY5yzR6x8RyB1Ju79PVtL4UXWUiG29joraxhDK1UzR9ri7S8gFTT0kn21iBmvZfaK85QP2Xj3Xz_UepQkRN8eOSBsWoTO6NiQZlh6k7_JPIfgh9sOcn3A8XRVaFlmcLVKuWJU/s640/pindotchambray1.png" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pindot Chambray Shirt<br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">So I know that this isn't technically Paris related, but I had to post about my search for the perfect chambray shirt. I was talking to my bestie Echo today about my qualifications for the perfect skirt which also brought about a discussion of the newest addition to my ever growing chambray collection. The above picture shows the newest addition. I have been waiting for this shirt to go on sale for longer than most relationships last so I was super happy this morning when I found it that it had gone on sale for half its former price! Sale equals one happy Megan! I think that this shirt and I will have a wonderful time journeying around Paris, it is so soft and easy to wear that I'm sure it will go with just about everything and will definitely be a go to item in my travel wardrobe. Hopefully this shirt will bring me one step closer to finding that perfect chambray. What is the perfect chambray you might ask, well here are some of myrequirements:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-size: small;">Light-weight</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Soft fabric</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Not too light but not too dark</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">easy to pull on </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">doesn't show stains super easy (yes even girls sweat)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">right amount of cutesyness and boyishness</span></li>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Okay so I know that those are a lot of specifications, but you never know maybe that perfect chambray does exist! :) Here are some that have caught my eye recently for your perusal: </span></div>
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<br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13262853600247832990noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6147401772172159779.post-3910747690947863642013-04-01T16:10:00.002-06:002013-04-01T17:59:46.876-06:00Italy, England, South of France, oh my!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">England<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">We get two open travel weekends while on the program, one at the end of May and the second around the beginning/middle of June. This has brought about the necessity of some decision making, something I'm never particularly stellar at. There are so many amazing places to go, but at the same time I don't want to forget that I am there primarily to enjoy Paris and France as a whole. I do have one definitive and that would be the South of France. Maybe visit Monaco, hit up the beaches (and hopefully avoid the nude ones), and enjoy the beautiful landscape. A popular option for the other weekend is London. Now don't get me wrong I don't have a problem with London, I just don't remember it being anything to special for the 1 1/2 days I was there in high school. So this is where the decision making, and my use of Ron Swanson begins.....</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Needless to say I turn to Ron Swanson from Parks and Recreation for all my advice needs, and though this one doesn't directly address open travel weekends on a study abroad program I feel like I know what he would say. He would probably ask me why the heck I'm going to Europe and that they are all communists there anyways...oh good old Ron Swanson! :) Even though he wasn't able to help me in my decision making quest maybe this means that I'll have to decided this one on my own (and of course collaborate with my travel partner Savannah) which is probably a good thing anyway....maybe my decision making muscles will get stronger (those ones are in my arms right?).</span></div>
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<br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13262853600247832990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6147401772172159779.post-30555391213518209532013-03-31T00:17:00.002-06:002013-03-31T00:18:59.007-06:00One month away!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So take-off is only one short month away, and I absolutely cannot wait! At the same time, however, I'm starting to get a little stressed with all of the packing and preparing there is left to do (most of which I can't start till I get back home to FoCo). So I've been doing a lot of research online to help me narrow down exactly what to pack....and needless to say I've gotten distracted by clothes and makeup sites more than once while doing my "researching". A couple things that I have learned are:<br />
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<li>If pants are not so much your style (not a huge fan of them myself) then go ahead and switch the allotted 6 or so pairs of pant items to be more of a skirt/dress party!</li>
<li>Don't pack your nicest clothes, especially not dry clean only! (This has been a little difficult for me to accept as I own a decent amount of dry clean only, however I feel like my wardrobe will thank me later for not destroying it while galavanting abroad, also part of me feels like I have to dress my fanciest while in Paris....however I've also decided that I can look just as spiffy but without risking a much-beloved silk shirt!)</li>
<li>Look for fabrics that don't wrinkle! (This may sound like a no-brainer but really how much would it suck to be worrying about ironing your clothes when you could be out exploring?!)</li>
<li>Pack clothes that mix and match easily. (This doesn't just mean like colors, be original! Maybe pack a dress that also looks good with a shirt over it so it looks like a shirt/skirt combo or even a basic black sheath dress with a chambray underneath.)</li>
<li>On a makeup note, look for multi-taskers such as a lipstick and blush in one like this: <a href="http://www.birchbox.com/shop/makeup/face/benefit-fine-one-one">http://www.birchbox.com/shop/makeup/face/benefit-fine-one-one</a>, also a lotion that contains an spf so your skin stays un-sunburnt on those long walking days.</li>
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Thanks for reading and enjoy this adorable little hedgehog (my favorite animal!) as a little treat! :) </div>
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13262853600247832990noreply@blogger.com1