A Bit of Paris...and Homesickness

Clearly, I'm STILL catching up from last year!!

*From May 16
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[I'm currently on the train to Offenburg-Berlin with two of my friends).]

It took a long time for our waiter to bring our bill. After dinner, we headed back to my friend's apartment. I took a shower after settling in. By the way, it was an awkward shower, as there was no curtain. Then I figured out how to fold out the bed (in couch) & she helped me plan out where I would go the rest of the weekend.

May 4: I took a shower and got ready for the day's adventures. My first item on the agenda was to take the metro to Trocadero. Trocadero is where you can get great pictures with the Eiffel Tower in the background. I found it & saw the Eiffel Tower for the first time - amazing. I pretty much had the same reaction as when I saw the Colosseum-- "Woah. That is freaking awesome." I took a lot of pictures, and did the tourist thing - I took other people's pictures for them & asked them to take my picture of me. I asked a group of Filipinos, and thanked them in Tagalog--they were surprised. :P Later they asked me to take their picture and called me "Ate" (pronounced: ah-teh)...even though I'm pretty sure they're older than me. (Ate basically means "big sister" in Tagalog.) Maybe I look young to Americans & older to Filipinos...maybe I look my age to Europeans? After all, I haven't gotten carded over here.

Eiffel Tower

 After taking pictures, I scoped out the souvenir stands there. Then, I left Trocadero and went toward the Eiffel Tower (I didn't notice there were stairs, so I ended up walking around. My brother later told me that I was near the Architecture Museum at Trocadero.) I made it to the Eiffel Tower -- that thing is large! I bought a pan au chocolat & water for 4 Euro. I ate my pan au chocolate right near the Eiffel Tower. :) Wonderful.

Delicious pan au chocolat!

There were long lines to go up the Eiffel Tower and only one lift was working. I'm glad the weather was nice, especially because I left my umbrella at my friend's apartment. After I finished, I walked along the Champ de Mars and took more pictures. I saw international peace poles and stopped by a souvenir stand where I bought a J'adore Paris shirt. I continued walking semi-aimlessly and found souvenir shops--I bought magnets, a beret, & 2 scarves. 

International Peace Poles

I ate lunch at a restaurant (pasta with chicken, bread, water) outside. It started raining, but luckily stopped by the time I was done eating. I walked back toward the river, and there was a little market going on--I bought a Paris poster for my brother as a house warming gift & got a little glass duck for myself. :) There was more walking as I was in search of the Louvre. I eventually found my way to Concorde, and passed some museums on the way.

Lunch!

En route to Place de la Concorde

En route to Place de la Concorde

[Paris has a lot of details--and I will come back to it.]

May 6 (night): I did some laundry and then Skyped with my brother and parentals--my brother was home for the weekend & my mom had just come back from Vegas. It was great to see them, but made me really wish I was there with them. :/ My brother mentioned some things about the parish we go to. That night, I had a dream that I was at the parish for a day & was going around hugging people, saying bye because I was going back to Europe the next day.

May 7: I woke up & cried. :( I called one of my best friends because I needed someone to talk to. I was so glad she was there to listen, even though she wasn't all there since I woke her up.
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As you can see, being away from home did take its toll on me sometimes. But I am happy to say that the brighter points of my time abroad greatly outweighed the down points!!


Peace. Love. Happiness.
--TR