Out-of-Paris Adventures

As wonderful as Paris is, getting the occasional break from the city of lights is always necessary. Recently I have had two opportunities to leave Paris behind and explore somewhere new. One was a day trip out to Normandy with some fellow Arcadia survivors and the other was a three-day trip to Berlin. My trip to Normandy included my friends Chris and Stephen (Chris is part of the same dual Arcadia-AGS program I am in and Stephen went to Arcadia with us and just happens to live in Paris right now). We decided to go to Monet's gardens and then up to the city of Rouen. I had been to Monet's gardens the month before with my family but it was amazing to see the transformation from end of summer into the heart of fall. The trees surrounding the Japanese Water Lilies Pond were on fire with bright yellow, orange and red leaves. Even though nearly all the flowers in the gardens had expired the brilliance of the fall colors made the place even more beautiful than it had previously been. After exploring the gardens we had a picnic and got back in the car headed to Rouen. (Stephen was able to use one of the cars belonging to the organization he works for, it was a really interesting experience navigating around the French country-side - this involved the rule that all things were to be said with a thick Anglo accent so we all knew what we were looking for.) Rouen is the city where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake and there are several things of the city paying tribute to her. The most odd is a modern church at the site of her death, which from the outside looks like some bizarrely shaped Buddhist temple and on the inside has the most beautiful wall of stained glass. The other truly wonderful thing about Rouen is this pedestrian street that cuts through the heart of the city. It looks like something out of the middle ages and you feel like you stepped back in time when you walk down the street (if you ignore the H&M, C&A and other modern shops). We had a wonderful time exploring the Normandy and it was the perfect day trip out of the city.

(Monet's Gardens in autumn) (Rouen)

I also recently went to Berlin for three days. The trip was organized by the Graduate Student Association at AGS and only cost me 20 euros! We flew out late on Monday night and arrived at our hostel just after midnight. My first full day in Berlin was chilly and I spent it exploring the neighborhood where we were staying, visiting the Germany History Museum where they had an interesting exhibit on Hitler and his relationship with the German people, and walking along the East Side Gallery. The East Side Gallery is a section of the Berlin Wall that remains (it is along the river) and 40 artists were commissioned to paint murals on the wall. It is unbelievably incredible. The artists must have had free reign because the styles, messages and content of the murals are incredibly different. Some reflect events that happened in Berlin during the time of the wall (such as a car driving through the wall) and some are messages of hope and renewal. The second day in Berlin was a bit warmer and I went on a free 3 1/2-4 hour walking tour. On the tour I learned more about the history of Berlin, particularly during WWII and the Cold War, saw more remnants of the wall, saw checkpoint Charlie, the holocaust memorial, and various other historical, cultural and religious sites of the city. After the tour I went back to the East Side Gallery with some classmates because I wanted to see the murals again. Finally on my third day in Berlin I went to Reichstag, the Berlin parliament, and went up to the glass dome at the top to get a 365 degree view of the city. You can also look down into the parliament from up top so all in all it was an amazing view. Aside from the site-seeing I had some amazing German beers (served in pint minimums unlike France where they looked at you in horror if you order a pint), great cheap German food (everything in Germany was like 1/5 of the price of things in Paris, it was wonderful), and experienced some of Berlin's infamous nightlife. Overall it was a wonderful trip and and a much needed break from Paris. Now I am back in Paris, slaving over my thesis proposal and eagerly looking forward to going to back to the States for the holidays (22 days, but who is counting?).

