Photo Contest

About a month ago (maybe less than that - the days are starting to run together for me as the end of semester approaches), I entered a photo contest for Georgia Tech's Office of International Education (OIE). The contest required that we submit up to 3 photos with descriptions, and the winner gets travel vouchers.

It was fairly easy to enter, except for the part where I had to sift through my hundreds of photos and choose the 3 that I thought might stand out in this contest. They were looking for pretty specific characteristics: the photo had to either show a GT student during their study abroad, show a cultural aspect about the location of study abroad, or show some sort of landscape of the study abroad location.

And here is where I absolutely MUST say a warm THANK YOU to everyone who helped me choose my 3 photos!! It's definitely harder than it seems, so having your suggestions really gave me some good insight on what kinds of pictures might be picked as winners. So thank you to my mom, my grandma, and my great aunt Lou! Gros gros bisous!!

Here are the pictures I ended up submitting, along with the titles I used:

A stroll on the Champs-Élysées

Panoramic view of the Seine

A silent rendez-vous

This last photo was actually chosen for the final round of voting, which was opened up to all of Georgia Tech. I didn't win, but the photo that did win definitely deserved it, I think.

Here are the 3 winners of the contest:

3rd place - Hiroshima Night, taken in Japan

2nd place - Heaven's Gate, taken in Singapore



1st place - The Georgia Tech Desert Berbers, taken in Morocco

You can see all the other finalists (including my photos) on the OIE website.

Bisous XOXO

To open endings...

I'm baaaaack!! YES!

It's been about 4 months since I returned to the US. Yes, things here seemed foreign at first, and yes, I believe I've changed at least a little within the past year, but I think all this is to be expected. I mean, how is it even possible to live somewhere else for a year ( foreign country or not) and not come back with some new habits and new ways of seeing things?

I adjusted back to the American culture better than I thought though. There was a little bit of homesickness for Paris, but I was mostly just happy to be able to see my family again and my boyfriend and to not be afraid of going to the bank anymore (it's really disconcerting to only understand about half of what someone in control of all your money abroad is saying). I was a little stressed out right when my classes at Georgia Tech started again just because the teaching methods are so different and they demand so much more work from us students. But now I'm used to it. I think the only thing that throws me off still is, ironically, the way that people my age speak to each other. I realize that this is a weird thing to feel foreign. Then again, the average GT student is at least slightly nerdy and might not have the social skills anyway.

The main thing is that life has continued on. Within the past few months, I've moved into a new apartment close to campus with Hunter, been hired to work as a Student Assistant for an office at Georgia Tech that helps other students find work in other countries (how fitting, right?), and started my final year before graduating with my B.S. (YES!).

By the way, here are some pictures of our new super trendy apartment:

Hunter talking with our leasing agent as we're touring the building.

View from our side. Nice, right?

Our beautiful terrace (we have to share with everyone else in the building, but I don't mind).

Still on the terrace- the grill and TV.

But I definitely haven't forgotten Paris. I still hang out with the other students who went on exchange with me last year, and I've met the students coming from Sciences-Po who are on exchange at Georgia Tech this year. In fact, we all have formed a kind of group and every now and then someone organizes an event in Atlanta (I organized the Halloween party!).

And as for Monica, we still keep in contact with each other and I hear that she's really happy now. When she first returned home, I think she had a harder time adjusting back just because her hometown is significantly smaller than Paris (for me it was easier since Atlanta is still a fairly lively city with several things to see and discover). But she's also started classes again, gotten a job, and I hear she's pretty happy with her personal life too. We're definitely planning to get together soon - I think I might be taking a trip up north to see her sometime within the next year.

So yes, I am back from Paris, but Paris for me is not over. It lingers around in my life with newly adopted habits, pops in unexpectedly with a message from one of my Sciences-PO friends, and lately it's been resurfacing with friends who have been staying with Hunter and me for a weekend to visit us and explore Atlanta.

As a result, I've decided that anything that happens which is reminiscent of Paris deserves to be shared and posted on this blog. So who knows when this blog will end. I can't help but enjoy posting about things that inspire me, and since Paris continues to inspire even from across the Atlantic, I think it's fitting to leave this blog to an open ending...

Until the next 'Paris' reminder...

Bisous XOXO

My last day in Paris

This was it.

My official last day of my study abroad in Paris. My flight back to the US was taking off in less than 24 hours so I had one last morning, one last lunchtime, one last dinner, and one last night of sleep before it was all over.

