I have been here over a week now and I've run out of excuses not to write. So pop the champagne because it's time to give this blog a little action!
So after all the stressful confusion with my visa, and hours spent on the phone with my mother trying to dissipate said confusion, I managed to leave the Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker airport on the seventeenth of March, just as scheduled - thank goodness. The flights were uneventful (a good thing) and I arrived a little under slept and under showered in Paris at 9:45am. Sophie, the mother in the family I’ll be staying with, met me at the airport and we began the quick trip to Versailles, my home for the next few months.
Pulling out of the Charles De Gaulle airport, I was filled with a mixture of emotions. I was a tad sad-already missing friends and family back home; a tad nervous-not entirely sure what I was getting myself into; and of course, a tad excited- I was back in Europe, ready to make it my own. I was soon distracted by the familiar slim, curved roadways of France and after putting a few more clicks on the speedometer we arrived in Versailles. I was so lost, I doubt I’d have been able to tell you which way was up! France, unlike Canada or the States, does not have streets organized conveniently into rational grids; they are all over the place, twisting this way and that. I was in Mykonos, a greek island, a couple years ago and the streets were arranged haphazardly in order to confuse attacking pirates; I assume whoever engineered the streets of France must have had a similar motive in mind.
Sophie pulled to a stop in front of a large, three story condo: my new home. We dropped my very heavy luggage-Sophie could not believe the airline allowed so much- and took a walk into the town center. It’s great. The quaint streets are lined with various shops, boucheries (meat shops), boulangeries(bakeries), libraries (book stores), etc. Sophie led the way to a cute little French restaurant and my first experience with world-renowned French food began. The menu was slightly terrifying. I rarely eat anything more than chicken breast and I had to choose from rabbit, duck, liver, pâté, and multiple pork options. We ordered (I wasn’t sure exactly what) and a few minutes later our first course arrived -mixed greens atop thin slices of beef… completely raw! Yeck. I figured I had two options: 1) refuse to eat it at the risk of being incredibly impolite; and 2) force it down my throat with a fake pageant grin. I compromised, and choked down half. The meal finished off with Crème brûlée so I quickly lost all thoughts of the practically live animal dancing around in my stomach. After lunch we continued our trek around town but I was extremely jet lagged so I went home and snuck a quick nap.
A couple hours later I was introduced to my new BFFs, Antoine and Audrey. Antoine is a typical 4-yr-old who likes to colour and play with cars, and is obsessed with Toy story (he has the bedspread to prove it). Audrey is two, very feisty, loves everything to do with Disney princesses, and mimics everything her big brother does. I played with them for a while, helped give them a bath, tucked them into bed, and crawled into my own to catch some much-needed Z’s.
Highlight of the day: Arriving, obviously!
Challenge of the day: Beginning to settle in to a new unfamiliar place and lifestyle
Playlist of the day: James Morrison
(Any more "of the day" requests to add to this list for future posts?)
** Sophie and Hugues are not entirely comfortable with personal info on the internet so this blog will be more focused on my experiences outside the home but I’ll make sure to have a picture of the kiddo’s OK’d from time to time.
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