After this, I’m going to try to take a more analytic approach to our experiences and sites, but we’re still settling in and kicking off our month here. Tomorrow we start with real class and visits, so the shift will become apparent. But, for today, enjoy semi-coherent rambling about salad test tubes, my friends, and the meaning of life and college.
Yesterday (Saturday, July 2) was our first full day in Paris. We had nothing planned, as people were still recovering from jet lag, and the other students with MICEFA were still arriving. So a few of us ventured out to the bakery nearby, then onto a store, Hema, that Google deemed similar to Target to get all the things we forgot. In retrospect, we probably could have waited, but we were all itching to see something. Plus, I really needed soap. We found Hema inside a shopping mall and everything was in English which we were relieved about. On the walk back, we also stopped at a grocery store. I quizzed myself on the words for wheat, gluten, and flour while my friends shopped, and also found some gluten-free bread! Afterward, we took the RER to meet up with Dr. Smith in Denfert-Rochereau. It was really nice to see Dr. Smith and Dr. Haffey again! We had a good time exploring the stores and food vendors in the area. A few of us went to the Luxembourg gardens after and walked around there until stopping for some drinks and dinner. We had a funny moment when we walked into the restaurant where the waiter came up to take our order and said “Bonjour!” We all enthusiastically, and in unison, said “Bonjour!” back. He then laughed and said “hello!” So clearly, we came across as American.
Today was our orientation day with MICEFA, a Seine Cruise, and a wine and cheese tasting. I really enjoyed the cruise and getting to see the big sights such as the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Musee de Orsay, and such. It’s a very simple comment, but the Eiffel Tower was actually bigger than I expected. The Musee de Orsay’s exterior is also gorgeous. I can’t wait to see the inside, especially since Dr. Smith said was an old train station and I think it’s going to be really cool to see. MICEFA’s wine and cheese tasting was very cool, and I learned a lot about the different types of wine. We enjoyed spending time sitting out on the quad afterward.
I have discovered the joy of Parisian salads, particularly the test tube dressing in the salads we get at the cafeteria. Now I am not a salad person, and our home was pretty vegetable-free growing up, so I am still learning what I like. But this salad was LEGENDARY (or I was very hungry) and the dressing came in a little test tube which I thought was SO COOL. This sparked a debate between Chloe and I about if salad dressing test tubes were appropriate souvenirs, because no matter how cool I think they are, chances are my sibling or best friend do not share that sentiment.
Sitting on the Seine cruise, listening to Dr. Smith talk about the sites we were seeing, and cracking jokes with my friends was extremely healing. That sounds so cliche but it’s true, and I had a moment like it at the Luxembourg gardens too. We were sitting under a pavilion, eating cherries, listening to jazz music, and gazing at the Eiffel Tower, which we had just seen from afar for the first time. All together. All just living in the moment. The weeks after graduation were rough for me, between getting pretty sick with COVID and then dealing with the emotional impact of moving back eight hours away from all my friends. So I’ve just been happy to be back with my friends, even in a new country. It was a moment when I felt sure enough that I was where I needed to be in the moment. I haven’t felt that since graduation. I don’t know how long that feeling will last, but I’m grateful it’s here for now.
Enough existential rambling for today, you can expect more focused content tomorrow about historic preservation, buildings, museums, and the like!
Rambling is good sometimes! And you have the rest of life to eat regular salad dressing, bring the test tube home!