I know this sounds slightly depressing and like I'm expecting to never return to Paris for the rest of my life (completely untrue). But it FELT like that. I was focused all day on trying to burn every remaining feeling into my memory. I have pictures to remind me of the sights, but to me, it was the feeling of living in Paris and being familiar with certain parts which I wanted to remember the most.

First, I had to take care of the packing and moving out of my apartment. My landlord wanted me out a day early so he could move in a new tenant (don't worry, I had a couch to sleep on at Monica's place). I cleaned up everything I could, shipped off my winter clothes to my house (it most definitely would not fit into my luggage), and around lunchtime I met Monica and Catalina for some very delicious pizza near my (now old) apartment.

The next big task was moving my bags to Monica's place across Paris so I could stay the night there. There was no way we were taking the metro for this. My two bags were the size and weight of dairy cows so I opted for a taxi, and it was totally worth it because seeing Paris by car is actually quite beautiful. Anyway, after a lot of struggle and very fatigued hands from gripping the bag handles, we made it to Monica's. By this time, the hard part of my day was over and I was dead tired from it all (my previous paragraphs about how difficult it was to accomplish everything I did really don't do me justice). Monica and Catalina went out for some last minute shopping while I stayed behind and napped for an hour or so. Then Mariel (our friend from Mexico) came over and that's when the reminiscing began...

I wanted to get a few candid photos of us all talking as a group, so I set up my camera on a chair and put it on a timer for a while- the result is a slide show of pictures showing what we all look like when we're just relaxing and having good conversation...

From the left: me, Mariel, and Monica.

Catalina joined us on the right.

I really like photos like these- ones of real life where no one is posing.




But posing isn't so bad sometimes...

It hasn't been that long and I already miss Mariel! She's one of the few people I know who can be the life of the party and make you feel so close as her friend at the same time.

And we couldn't leave Paris without seeing the Tower one more time!

After dark, we brought some wine, cheese, baguettes, and made a little picnic in Champs de Mars, the green space right next to the Eiffel Tower, and Monica's roommate, Nicole, and her friend joined us too.

During our picnic, we all decided to help Monica fulfill one of her promises to a friend back home. She had to take a picture looking as French as possible- meaning she dressed up in a beret and held a bottle of wine, a baguette, and a cigarette in her hand while standing in front of the Eiffel Tower (we bought all the accessories earlier that day).

Here's a video of us all teaming up to make this picture possible...



Obviously, there were Frenchies all around us laughing at the "silly tourists who think they're French"... but we were well aware of how crazy we looked and it only made it funnier! I personally thought it was a bit ironic- here we all are, students who have been living in Paris for almost a year, and some of our last pictures of Paris involve major stereotypes about French people (ha ha). But then again, what better way to conclude an experience like this one than with a big fat joke?

We obviously couldn't stay out too late since both Monica and I had flights the next day, so the time came (too soon) that we had to go back to get some sleep. Of course, we all cried and said long, over-emotional goodbyes to the Tower and Paris and each other.

And the next morning, I was flying home.

Au revoir, Paris, and bisous XOXO!!

So am I Parisian yet?

By this time, the airport anxiety was setting in. By airport anxiety, I mean all the small worries that come from airports and flying back home after several months of being away. How would I get all my stuff back home without going over the baggage weight limit and end up paying a huge fee? Should I take a taxi to the airport? What if my flight is canceled? Did I pack my soup ladle? (I actually did forget that one... damn.)

To take my mind off the airport stresses, I met up with a friend of mine from Georgia Tech who was studying in Paris for a summer in the architecture program they have here. I've known Olivia since my freshman year of college, and it was definitely entertaining catching up with her as we picnicked in the Bastille by one of the canals. One thing about Olivia is that she loves to travel as much as I do, so I wasn't surprised to hear that she had already been practically all over Europe this summer, and would continue her travels every weekend until she had to go back home.

In return for her helping me relax about my own trip to the US, I showed her around my neighborhood and gave her a ton of tips about places to go in Paris for anything from buying a fabulous top for less than 10 euros to where to party on a Saturday night.

It was then that I realized how much I've learned about this city.

If I can go on for an hour or so explaining what to do in Paris, does that make me sort of Parisian?

Well, I don't smoke, I don't know everything about French wine, and I actually do enjoy a good workout. So I guess not.

But I absolutely love good bread, I did admittedly attempt to copy the Parisian fashion, and I did claim to be tired a few times (I can't tell you how often I've heard "Je suis fatigué" since I've been here).

