My One Monthiversary with Paris

I know you're all probably sick of hearing from me by now, since I just wrote like 700 posts (okay more like 5) but I figured since September just ended, now would be a perfect time for an update.

So, as my post title suggests, I've now been here for one month! (minus a few days. but who is counting)
I am now in the full swing of classes, completely settled into my host house, and establishing a routine. I'm really lucky because my earliest class is at 10, however it takes almost an hour to get to the institute building where we have class sooo still not that lucky haha.

First day of school! (Thx syd)

Classes I'm taking:

• Religion 350- Basically a course on the history of the LDS church in France. 
• French 365- Walking Tour of Paris...it is what it sounds like. We go on walks. 
• French 361- Culture class. What will be the death of me. Sorry Dr. H, Clifford Geertz and I are not gonna be friends anytime soon. 
• French 311- Conversation class. Again, self-explanatory. 
• Art History- Going to museums? Cool. The teacher? Not cool. ("What do the colors say about his intentions? How do the lines represent the blah blah blah blah blah")

I live in a little house/apartment thing in Boulogne, which is in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. Right on the outskirts, off of Metro Line 10. I have my own room, and I share a bathroom with my lovely roommate Caitie. I love living with her. She's seriously great. Our host family is fantastic, they are just an older couple who have 5(?) grown daughters, so they definitely know how to deal with girls. They are so nice, and are very helpful with our French. We eat dinner with them 3 times a week and the food is SO GOOD! My host mom bought giant macarons for us the other night, just because she knows how much I love them. So great! I also get my laundry done for me. What a luxury.

I go to the Paris ward for church, which is held in the same building where I have classes. I am basically there everyday. I love going to church there though, I get to see my friends the Halls and their cute kids, and there's lots of Americans and people who speak English :) There's also a visitor's center right next door, which wasn't there the last time I was here, and it is where I bumped into my friend from freshman year!

Me and Elder Foley! 

Here are some of my favorite things about Paris: (I'm really loving lists today)

• BHV- it is basically like a Nordstrom or a Macy's, but basically I just love its proximity to school. They have the make up/perfume section right in the front and it's literally a block away from the institute, and it's my favorite game to go play dress up with my friends there. 
• Carrefour- I actually don't even know how to describe this store. It's like the ideal grocery store?? I don't even know. It's not quite a Super Target, but it has more than just a regular grocery store. It has a huge grocery section, and then a smaller "home" section with things like hangers, bedding, blow dryers, etc., but then you can also buy iPads there. And it's big, but not as big as most of the stores in the U.S. See my predicament? It's indescribable! But amazing. 
• The Metro system- We get metro passes which are literally a gift from God. (Or myself, since it's prepaid for by...me. or my family. Whatever) You can live in Paris and absolutely not need a car. It takes a little longer than driving, smells bad most of the time, and there's lots of stairs involved, but it is so efficient and easy to use. 
• CHEESE- There is so much of it, and it is SO good. It makes cheese from anywhere else look like plastic. I'm not kidding. I've never seen so many kinds of cheeses, and I love them all. 
• Prime running locations- I'm not a big runner (obviously) but I've been trying to go more now that I've been eating so many macarons and baguettes. How many people can say, "Oh yes, I just got back from my jog around the Eiffel Tower?" Well, technically the whole city of Paris can say that. But people I actually know? Not many. I'm so lucky, and it makes running so much more enjoyable. There are so many places to discover. 
• The Seine- If you are really dumb (just kidding) and don't know what the Seine is, it's the river that runs through Paris. I don't know why I love it so much but it very well may be my favorite part. It's just pretty and it's everywhere, and people go and sit by it and look so romantic and fun, and it calls for lots of gorgeous bridges...Now you want to go there, don't you? So do I. 

After a month here, I feel pretty comfortable and happy with the way everything is going. Call me crazy though, but there are some things I reallyyyy miss about home. For example, my family, my friends, Halloween, BYU football season, pumpkin everything, BYU in general, and just all the things from Utah and California that make my life great (IN N OUT). I wouldn't trade this experience for anything else, but to be completely honest, living here is a lot harder than you would expect. I don't like missing out on things, so that part is especially difficult, but I know that this experience will help me grow and learn so many things about myself, that maybe the things I'm missing out on won't.

On a less serious note, this week is French Week according to my professor, and that means we have to speak French 24/7, with a few exceptions. If we succeed, at the end of each day we get a macaron. If we succeed at the whole week, we get the pastry of our choice. So far, so good. My French is already improving (Gaylord, be proud.) even though it's making my head hurt a lot. I don't know if my vocabulary or grammar is really that much better, but the fact that I'm more confident in my speaking and I'm starting to think en francais is probably a good sign. I figure as long as I'm making a good effort, a few slip ups here and there are okay.

Well mes amis, I think that just about sums up everything. Please enjoy this picture of me and my BFF Cori. Bisous to all, and to all a goodnight!! xx