What I'm Learning From All This...

Okay, so, I'm in the most beautiful city I've ever seen and have always dreamed of with a wonderful host family, surrounded by people who are very kind and considerate of me, regardless of how little we know of each other. I'm one of the lucky ones, and yet, culture shock and homesickness seem to enter my new life with great ease. The lack of comforts I know, in combination with all the abundance of unfamiliar details surrounding me, has absolutely overwhelmed me at times. The different bed , new schedule, language barrier, and all the minor changes in culture and lifestyle all add up in exciting and overwhelming ways I've never before experienced, somehow simultaneously more inspiring and more frustrating than everything else I can remember.
And you know what's been happening inside my mind while all this has been going on? I've over-thought, over-emoted, and over-reacted over the negative side of things, and let myself sit and cry and eat too much junk food, trying to sleep as late as possible every morning because sleep is comforting, and facing each day is exhausting. Oftentimes, it's also incredibly exhilarating, however, as a "morgenmuffel" (the German term for a person who is very grumpy in the mornings,) I am almost never positive about anything throughout the entire "waking up" part of my day, and stress makes me an even bigger morgenmuffel. Then, at the end of the day, I can't get myself to sleep and I end up spending too much time making online contact with my American life, eating chocolate on the laptop, and working myself up over the things I should have done after it's far too late at night to do anything about it!
And, you know what I should have done all this time? Sucked up the anxiety and perpetual hatred of my alarm clock, gotten out of the house, and gone out to accomplish something every day. Going to international places, such as the American Church in Paris and the University of Paris, and introducing myself to new places and attending workshops are things I should have started doing my first week here. It wasn't until yesterday that I went to the American Church, and there, I was welcomed and met a group of college students that I had a lot in common with, and really enjoyed being around. If I had done that three weeks ago, my weekends could have felt a lot less lonely. Then, this morning, while waiting to meet with some one about obtaining my residency permit, I read about weekend programs and meetings for college students to get together and work on art and poetry, and things like that. Why didn't I go to the university's international office and look for things like that in the beginning? Also, I read about how having a regular sleep schedule and nighttime and morning routines takes a lot of stress off your body and makes you feel more rested and energized every day. I'm sure I knew that, but why didn't I acknowledge this before?
Plus, I felt like a lost American that no one knows what to do with ALL MORNING. I spent many hours searching various offices in the city, all of which I was referred to by the previous office, until I ultimately ended up waiting in line to talk to a woman who told me that I need to get more papers, and go through a long application process. Lesson learned there? Patience, planning, allotting extra time, and drinking lattes are all very useful tools when it comes to handling official international affairs. I am incredibly appreciative of my visa not running up for a couple more months right now. Between this and the constant complications and extra things I had to go through before I got here with papers, forms, certificates, translations, my visa, registrations, etc., I think I should write a guide on how to do this, and begin by telling the world not to expect a cake walk and to allot themselves at least six months before their departure to gather all their papers and go through all the applications and registrations. If I ever do something like this again, I'm definitely going to be more efficient, and I'm going to try and get a long-stay visa a couple months before I leave America.
So, I guess there is a sort of moral to my estranged tale. When we go after something, we need to make preparations and use wise planning, and then use the power we hold within us to endure through all of the inevitable complications we encounter. And, ultimately, we need to realize the importance of truly making the best of our situations, which is not an easy task by any means. Sometimes, we literally need to force ourselves to and force ourselves to make the best of our situation no matter how many seemingly legitimate reasons and excuses we can think of to sit in bed and sulk.

Evening's Reflection

From the second step beyond my quaint entry door, I breathe deeply, and take the time to notice the swirling details of the ironwork surrounding me. The ambient light causes the sky to appear in a delicate violet hue. The air is crisp, but mild, and I take a moment to savor each sip from my glass before allowing it glide down my throat. The first of the fallen leaves move with me as I move, and the man next door returns to his home for the evening.
After years of longing for and awaiting this place, I finally feel the beginning of my dream unfold, with the final taste of Le Vin Rose lingering on my tongue during the quiet moment where I let the breeze flow past me for an extra second longer.