So maybe I do have a claim to this city. I guess it just depends on my mood and who I'm talking to.

Bisous XOXO

From mimes in Montmartre to picnics on ponts...

It was my last Sunday in Paris, and before I left, I HAD to see a mass in Sacré Coeur. It's one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Paris, one of the most well-known, and it's on top of an enormous hill in the Montmartre quarter, making it, in my opinion, the best view of the city.

This was my way to say my farewells to everything at once, so to speak.

I took the Metro to Montmartre and walked up the thigh-muscle-burning hills to get to the church and meet Monica and Catalina before the mass started.





We weren't the only ones dressed in our Sunday best. Check out this very posh lady (the one in black and white)- even in Paris she stood out.




So I went to mass! I was actually surprised by how small the service was. There were maybe 100 people in the pews, and for such a large church, this number only made the ceremony seem empty. Plus, we were outnumbered by tourists. They had to keep to the sides of the cathedral and they weren't allowed to speak or take pictures during the mass. Honestly, it was a little eerie trying to focus on the service while there is a constant flow of people circling you, staring attentively, curious to see how Parisian Catholics behave. But before we knew it the mass was over and we were on to visiting the rest of Montmartre around the church.






As I've said before, Montmartre is basically the artist's part of Paris. Almost anywhere you go, there will be someone there who is capable of sketching a decent portrait of you or your friend, usually depending on who is the girl in your group or who looks the most likely to buy a portrait. Yes, these talented artists are mainly there for the tourists, but to me it's still very charming.





The nice thing about the tourism is that the area really comes alive to accommodate them all. They set up more outdoor seating for the cafes, there were more artists walking around, more music... it was worth the crowds just to see Paris so lively.

And look how adorable the waiters are! I don't care if it's cliché, it's cute. :)

And oh my god, I found a mime.

It's actually a cute little story: on this particular day, Paris was sweltering, so when I saw this mime performing his act with his white makeup forming sweaty droplets on is forehead, my heart went out to the guy and I decided to use my fan (that I bought in Barcelona a while back and that I still use to cool myself on hot days and look fabulous doing it) to bring a bit of cooling relief to him too. The mime, in his 'mime language', expressed his gratitude by engaging me in a silent flirtation. I was twirled...

I had sweet nothings silently whispered in my ear...

I was silently kissed... (ok not quite- he couldn't ruin his already melting makeup!)...

And I was flattered to no end. It was absolutely amazing! What better experience than to engage in a silent fliration with a mime in Paris?

Then we all bought some gelato to cool off a bit more. There is probably nothing more refreshing than gelato on a hot day, and yes it was all gone before you can say "I'm sweating." By the way, that skirt Monica was wearing is cute, isn't it? :)

How about some pictures on the famous Montmartre steps?

Some artsiness in a artsy quarter.

Monica's sister is so precious!

We ended up walking around Montmartre for most of the morning and afternoon, so by the time we had seen everything one final time, we were all pretty hungry. We went to this Chinese restaurant by my apartment and ate outside watching the busy Parisians racing by.

Then, we bought nutella crepes and brought them back to my apartment to enjoy some dessert with tea (it was imperative to eat at least something totally French).

Preparing the tea on my stove.

Dividing up the crepes. And yes, it was so very good.

Later that night, our friend Alejandra was hosting a small get-together at her apartment by the Jardin de Luxembourg for all of us who were leaving Paris soon, including herself.

The next part involves Pont des Arts! I've already mentioned this bridge before, but it's been a while so here's a recap: there is a bridge in the center of the city called Pont des Arts. It's a pedestrian bridge, and it's where all the young Parisians go to have picnics. Most of the time, these picnics are purely for drinking (Parisians and wine go together like cheese and crackers), but don't let this fool you into thinking that this bridge is like a bar late at night... people bring guitars to serenade other pedestrians, there are couples sharing romantic moments, and sometimes even artists humbly sell their work to passers-by. My friends have been there several times for picnics. I have not (I know, what's wrong with me???). So on this night, when Alejandra and everyone decided to go for one last picnic, you can imagine how elated I was.



It was just as I imagined- we all huddled around on the ground with our 'picnic' and reminisced about the past year.

Hanging with the girls!

Me and Monica wanted to lay down on the bridge to get the full effect.