(East Side Gallery - Berlin Wall) (Brandenburg Gate)

Autumn in Paris

I started my second (of three) semesters at AGS about a month ago and it is amazing how quickly the time has flown. This semester I am taking two in-class courses (scramble for African resources and modern Middle East), writing my thesis proposal, taking courses in French three days a week and babysitting two afternoons a week. I am also involved with the Graduate Student Association and writing for the school newsletter. Needless to say, I am keeping myself busy. With so much going on I have barely noticed the gradual shift of seasons from summer to fall that has occurred. Days are now shorter and cooler and it is not longer possible to go outside without a coat. It is in the fall that I most miss Maine, I miss the brilliant colors of the changing leaves, apple picking and the sweet crispness of the air. For some reason Parisian's don't seem to have any fall traditions - there are not carved pumpkins sitting out on stoops, no halloween decorations adorning windows in shops, no children's crafts of leaves or jack-0-lanterns in the school one of my babysitting chargers attends. I am sure Parisians have their own way of celebrating the change of seasons - I just haven't discovered it.

Notre Dame from the Seine

Part of what kept me distracted to the changing seasons this fall was a visit from my parents and brother. Mom, Dad and Jacob came to Paris at the end of September and stayed for about a week. We did a lot of sight-seeing and exploring during their visit. Of course with Dad visiting lots and lots of time was spent looking at art - at the Musee Rodin, Musee d'Orsay, Musee de l'Orangerie, and the Musee du Louvre. We also walked around some of the most interesting sections of the city - Montmartre and the Marais, saw Notre Dame and Sacre Coeur, went up the Arc de Triomphe, and took a riverboat ride up the Seine. We also left the city twice - once to visit Monet's gardens and house and the other time to go up to Omaha Beach and the WWII American Cemetery. Aside from the touristy things we ate some great food and just spent some quality time together. It was hard to see them go, especially after such a short visit, but I will be back in the States for Christmas so that made it a bit easier. In the two months between now and the time I come home for the holidays I will continue with my busy schedule, finish my thesis proposal, take a much anticipated school trip to Berlin, and continue to look for those elusive Parisian fall traditions.

Monet's Gardens Sacre Coeur

Summer in Europe: Paris and Backpacking Adventures

I finished my classes in early June and was immediately consumed with visitors and moving. Even though I was moving from one furnished apartment to another and actually don't have THAT much stuff in Paris, the task of moving was an overwhelming activity. First you have to get all the paperwork in order for both apartments (and this being France, that is a A LOT of paperwork), then notify all relevant places of the change of address (like the bank), set up insurance, pack, clean, etc. Of course the end of June/beginning of July proved to be some of the hottest days of the summer and the heat and stickiness just made the task of moving that much more fun. I successfully moved all of my stuff in on July 1st though and have now completely settled into my new place. I love my new apartment, which is a good thing because I am here for a year. It has lots and lots of sunlight (something seriously lacking in my old place) and my very own washing machine! This may not seem that exciting, but in the city of Paris this is a rarity and given the cost of doing laundry a huge money saver.

Just 5 short days after moving into my new place my college friend Molly came to Paris geared up for my biggest summer adventure: 21 days of backpacking and sightseeing. Molly and I had been talking about doing this for a long time but despite all our preparation and anticipation it was still a big task getting ready and out the door. After completely covering every spare inch of my apartment during our packing marathon, we were finally ready and even got a few hours of sleep before catching our first flight to Oslo, Norway! (Catching a flight makes the activity seem easier than it actually was - we first had to get a cab because we had to leave too early for the metro, take a 1+ hour bus ride out to the middle of nowhere, and then navigate the ridiculousness that is ryanair airports before boarding the plane and taking off.)

NORWAY

We landed in Norway and caught the shuttle bus into the city of Oslo. There we left our big packs locked up in lockers at the train station and set off to explore the city with just our very full day packs. We were pretty exhausted but we did our best to see the city and enjoy our time there. That evening we went back to the train station and boarded an overnight train to Stavanger, a port town on the western coast of Norway. We were too cheap/poor for a sleeper compartment so it was a long night trying to get sleep on hard train seats. We arrived in Stavanger early in the morning and despite near delirium at this point really loved the cute town. There was something very New England about the place and we were immediately in love. We were also able to get a short boat trip (about 2 1/2 hours) out to see some of the fjords, which were spectacular! That night we took the same overnight train (same hard seats) back to Oslo and arrived early in the morning. We rescued our packs for the lockers at the train station and checked into our hostel (and were randomly bumped up to a private room which was amazing because we DESPERATELY needed some sleep and a good hot shower). The next two days were filled with exploration of Oslo, including seeing some old viking ships, the castle/fortress in Oslo, and the Nobel Peace Center. When our time came to leave Norway we were very sad because we had both fallen in love with the charm, serenity and beauty of the place but were eager to board a plane and head off to Poland!

