PARIS!!

Paris was such a wonderful, wonderful whirlwind. When I first arrived, I must admit that I was completely overwhelmed by the mass amount of things there are to do. I had a whole week there, but the first few days when I was staying in the hostel, I found it really difficult to just get up and go. I wanted to have a plan, but then plans changed, so I'd have to make a new plan, blah blah blah. Thankfully I got my act together by the time I went to stay with my friend! 

I can't even remember everything I did while I was in Paris and it would take forever to go through my whole trip in detail, so here's a brief wrap up!

Museums:

-Musee d'art moderne

-Palais de Tokyo 

-Musee d'erotisme

-Musee de la Musique

-Le Louvre

-Musee d'Orsay

-Musee Rodin

-Centre Pompidou

-Musee de Montmartre

Non-Museum Things:

-Sacree Coeur

-La Butte de Montmarte

-L'Arc de Triomphe

-Le Tour Eiffel

-Le Bastille

-L'Opera Garnier (from the outside)

-Notre Dame

-Le Cafe des Deux Moulins (where they filmed Amelie!)

-La Duree (macarons!)

-L'avenue Champs Elysees

-Le Pont Neuf

-Le Moulin Rouge (from the outside)

Not to mention I got to see two of my friends that I studied with in Nova Scotia years ago! Lots of wine and bread and coffee and metro tickets and running around like a chicken with my head cut off. 

I think some of the most memorable moments happened when I just actually realized where the hell I was. For instance, I was walking up from the metro and as soon as I stepped out the Arc de Triomphe was just right there in front of me. It took my breath away and I just started laughing hysterically. I don't know why, but laughing uncontrollably just seemed to be my go to reaction because it happened when walking up to the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower as well. People around me must have thought I was absolutely insane, but I couldn't help it. I've been studying French since I was 12 and I've seen countless numbers of pictures of these places and I've read about their history and I've thought about visiting them for years and all of a sudden they were right their in front of me. I just kept asking myself over and over again, "Where the fuck are you, Tori?" 

The city itself is stinky and dirty and cloudy and a 12 year old boy pinched my ass, but it's just impossible to look around without seeing incredible architecture and history in every single inch of space surrounding you. 

I did so many things, but I didn't even make a dent in everything that there is to see there. I honestly do think that everyone could find enough things there to keep you interested you're entire visit, no matter what your interests are. I just can't believe how incredibly lucky I am to have the opportunity to be in France and visit Paris and be able to tell stories to my future students about that time when I was walking through Notre Dame or that time I stood under the Eiffel Tower at sunset. I get to tell my future kids that a waiter in Paris made fun of us for ordering the second bottle of wine before we'd finished the first. It's real now. 

Anyways, here's some pictures!

It's really difficult to explain all of the different emotions I was/still am feeling. Classes are starting back up on Monday and there's 7 more weeks of lessons and then it's done. My Mama's coming over and we're going to travel and have an incredible time together exploring. But, after that I'm going home. I have to say goodbye to my friends. I have to say goodbye to France. to Europe. I have to go home and look for a job and start having to take care of financial responsibilities and I am looking forward to so many things about being home. I miss my family and my friends and my Jason and I can't wait to have them all close to me again. It's just really strange to know that this is all going to be over soon. This is without a doubt the best thing I've ever done for myself. I'm so happy to be having each moment and to be making each memory with these crazy people. I just know how incredibly sad I'm going to be when it's over. Yet, I know I'll be happy to be home as well. It's a strange mixture of feelings, but how freaking incredible is it that I'm in the position to even have these thoughts? I'm a lucky lucky girl.