Then we left Pont des Arts to go to another bridge. And we stayed on that new bridge until sunrise. Until sunrise! I know it seems like a ridiculous thing to do for those of us who cherish our full nights of sleep, but honestly, it was one of the most memorable nights of my life. Even the small parts about it, such as listening to Catalina's ipod with impromptu dancing as a good reggaeton song came on (we were attached by the ears with one headphone for her and one for me), running off the bridge to find a bush when we realized the effects of too much crème de cassis on our bladders, and jumping up and down to stay warm over the Seine. It was fabulous! It was like a dream! Really, it was like a romance with the city. I don't know any other way to explain it. If you've seen Paris, Je t'aime, it's kind of like that. Like realizing that you can love a city the same way you love a person. I just feel lucky to know how it feels to love both.

And like a true lover, Paris gave me the courtesy of a bike ride home. I hopped on a Velib', got back to my apartment, and fell fast asleep until the next afternoon.

Bisous XOXO

Ending Paris... with style

Day 2 of our adventures with Catalina began with a little bit of shopping! Of course, we wanted to get some summer clothes from Paris while we still had the chance, and it was the perfect time to go shopping since almost every store was having their summer sales. I managed to find 2 super chic tops at Zara and Promod for under 10 euros each! :D




After the shopping, we met up with Nicole and her friend visiting from Canada to eat at a gourmet crêpe restaurant.





It was amazing... it's a crêperie, which is French for all we serve here is crêpes, and the one I ordered came filled with goat cheese, honey, and walnuts!

Monica, Nicole's friend, and Nicole! I loved the restaurant decor, too. It looked like an old artisan crêpe shop.

And it came with a cute waiter! Catalina tried several times to get a picture of him and finally managed to get this shot with Monica doing an awkward job at pretending to be the subject of the picture. The 20 minutes we spent trying to sneak pictures of this random guy made my day... it still makes me laugh just typing this, ha ha...



Then we all went to Versailles! I had seen this advertisement for Versailles in the Metro stations about fireworks shows happening on Saturdays during the summer, and we thought it would be a wonderful outing for Catalina while she was in Paris. So here's everyone waiting for the RER to go to Versailles! From the right: me, Catalina, Monica, Nicole, Nicole's friend from Canada, Moni's friend Anka, and Anka's boyfriend. I love big group outings!

In Versailles now and walking to the château.

Fabulous Versailles architecture along the way.

We made it to the château just as the sun was setting.

Now that it's summer, the gardens were amazing! When we arrived at the ticket booth, we found out that the visit included access to all the fountains, which were lit up in beautiful colors, and the fireworks show after nightfall.




I've never seen Versailles look so beautiful. I felt like I was experiencing something truly special that night.




Everything was glowing, and there wasn't a single cloud in the sky, so we could see very shade of the sunset.

The icing on the cake...there was classical music playing all around us!

I was so glad to be able to share this experience with people I love!

Adorable! They seem like such great sisters to each other.

And Moni's like family to me! :)

Versailles is so much better when the fountains are running. I remember coming at the beginning of the year during the winter when everything was covered with tarps and turned off, and it just doesn't compare.




They also had bubble machines everywhere for the kids to run around in! I couldn't help but run around in them too. :)




This had to be my favorite fountain that we saw. When you enter this section of the gardens, it looks like a glowing amphitheater where the seats are actually part of the fountain, and the water cascades down its sides. There was fog everywhere, too, so as you walk by it, you feel like you've just stepped into a mystical lair. Amazing.




Then, the announcement came telling everyone to grab a seat and get ready to watch the fireworks!

Four girls ready to watch the show!

The show was absolutely beautiful! They timed the fireworks to play with classical music, and I was amazed by what I saw. I took several clips of the show so I could post them here for you to see too. Enjoy!











Magnifique! It felt like a beautiful finale to my study abroad experience.



We came back to Paris right after the show ended, and while everyone else went home, Monica, Cata and I went to the Eiffel Tower for a midnight picnic and a little Tower light show!

This was Catalina's first time seeing the Tower!

I'm still amazed when I see it.

Before we went to Versailles, we bought all of our goodies for our picnic: peaches, chocolate, and a big bottle of sangria! :)




We even got the chocolates with liquor inside (those are probably my favorite). And since there was liquor, we had to make a toast!




Here's a video that Catalina took of us enjoying our picnic and watching the light show (half of it is in Spanish, but don't worry, they're just describing the scenery..."Here we are at the Eiffel Tower blah blah...":




Like I said, I felt like this day was a kind of grand finale to my study abroad experience... if you're going to leave a place like Paris, you might as well leave with a bang.

Bisous XOXO