Paris: Love it all through!

A group of Auburn girls studying in Italy visited Paris this past weekend, and what a joy it was to spend time with such familiarity! We enjoyed a picnic dinner on the Champ de Mars in front of the illuminated Tour Eiffel, complete with baguettes, fromage (cheese), fraises (strawberries), figues et poires (figs and pears), Jacques Genin chocolat, vin blanc et vin rouge (white wine and red wine).
We took a bike tour.

We indulged in savory galettes, Ladurée's macarons, and sweet crêpes.

         We admired Notre-Dame.
             We sipped vin chaud (hot spiced wine) and chocolat chaud (hot chocolate).
                   We explored the Marché aux Fleurs et aux Oiseaux (flower and bird market).
                   We stumbled upon the Fêtes des Vendanges de Montmartre.

In other news, I'd like to bring something to the foreground. Am I overjoyed to be here and grateful for what I am learning? Yes. Do I wish to come back to the US after just nine months? Not a chance. But let me tell you this: not every day is a dream. Not every day holds a walk among gardens of autumn flowers in full bloom. Not every day is filled with five-star French cuisine, a glass or two of fine wine, or a relaxing afternoon reading an enticing novel in le Parc Monceau. After all, I'm not on vacation; I'm doing life here. Oftentimes I feel tired. I feel I'm lacking patience with Dimitri, Victor and Hugo. I feel under-appreciated and overwhelmed. I feel intimidated by the French culture, the language, the lifestyle.

That said though, I love it. I love the seemingly perfect days and the days I'd rather curl up in bed and read, because each day is coming together, piece by piece, creating this chapter of my story. I am in love with this life.

"You have to digest life. You have to chew it up and love it all through. You have to live it with your eyes, really... You can talk and talk about it and not get it right. You have to do it." -The Paris Wife