It's Been Way Too Long

Bonjour de France!

I know I should have done this weeks ago, but I'm finally starting my blog! Aren't you all exited?

I've never done anything like this before, so at least try to bear with me.

Here goes!

It has officially been 44 days since I arrived in France. I've already gone to the Mediterranean, destroyed three pairs of flip-flops, declared war on the French transportation system, and had my first mental breakdown. Privately, of course.

My host parents are Sylvie and Eric Sevil, and they are just about the nicest people I've ever met. I have one host sister who lives at home, a brother who is in business school and (thankfully :-P) only comes home about every three weeks. Of course, Caroline, the other sister, is currently in Pike County, Ohio, trying her best to avoid her family like the plague. She's managed something I have been thus far incapable of doing.

I've been attending Lycée Blaise Pascal for about the past month, but if anyone French asks me where I go to school I have to say Lycée Charbonnières or they'll have no idea what I'm talking about. It's definitely a huge change for me. According to Nicolas there are somewhere between 3,000 and 4,000 students at Blaise Pascal, so it's roughly four or five times the size of the school I went to for 12 years of my life. There's a random waterfall in the one of the two giant winding staircases (which stretch up four floors, by the way-and there's an elevator for the cripples), two computer rooms and, to top it all off, a train station in the school.

I really don't feel like updating everyone on everything I've done in the past month and a half, so I'm just going to leave it with "If you have any questions, ask me personally."

Wednesdays are my favorite days of the week here, because there's no school in the afternoon so I only have three hours of class, but I have to say Fridays are a close second. I have one hour of math at 8, and then afterward I have 5 hours to do as I please. I can go back home and just chill there for a while, or I can go to Lyon and do some sightseeing or shopping, or I can hang out with Aurélie, Nelly, and Justine at one of their houses for lunch. Today the four of us took the bus together to Justine's house. Despite the bus almost breaking down and the fact that it began to rain just as we started walking the rest of the way there, we arrived in one piece. For a while they all worked on their math homework while I tried to explain, poorly and in French, how to do it, but soon we were all hungry and Justine, goddess that she is, made us all steak haché and rice. Steak haché is basically a hamburger but without the bun or any of the toppings-just the steak and occasionally a little bit of salt for seasoning. It's surprisingly good and is very popular here.

Anyway, about halfway through our delicious déjeuner, Justine walks into the foyer and just happens to glance out onto the porch where her gigantic black dog is making his own déjeuner out of my flip-flops. Apparently he has a history of eating flip-flops and I left mine right in the ring of fire.

And now today has been my other favorite day-Wednesday. Sylvie's in Strasbourg for work and Marine left early so I was alone when I woke up this morning, after a very restive 6 1/2 hours of sleep, which is, believe it or not, the most I've gotten in a long time. I had two hours of History and then an hour of English, which are by far my easiest classes of the day, though in History we received somewhat of a disappointing shock. On November 4th, instead of having a normal Wednesday, we're going by Friday's schedule, so instead of a three hour day and an afternoon off, I have a 5 hour day and half the morning. But no matter. It's one missed Wednesday out of who knows how many.

I came home with the intention of having a quick lunch and making a trip into Lyon to change the money Dad sent me yesterday, zipping up to Part Dieu and buying tennis shoes for gym class, but instead I spent an entire hour making and eating gnocchi, sat for half an hour talking to Aanchel about our plans for tonight, and then proceeded to watch the last three Gossip Girls that I've missed lately. So as of now, I'm debating taking a shower and getting all ready for this evening, maybe saving enough time to change my money. I've experienced being completely broke here once already, and I'm going to make sure it doesn't happen again. Only problem is-deciding what to wear :)

More soon!

XOXO