Paris for the Weekend!

Wow. What a week!
I had my first week of the Intensive Language Program at Lyon 2- I like the classes a lot- they are fun and discussion based, but boy it really gave me a big ol' reality check in the sense that I really don't know very much French!  Yikes! But I know that this year will be tough and I have a big learning mountain ahead of me, but that's why I'm here. I want to learn French. I really want to have French under my belt as a life long skill. Not only do I feel culturally connected to France (my Dad's family is French, and I lived in Paris for a year and have visited France many times...) and I have a strong feeling that French will be very important in my future...

Anyway, this week was filled with fun adventures: for example last Wednesday night I hung out with some friends from our program and ended up dancing the night away at a Cuban salsa dancing club. It was a blast and just a few blocks away from where I live! (so more salsa nights are a must!) Then on Thursday, Lyon had what they call an "Afterwork" party- it was a mixture between a full on rave and a grown up cocktail party. It was held at this huge, huge warehouse in the Confluence (where the two rives the Rhone and Saone come together- Lyon is currently revitalizing the industrial area of the confluence...) It was a blast- but strange to see adults enjoying the rave! also we had a bit of a panic- trying to get to the last tram and they trapped us in the warehouse! crazy times! but dancing two nights in a row- unbelievable!

After class on Friday I hopped a train to Paris for the weekend. I still can't get over the fact that I was in Paris for the weekend. my dream come true. seriously. I woke up this morning (Monday) and had to ask myself if that really happened- it just felt like a really lovely dream.

The train ride was super easy- 2 hours of just sitting and watching the French countryside go by and writing in my journal. I love trains. so. much.

During the weekend I stayed with Karin- a dear, dear friend of the family who I just adore- she is one of the warmest and kindest people I know and she is basically like family to me. I love her so much and it was so good to see her, especially after such a long journey and tough transition into my new life. Sidenote: we rented Karin's apartment when my family lived in Paris in 2006-07, so going back to visit truly felt like I had come home for the weekend. No. Joke. It was the best feeling. It was like feeling that I was supposed to be in that moment, like it was meant to be.
I know that it is not my home, but it was for that year and I will always love that apartment- and I am blessed to have such a good friend who has invited me to come stay anytime. Therefore, if I am homesick- my cure is only a train ride away.

The whole weekend was just amazing. I'm still on a high from it all.
Friday, Karin and I went out to dinner at a tapas place down the block in the Marais- yum. Around 10 pm I headed over to meet up with Sydney (I was soo thrilled that worked out!!! she was leaving the next morning for Lyon, of all places- so I was happy to have met up with her in Paris!) I met some of her lovely friends from her study abroad program and we hung out (aka: a lot of hugging and laughing) under the twinkling of the Eiffel Tower- so magical. Syd I know that you will just have the time of your life in Paris! So excited! (I'll come visit again soon and actually spend more than a few hours with you!)

I will be honest that going back to Paris for the weekend did make me a bit melancholy. I love Paris so much and I wish that I could have lived their again this year- but I made the decision to go to Lyon for various reasons: I wanted to get to know a new city, wanted fresh experiences, didn't want to fall back on old habits. I love Paris and I am thrilled to be able to just be a train ride away from my favorite city.

Anyway, back to Friday night: I got back to the Marais around midnight- but I wasn't ready to call it a night so I headed over to Place de Saint Catherine- right behind the apartment- and had a cup of tea, in the cobble stoned square and enjoyed watching the Parisians turn in for the night. The glow from the light of the cafes on the square was right out of a scene from a movie. Very romantic and whimsical.

On Saturday I woke up, in awe that I was in my old bedroom, and had a sweet breakfast with Karin. I ate fresh croissants with homemade Jam (made by Karin)  at Karin's bedside while watching a French soap opera. Twas the life!
I then moseyed over to Mariage Freres (best tea shop ever) to meet up with Brooke! She was in Paris for a business trip and I was lucky enough to spend the day with her! We leisurely toured around the Marais and did some shopping in fun boutiques. We had an in-between-meal at this great French cafe- it had such a great vibe and you could instantly tell that it was loved by the locals. In the afternoon I took her up to the apartment to meet Karin while I changed for dinner- I was so glad they got to meet each other- bringing my favorite people together just makes me so happy!

Brooke and I then headed to the Costes Hotel for dinner- I think that was the swankiest dinner I have ever had (not only was it a beautiful out door patio, there were models at every other table and our waitresses were models... and the food was delicious!) Thanks Brooke! I will cherish that dinner for ever- great food and even better company. I was so sad to say goodbye to Brooke- she is like my Momma when I am down in L.A. and I will miss seeing her (as well as David and Devon- who just headed out to school! whoohoo!) this year.
Sunday morning, after having croissants and jam with Karin- I headed over to a hotel between the Palais Royal (where my Dad grew up) and the Opera. My friend Brandy (from UCLA) was arriving in Paris that afternoon and because I wouldn't have been able to see her, I decide to write her a little note and deliver it to her hotel! (She did get it by the way! I realized I didn't have the name of her grandfather who had the reservations, so I left it in the hands of a very nice woman behind the desk who reassured me she would ask every person who came through if they were Brandy! haha. so nice!)

So all day on Sunday I wandered around Paris just taking every moment in- the Palais Royal, the Louvre, the Quai along the Seine, the Notre Dame, Shakespeare and Company.... I got some Berthillon ice sorbet before heading back to the apartment. It was hard to say goodbye to Karin as I rushed to catch my 3:30 train back to Lyon. I know that I will be back to Paris soon enough, though.

Overall, it was one of my favorite weekends of my life. I just really enjoyed every single minute of it and didn't want the weekend to end and reality to set back in. I feel truly blessed to have such amazing friends-who I consider family-that I can spend time with half-way around the world!