Do you know the wish of your heart?

It’s time. I can’t figure out if I’m crying for joy or the opposite. I guess the only way to figure it all out is to take it slowly, one step at a time.

Redefining what it means to call a place home.

One time when I came home to see my old friends from high school, we all were sitting at a table in Panera and asking one another the obvious “catch up” questions.  Old people’s names popped up  and we continued to steer our conversation in the direction of other alumni and where they are at present.  After contributing my part, one of my Nightcrawler’s questions, “how the heck did you know that?”  to which another replied, “That’s cause she’s the best person who keeps in touch with others, no wonder she still has so many friends.”

I may be the best person at keeping relationships over a long period, but I’ve learned something about my time spent here, I’m not so good at leaving the life I’ve developed and those that I’ve learned to trust and rely one.  This group, this bond we have with one another, is like nothing else and I haven’t been handling the past 48 hours very well at all.  It’s a little comforting knowing that everyone else in the group is in the same boat, but it doesn’t make that last hug (for who knows how long) any easier.

Mama Africa is off in Nepal/Africa, CC went to NYC for the summer (which is nice cause I’ll be able to visit her there), Blondie is staying in Paris which is awesome, and LuLu is going back to Miami (which thanks to Jet Blue will also be easy).

But what we’ve all experienced something with one another, and I’m usually pretty good with numbers but this time I’ve failed in producing the right ones.  

That’s all for now, I’ll be writing a lot in Spain over the following days while I sit on the beach, hopefully crafting down all these memories which will eventually be posted here.

Bisous.

Yes, lately I have been missing in action.  To that I apologize.  Profusely.

This is because I have been occupying myself with wonderful Parisian weather, and great friends to go along with it.

Basically, we’ve all been occupied with drinking under the Champs du Mars, and preparing/attending World’s Fair, which after Google-ing one blogger writes the following:

“As I speak, the World’s Fair is happening at AUP. I wish I could be there – it’s fifty bajillion times better than any other school’s multicultural fair because of all the nationalities there (about 100 in all), all displaying their culture’s food, music and alcohol. It’s about 4 PM in Paris, so people are probably pretty buzzed and slowly making their way to get totally wasted under the Eiffel Tower. Good times.”

Pictures will soon be on Facebook, and more details will come once I’m not cramming for finals/traveling/farethewell’s…..or whenever I need a break from all of the above!

 

Bisous.

This city is amazing. More on this when I have an actual keyboard.

Today was a gorgeous day–sunny, 68, and just gorgeous.  I spent it running 5.something miles, followed by a glorious study session in the Tuileries.  Little things like being able to study next to a fountain, followed by talking a stroll up the Champs makes me appreciate this city so much.  It’s a shame that I’ll be leaving soon, however I’m glad that my program ends later than others, ie Italy which goes back to Boston next week.  I just wish I didn’t have so much school.  Oye.

Amsterdam was a great time, quite possibly the best time I’ve had in that city (out of 3).  Seeing Dana was awesome, and hanging out with my Parisian loves (and my real one lol) in a different city was a great experience.  My ladies are awesome.  

Wish I could say more, but it’s late and I need my sleep, especially after this past weekend.  Plus, huge psychobio test on Wednesday morning yikes.  At least it just started to rain, so I won’t feel too bad studying inside all day demain.

April.  When did the calendar pages flip by so quickly?  And moreover, shouldn’t study abroad not include this much work?  I feel swamped with work and all I want to do is be outside and do nothing, yet I find myself stuck indoors and surrounded by EBSCO Host articles, coffee, and notes taken in color coded pens.

The weather is finally get nice out in Paris.  Last week was a super tease and spending the weekend in Florence was supposed to have nice weather, but on the contrary was a little gloomy and super rainy.  It was a great time though, and a little emotional as it was my last time in Italy.  I did buy a great leather jacket which I’m psyched to start sporting once Tiger brings it back up!

Tonight, however, is going to be super awesome.  World Cup Qualifying Game?  Check.  I went to the Adidas store on Monday after I got back from Italy and purchased my first real soccer jersey.  Allez les blues!  I got Henry’s number on the back, and am super excited to show it off ce soir!