Long week, short update

So, this week has been... eventful. I registered for classes, starting October second, met with the organization representative, worked a few extra hours, went jogging a few times, met all the grandparents of the Bouyoux's, shopped for a lot of things I needed, and a few things I didn't, and learned the secret of bathing a little boy.
The trick is to have a lot of fun playing in the tub for ten minutes, especially with soldiers and other little toy people, and then, after the little soldiers do something really cool, you say, "Now that they worked so hard, they need a bath." Then, you run the soap over a them, and tell the little boy it's his turn. Upon making this discovery, I felt incredibly brilliant. Three out of three times that I did it, it worked. The third time, he WANTED to take a bath so we could play with the soldiers on their battleships ...and then wash up. MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT! Feel free to steal the idea if you're ever in the same boat.
Mostly, I've been with Etienne, jogging, going through the motions of meeting with all the appropriate people, and buying things I need, like an alarm clock. Yesterday, I made two wonderful discoveries: one, art supplies are crazy cheap in Paris; and two, there is a breathe-taking park a few blocks from here with lakes and an awesome waterfall. This is where I will go jogging from here on out.
Other than that, I'm just trying to make my room feel like I live in it, with vintage cabaret posters that I bought for five euro a piece out of an old man's wagon, and soon with the paintings of ballerina silhouettes that I'm working on.
And now? It's almost midnight, tomorrow's Monday morning (ick!) and I need to catch some shut-eye.
<3

Paris: The First Week

Since taking off last Tuesday on an overnight plane, it's been an adventure!
At first, I didn't go anywhere exciting or see any of the great monuments in the city. I went from the airport to the house Wednesday afteroon, via the most impressive car I've ever actually sat in, care of Laurent's company.
Then, I met all of the family again, (I met them in New York in July,) at their amazing old house, full of inspiring architecture and cathedral ceilings. There's Marie, the mother; Laurent, the father; Guilliaume, Regis, and Xavier, the big brothers; and Etienne, the little boy I traveled across the ocean to care for. He's three and a half, full of energy and emotions, loves trucks, and hates baths.
After getting to know them and figuring out my place in the family and with Etienne, the weekend arrived, as well as my first payment. The first thing I did was take myself into the heart of the city on the Metro, their exceptionally clean and efficient subway system, and buy shoes. They are tall, purple, and awesome! After that, I had a coffee and a crepe at a cafe with a great view, reading through my guide book in search of where to go for the rest of the day. When I realized that I was less than two blocks from the Notre Dame, my decision became brilliantly clear.
My camera and I thoroughly took in as many of the intricately designed details as we could, and then sat in one of the many breathe-taking gardens to just look at it all, realize that I'm actually here. A lot of walking, pictures, being hit on by a cab driver, and looking at the art along the Seine, I decided to cross the beloved river and take a walk through the Jardin des Touleries -- a gorgeous park/garden next to the Louvre. Once I arrived on the other side, I walked under the archway leading to the Louvre, sat down on the nearest bench, and found myself drawn to tears at the shear beauty of it all.
I didn't go in, as the lines were awful and I had decided to get a museum pass anyway. The office of tourism gave me some great free guides and pamphlets about all of the main attractions, as well as the pass that I came for. They were very nice to me, as well as everyone else in the city, as a matter of fact.
That whole reputation that the French have about hating Americans is not true, at least, not for me. Most of the people who walked by and noticed me also smiled at me, and, when I tried to speak the language and was polite, they were more than happy to welcome me to the city, and quite a few offered to speak English to me. If they didn't speak English, which I prefer, because practice is how I learn best, they spoke more clearly and slowly for me, happily using their time and patience to communicate with me.
On the whole, I'm happy here. Sure, I'll have a moment where I wish the little boy liked baths and sitting still as much as he likes racing hot-wheels and kicking soccer balls, but I think that's normal. Today is the first day that I've been a little homesick, but even that is not so bad. Etienne keeps me busy, and Marie is happy to talk to me while I help her do things when he's asleep or at school. Plus, I can call home when ever I want. I don't, because calling all the time would make it worse, I think, but just knowing that the opportunity is there for me to take is a great comfort.
There are plenty of other things that I could write about for hours, but I'm sure that this will suffice. On one final note, here's a happy thought that I discovered at class registration today:
I get to see the Eiffel Tower every single day on my way to and from school. :-D

Moving Day: American Girl Goes to Paris

The laundry is almost finished, the errands have all been run, and good-byes have all been said. The list of things to do before my departure is diminishing before my eyes, and the passing time is being replaced by growing nerves and anxiety.
In my hopes and dreams, Paris will be wonderful, and feel like home in no time. In reality, I fear that there are far too many unpredictable people and events for me to ever feel like I even know what I'm doing, nevermind where I belong.
Marie, my host mother, gave me a call to let me know that her husband's company car will be picking me up at the terminal in Charles de Gualle, and let me know that my room is ready. They are awaiting my arrival.
It will be a day of new beginnings for us all, as the family only returned and began to unpack two days ago, and tomorrow is the first day of school. It will be my first French airport, my first day in Paris, and my first day of living with the Bouyoux's. This is also the first week of the father's work since their seven week (seriously, SEVEN week) summer vacation, and the mother's first week living in her old home again.
There are a lot of firsts taking place at the moment, and, in spite of all the doubts and worries residing within me, I couldn't possibly be more excited to say that I am going to Paris!