#nyup

[lesbinyaan]

i love boys

[snowflakeb0ttles]

A homestuck oc?? on my blog? its more likely than you think

[natalie-in-paris-blog]

Remember my excitement of having class at the Louvre? Maybe? Probably not, but it was kind of a big deal.

Last week I met my Cultural Foundations class outside the glass pyramid and we followed our fearless leader (Prof. Davies aka bandana-clad Marina) into the *special* entrance for groups. It was electrifying. For me at least.

Even though I’d been to the museum the week prior, it was still breathtaking when we walked into room 17 of the Greek section, marble statues meticulously scattered about. This is one of my favorite rooms so far because of the caryatids (supporting columns in the forms of women) that frame the entranceway.  

I also had time to wander off and find the Mona Lisa and quick-walk through a hallway of renaissance paintings. Mona was small, sad, and guarded by god knows how many inches of bullet proof glass, but I had low standards to start with, seeing that everyone complains about the let down of the da Vinci. I face swapped with her on Snapchat though, so pushing my way through the crowd was worth it.

The fact that I was able to take the train to the Louvre for a 1.5 hour class still amazes me. Tomorrow I have a writing class at the cemetery Montparnasse and a few weeks ago my Social Foundations teacher brought croissants and cider from Normandy to our 9 am class for a mock version of The Symposium. Class in Paris rocks, to say the least, and I’m so appreciative for all the opportunities I come across every single day.

NYU Paris is also in such an amazing location. St-Germain is surrounded by amazing food and history, and the night life is poppin. Today after school, I went to Notre Dame with a couple friends and climbed up to the top. Casual, right? The view–an eight dollar view, to be exact–was spectacular. We could see the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and Sacre Coeur from the top of the tower, and from the south side of the cathedral, our little campus situated in the Eyrolles building stood out in bright brick.

During stressful times like midterm weeks (which happens to be these next two weeks for me) it’s nice to take a break by exploring a little and finding new places to make you fall in love with Paris even more. 

[natalie-in-paris-blog]

I’ve been here a month, which is hard to believe. Adjusting has been weird, to say the least, but I think I’m finally starting to get the hang of how things work around Paris and NYUP.

College is hard. Especially the first month. In addition to putting in the extra effort of being social (which is emotionally exhausting), there is the stress of doing homework after being in academic hibernation the year prior, due to senioritis. I’m thankful to be in a city where I can escape my worries by adventuring into the unknown.

I’ve had time to explore new neighborhoods and historical sites, but my favorite day was spent at Versailles. I enjoyed wandering around the beautiful chateau, but this day was special because it’s when I truly realized my independence. I could literally go anywhere I wanted now, whenever I wanted. All I needed was a metro map and good company.

I still haven’t been to Montmartre or Invalides or the Pompidou or the inside of the Louvre or the top of the Eiffel Tower, but Paris is starting to feel like home. It’s the little things–like buying a croissant in the morning and handing the boulanger a euro or racing to catch the metro–that contribute to my daily rituals and make Paris feel a little less foreign.