Vacation's all I ever wanted...

Salut!
So after another wasted night away I've decided to finally update the blog after my week of vacation. The Agenda didn't quite work out as I had hoped. It was a combination of rainy weather during my walking time, long tourist lines, and me underestimating my desire to nap... a lot. However I was able to see a few new things and take pictures of places that I had not yet been.

My best discovery of the week was the Jardin des Tuileries. Though it wasn't all that much to look at in late October, what made it special was the scenery surrounding it. One can look down the Champs Elysees, past the place de la Concorde at the Arc de Triomphe. Slightly left, you can see the Eiffel Tower peaking out over the scenery, and behind you is the Louvre and it's big pyramid. It's a great starting point/end point for a tour. And certain relatives may get this tour if/when they come.

I got to hang out with a few friends from the United States who had been on a Eurotrip throughout Europe, and from the sound of it they had literally been everywhere in Western Europe. They didn't get to explore much of Eastern Europe but it definitely sounded like they had enjoyed their travels. I also made dinner with a couple of other friends on another night right before we went to a brief visit to the Centre Pompidou, and it was the best dinner I have yet had here.

All in all, though I slept a lot, I saw a lot, and it turned out to be a pretty great week.

So I've been here for a month now and what have I learned.
1) Paris is beautiful. Not just because of the history behind every building, but because of the care put into maintaining this city and its culture.
2) The French processes are slow. Everything seems to take 3 times longer here than it does in the States. I still have not gotten my Metro pass and I applied for it October 9th. Frustrating, but I believe that is part of the experience.
3) REALLY learning French is a long process. It's not just a pick it up within a week and you're set deal. Each day I learn a new vocabulary word and a new way to say something. And when I don't practice French, I either lose it or am not improving.
4) Learning a foreign language opens doors. Not only am I able to communicate with millions of other people in France, and share knowledge with them and they with me, but I can communicate with other millions of people around the world who also speak French. That's a big opportunity that I could have missed otherwise.

I'm so excited for my visitors to come. Though I know it will not be for a while. This November is going to be quite long for me because I have no projects to do for any of my classes and only two weekend excursions planned for sure. I am working on getting a job as a tour guide with New Paris tours, which my roommate Nicole introduced me to. Hopefully, that will occupy my time as well as provide a little income.

And a big thank you to those of you who have sent or will be sending packages in the future. It really just makes my week when I get a package full of neat stuff, and it turns out that I like Mac 'n Cheese a lot more than I let on in the States.

Excited for the election tomorrow!
Justin