The BBC believes most people will have only read 6 books from this list.  Look at the list and put an ‘x’ after those you have read. Delete ‘x’ from any you have not read.

 This just makes me want to complete the whole list….

It’s crazy to think how quickly the semester is going by.

I could go on about spring break, but it feels like it existed in a parallel universe that existed about a lifetime or two ago.  I will say that it was an amazing experience to visit Eastern Europe with the people who have helped me so much in the past.  That’s actually a huge understatement.  These people are amongst the select few that when given the opportunity and put in a complex situation with specific nuances, exhibit the best characteristics this human race can provide.  I will always be grateful for their role over the past two+ years.

I mean, in a nutshell Eastern Europe was great in a different way.  It felt a lot like Eurotrip at certain points, and at other points everything from AP European History and supplemental new media readings just clicked.  Seeing walls in Budapest still raped with bullet holes down the sides from the 1956 Soviet uprising really was able to pull things all together.  

As of recently though, I’ve been enjoying the wonderful weather in Paris.  The sun has finally come out the past week (only to be hidden again in the past 48 hours) and I used it as an opportunity to run every day.  It felt amazing, as did hanging out on the Champs de Mars and drinking champagne from 3 in the afternoon till 7 at night.  That was a great day, 3 girls, a picnic blanket….and 5 bottles of French champagne to pass the afternoon away.  I don’t know how I lasted for the remainder of the day’s activities.  After drinking with Roomie and Andi I went back to my apartment and quickly got ready to go see the Killers, followed by dancing the night away at Social Club (literally though, I got home at 5:30 the next morning)

First, what an amazing performance.  They just rocked it.  Brandon Flowers is so talented and put in 120% physically, vocally, and emotionally.  I’ve been itching to see them for awhile, and being in Paris has allowed me to see my favorite musicians that I would never get to see in the States because a) they sell out too quickly and b) the cost of the ticket in the States can be inflated as corporations know they can charge an arm and a leg because of supply and demand.  Just in the fall alone I saw Kanye, the Roots, Death Cab, Vampire Weekend, and Ben Folds–all minus Kanye being in very intimate settings where I was front row of the floor the entire time.  Ben Folds even played impromptu my song request.  Awesome.

Seeing the Killers though, what a great show.  I really can’t say that enough.  He was so personal, and the lights were ridiculous.  Their music also strikes a cord with me both lyrically and emotionally as well.  I listened to them whenever I was down about something, starting Summer 2007, so it was a big deal to experience it live.

Speaking of seeing things live, Monday night I got to see Girl Talk.  Awesome.  What an amazing show.  I was on stage next to him the whole time and it was just simply impossible to explain in words the feelings and emotions resonating in the room as he ripped up the tracks.   With his computer saran-wrapped to the table, coupled with his “Kittens inspired by Kittens” mouse pad and not surfing the crowd, but WALKING the crowd…it was phenomenal.  I was blessed to be pulled up on stage and next to him for the majority of the show, what a view.  He mixed together material from “Night Ripper” as well as “Feed the Animals”….and even new stuff including a nice remix with Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” amongst others.   Simply amazing.

Now, just getting through my Psycho Bio class.  I had a nice lull after spring break, and now things are getting picked up again starting with this weekend in Italy, a World Cup qualifying game next week, and traveling for the next two weekends after that.

And as excited as I am for everything, the thought of what’s going to happen mid-June really gets me giddy.

If there\’s one thing that I\’ve noticed since traveling for the past two week, it\’s truly what a difference currency makes.

Explorin these eastern countries really makes me appreciate coming back to Paris tomorrow morning. When our group entered Vienna we were psyched to be on the euro again, even if it meant the days of royal spending were over. The currency of Hungary and Croatia made me feel like I was buying property left and right. I mean really, who holds on to bills of 20,000 demoniations these days? The math was taxing.

Overall though, it\’s been a great experience traveling to new places with the friends I hold dear to my heart. More later.