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One of the Hardest Days of My Life

Bonjour!

Today has honestly been one of the hardest days of my life. My host mom encouraged me to leave my homestay quickly, which somehow led to me deciding to leave the house without using the restroom or filling my water bottle. I left the house at 8:15 AM, and made it to the métro after some small hiccups. On the métro, I accidentally went one stop too far, but it wasn't a big deal because the stops were really close together. I was running a little late for the day's 9:30 AM start time, but I wasn't too worried because it was only a ten minute walk. And then, I somehow got horrifically lost. I found myself wandering Paris, hopelessly trying to find my study abroad program's office and feeling absolutely horrid. I finally arrived at about 10:50 AM. I felt terrible, not only because of my miserable experience, but because the program staff and my host mom were worried about me. To be honest, I still feel as though I am a disorganized and monstrous being.

A warm meal after a dreadful morning
Despite my awful morning, the rest of my day was pretty nice. We went on a walking tour of Paris' Latin Quarter, where I got to see Notre Dame, La Sorbonne, and Shakespeare & Co. (among many other things).

Saint Michael, the archangel
Palais du Luxembourg
Notre Dame
Thus far, Parisians seem to be living up to the stereotype of being stylish, looking horribly depressed, and walking without regard for other human beings. One thing that I find absolutely charming is watching people stand in the métro car while reading a physical book with both hands. A passenger across from me had a small pocket-sized paperback that she was leafing through. Bookstores are everywhere here, and I need to go to a French-language bookstore and see if there is anything simple enough for me to read.

It's been a long, difficult day, and I am eager to get some sleep. As we speak, I am downloading an offline navigation app so that I won't get lost tomorrow. I am looking forward to what will hopefully be easier days to come.

Au revoir,
Lydia
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Comments

  1. TrangFebruary 12, 2019 at 3:12 AM

    aw wish you luck Lydia!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LydiaFebruary 12, 2019 at 8:57 AM

      Thankfully, things have gotten much better since I wrote this blog post.

      Delete

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