Notes from Me

Curiosities

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Strolls through French gardens: take 2.

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Strolls through French gardens.

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So France is pretty cool. Here's some stuff I've picked up on.

1. Man purses are like a REAL, ACTUAL thing. You'll see them multiple times just walking around time. It's a mind blowing thing if you're coming from American bro-culture. 2. French people seem to have 2 settings. The first is a cool, placid demeanor. The second is screaming at each other in the streets. It's actually scary to watch how quickly they can shift from one to the other. Typically, I'll see at least one couple on the street flat out screaming at each other each day. It's like the dainty porcelain teacups you'll find here; they're elegant and poised, but they sure do shatter easily. 3. People are really, really nice to the homeless. Like they'll stop and talk to them all the time. 4. The movie La La Land is AMAZING and GORGEOUS annddd I would highly recommend

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Representing She's the First, all my American ladies & of course myself at the Women's March all the way over in Montpellier. All I can say is what a show of solidarity it was. 👭

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Pont du Gard: Ancient Roman aqueduct

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Pre-Paris Movie Binge: A Selection

1. Midnight in Paris (obviously) 2. Amélie 3. Ratatouille 4. An American in Paris 5. Moulin Rouge 6. Before Sunset 7. Funny Face 8. Les Miserables 9. Marie Antoinette 10. Paris, je t'aime

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Things that will potentially throw off an American moving into a French Apartment:

1. The giant, steep spiral staircase you'll need to climb to get to your front door. 2. The stone stairs are actually indented and worn away from people walking up them. 3. The keys. It's likely that at least a few will look medieval. 4. The room where the toiled is = the WC. The room where the shower/ bathtub resides is entirely different. However, there are sinks in both rooms. 5. No oven. Good luck with baking those macaroons. 6. No dishwasher. 7. No dryer. High chance there's no washing machine either. 8. Drying racks and lines are your new best friend. 9. The beautiful balconies you can sip wine on in the evening. I0. That retro furnace hanging on the wall. 11. Square shaped pillows. And only mattress hugging sheets, never a top sheet. 12. Everyone has a corkscrew. Everyone. 13. Fans! Because there's no air conditioning 14. The fridge looks more like something you'd find in your dorm room than your kitchen. 15. Surprisingly spacious bedrooms.

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Ancient Roman Temple: Maison Carrée

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Lyon, France

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Geneva, Switzerland

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Okay, so...

1. Even if you're in southern France, you'll still feel like you're freezing to death in the winter. Constant sunshine is the only saving grace. 2. French people can be CRAZY sometimes. Despite a generally blasé demeanor, they will fly off the handle. 3. It is nearly impossible to escape cheese in France. 4. The bread here is magnifique. I don't know how I'm going to transition back to American bread. 5. Les soldes = French Black Friday, except for three weeks 6. The thing I miss most about the US is being able to communicate effectively with everyone around me. I've found that I love English, unapologetically.

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January in Montpellier, France

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Things I learned today:

1. Frenchmen actually DO wear berets on occasion 2. French Pringles are crunchier and taste better 3. Montpellier is home to a few flocks of Flamingoes

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Never pictured my first time experience with Paris as sitting like a prisoner in Charles De Gaulle airport for and eleven hour layover, and yet here we are

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A Picture of Me Packing for My Semester Abroad:

Two pairs of shoes are sitting in front of me. A single tear rolls down my cheek. Which of my children will I have to leave behind?

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The pictures of Annecy, France are so charming that it seems like Disney animated characters would fit in there better than real humans

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Can't wait to visit real Paris to see if it can live up to Pixar-animated-Ratatouille-Paris