(Stavanger, Norway) (Fjords, Norway)

POLAND

We spent 3 nights and 2 1/2 days in and around Krakow, Poland. Our hostel was in a great location, if a little hard to locate (and by a little I mean nearly impossible, we had the address and name but the address was actually the location of complex and there was no signs for the hostel - luckily someone spotted us and our packs and pointed us in the right direction). Our first full day in Poland we took a bus/van out to tour Auschwitz concentration camp. This was something that we both really felt strongly about doing, wanting to see and experience the place of such horror and inhumanity, but there was no real way to prepare for an experience like that. We had an English tour of both of the camps, the smaller original location and then the much larger labor/death camp with the gas chambers. The feeling walking around the camps in one of shock, numbness and sadness - you feel awkward and wrong taking pictures but at the same point want to capture the moment and have a visual reminder (not that I think I will ever forget the images of the gas chambers, barbed wires, or the train tracks leading into the camp). Aside from our time out at Auschwitz we also explored the very quaint and charming city of Krakow. There is definitely a feeling of eastern Europe to Krakow but also an equally strong feelings of old grandeur and importance. We saw the castle and cathedral (former church of Pope John Paul II), the old markets, and spent a lot of time just wandering around the city. Also we ate really well in Poland because the prices were so reasonable and we knew it was one of the few locations were we could indulge. We really enjoyed Poland, but it was hot and sunny the entire time, and when it came time to leave we were very happy to be heading back up north to the cooler climates of Sweden.

(Auschwitz, Poland) (Krakow, Poland)

SWEDEN

I love Sweden. Well we really only saw Stockholm so I can't really say I love the whole country, but what I saw I loved. The city is located on a number of different islands between a lake and the sea and it is just stunning. The one thing that was interesting/weird about Stockholm was there was recently a royal wedding and you could purchase anything (and I mean ANYTHING) with a picture of the happy couple or paraphernalia from the nuptials. I somehow passed on the mugs, t-shirts, calendars, post-cards, tea towels, chocolates, etc. souvenirs associated with the wedding. In Stockholm we saw the royal palaces, city hall, churches and museums full of interesting and old artifacts. We were staying in the old city which is an island full of narrow lanes, cafes and history. I turned 26 while in Stockholm and spent the day at one of the royal palaces and grounds followed by a lovely dinner and drinks in the city - not too shabby. It was hard for us to leave Sweden but we were both eager to see Denmark, our last of the Scandinavian tour (unfortunately Finland was axed from the trip because it was too hard and costly to get to but having seen the rest of Scandinavia I can definitely say it is at the top of my future travels list).

(Stockholm, Sweden) (Stockholm, Sweden)

DENMARK

I have always wanted to go to Denmark, something about the country has always seemed grand, beautiful and full of culture. It did not disappoint. We spent 3 full days in Copenhagen and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it (including the part where we could finally do laundry because the situation was getting pretty desperate and Stockholm has a lack of laundry-mats). We visited a couple of museums, saw the changing of the guard and the crown jewels, and by far my favorite thing: we took a canal tour. Another wonderful thing about Denmark was my friend Bianca, a fellow intern last fall at the UN, was able to meet us in the city and show us around her home. It was great to put down the maps for a few hours and have a local show us the hidden treasures of the city. My absolute favorite part of the city is a little area known as nyhavn which is a section of the city along a canal lined with beautifully colored buildings, boats and cafes. Twice Molly and I got ice cream cones and sat along the water and just absorbed the scenery (and I absorbed a bit too much sun and actually got a sunburn - it takes a lot of talent to get a sunburn in Scandinavia). Leaving Denmark was bittersweet because it meant our trip was coming to its final stages but it also meant Ireland was just around the corner.

(Copenhagen, Denmark) (Copenhagen, Denmark)

IRELAND

Our voyage to Ireland included a night on the floor of the London Stansted airport, not the best night of sleep or the most comfortable but certainly the cheapest! We got to Ireland (Shannon) in the wee hours of the morning and the second we got on the ground I was overwhelmed by a sense of home. Part of it was the familiarity of being back in a place that I had once called home and part of it was the comfort of finally being in a country that speaks English (although the language barrier in Scandinavia was virtually non-existent). We took a bus up to Galway, got settled into our hostel and immediately started exploring. I had been to Galway only once so it was almost as new to me as it was to Molly. The city is great for exploring and popping into a pub for a quiet pint of Guinness. We also did a 1/2 day trip from Galway and went down to the Cliffs of Moher, one of my favorite places on earth. After 2 days in Galway we took a bus down to Cork, my old stomping grounds. I have been back to Cork once since moving away 5 years ago but it still overwhelmed me with excitement and wonder to be back in a city that is bursting with good memories and familiar places. I took Molly on a tour of the city - the campus of UCC, down St. Patrick's street, into my favorite books stores, restaurants and pubs, and up to the top of Shandon Church for a stunning view of the city. We also did the obligatory trip to Blarney Castle and gave my credit card a workout at Blarney Woolen Mills. Two days was way too short to fully take in and enjoy my old home but that was all the time we had before boarding a bus and heading up to Dublin. I have never been very impressed with Dublin, thinking it a bit too bland European without the Irish charm seen in the smaller cities but this time I thoroughly enjoyed it. I don't know it was the good weather, the fact that it was really the first time I was in the city without a big group or on a family vacation, or my taste in cities has changed - whatever the cause, I truly fell in love with Dublin. We did a lot while in the city: saw the Book of Kells, sampled the Guinness at the Guinness Factory and toured Killmainham Gaol. Again our 2 days in the city was bitterly short but after 21 days out, we were ready to head back to Paris and take it a bit slower.

(Cliffs of Moher, Ireland) (Blarney Castle, Ireland)

Parisian Life Post-Trip

Molly and I had nearly a week together when we got back to Paris so we were able to take the city at a slower pace (and Molly had already visited which made the list of obligatory sites considerably smaller). We had a picnic at the base of the Eiffel Tower, wandered through Montmarte, and ate fondue. It was nice to settle back and relax about - not constantly worried about where my passport was (safely back in my apartment) or having an aching back due to carrying 30 lbs of stuff around (this was only usually going to and from hostels and locations but it seemed to be longer because of the awkward/heavy factor). I got Molly safely to the airport a week ago and since I have been catching up on little things left over from the move, settling into my new place, and reconnecting with friends in Paris. I am very much looking forward to this next month of leisure (broken up with the occasional French studying and thesis researching) before classes start next month and the rest of my family comes to visit! Mom, Dad and Jacob are coming at the end of September and I can't wait to see them, but am kind of glad I have over a month break before the sightseeing starts all over again. Until then, I will be soaking up what remains of the Paris summer and preparing for my final year of graduate school.

Graduation

Today I am officially done with my masters in International Peace and Conflict Resolution. The graduation ceremony, which I missed, was weeks ago but I wasn't officially done until my courses at AGS this semester were complete. Now I am done and only have two more semesters and a thesis between me and my second masters in International Relations and Diplomacy. It feels weird to be done. In a way I have felt done with Arcadia since last June when I drove away from my apartment in Glenside for the last time. Throughout my internships, thesis writing and classes at AGS I haven't felt particularly close or connected with Arcadia...but it is weird to be officially done. Most of all it is sad to realize a chapter in my life is officially closing, a chapter that had so much growth, new learning, fun adventures, and absolutely wonderful people. It is the people I miss the most. Somehow while I was still in classes these past few weeks I still felt connected to the people, now it is real that was have all gone our separate ways - some never to be seen again. I will miss all of the IPCR group, each and every one of them had a part in shaping me into the person I am today. Congratulations to all of the class of 2010 and best of luck on your new endeavors, I am confident that you will each have a piece of making the world a better place. (The picture is old, from the IPCR trip to Ireland in 2008 but it is one of my favorites and it always make me smile and think of the wonderful people I befriended during my time at Arcadia.)

Becca's Visit

Last week I got my first visitor in Paris, my sister Becca. The week before her arrival it was dull, rainy and even a little cold in the city (which made being inside and writing endless papers slightly less painful) but she brought the sun and warmth with her and the best weather Paris has seen this spring was the 10 days she was here. It was nice to have her here for so long because we didn't have to try to cram every touristy thing into a few short days, we were able to take our time and really enjoy the city. I got to do some things I had never done before - like go up the Eiffel Tower and visit Versailles, and I got to redo some of my favorite things - like walk around Montmarte and visit the Louvre. We also took a day trip out to Normandy and saw Omaha Beach and the Bayeux Tapestry. Omaha was especially interesting and meaningful for us because our grandfather who passed away this winter served in the Navy during WWII and was part of the D-Day attack at Omaha. It was very sad to see Becca go a few days ago but it was wonderful to see her and I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of several friends and family members this summer so that I can reconnect with loved ones and explore more of Paris and France!

Spring in Paris

Spring has arrived in Paris and it is absolutely magical. It is amazing to see this city come to life as new growth emerges from plants and trees. Only a month ago the city appeared dull and lifeless, nearly every building has the same sand/taupe color which is very drab in the grayness of winter but almost sparkles in the sunlight. Add to that the contrast of rod-iron balconies with blooming flower boxes and it is suddenly a brand new city. Even the ever clad in black Parisians are starting to embrace color in their wardrobes and have finally put away their incredibly heavy winter attire.

Spring in Paris means long afternoon in the parks, filled with wine and cheese, good conversations and copious amounts of sunlight (it is already light out until after 9pm here). I have already explored several of the parks in and outside of the city. A few weekends ago a group of students from the school had a boisterous and competitive (if not very athletic) game of kickball in a park just outside of the city. I have also spent a lot of time in a small but beautiful park only a few blocks from my house. I haven't quite mastered the art of doing school work in the park, but I am committed to keep trying. I am very much looking forward to long summer afternoons relaxing in the park with a good book or in the company of a good friend. Until then, I will try to keep a healthy balance of park time and frantic researching/paper writing.

Adventure Two - Living in Paris

I have been living in Paris for nearly two months now and it is starting to feel like home. I am finding I need to consulate maps less and less and I am starting to get a feel for where things are in relation to each other. I now know to never ever try to dash onto the metro as the doors are closing (it will slam shut on you and those doors are heavy!) and where to find the cheap paninis near school. I know the more you say s'il vous plaît (please) and look the pathetic the more people speak slower and sometimes if you are lucky switch to English. I have also mastered basic things that are just slightly different, like buying stamps and paying rent.

Sometimes this familiarity in Paris becomes a problem because I get so complacent and feel like I have the whole living in Paris thing down and something will happen that forcefully reminds me I am not in Kansas anymore. Last Thursday for example I left my apartment a little after 8:30 to go to my 9:00 French class. On a normal day this would be plenty of time to get to class. However, for some reason the metro line I take was delayed and it took me almost an hour to get to class. This being France and not as organized and efficient as the US they didn't seem to be overly concerned about this massive delay at rush hour (bare in mind I have used mass transit many times in Boston, NYC, Philadelphia and Washington DC and rarely would I use the words "organized" and "efficient" to describe those systems but in comparison to Paris they apply). On these days it hits me that I am a fish out of water and still have a lot to learn about living in France...however given the copious amounts of cheap wine, fresh bread and delicious cheese here in Paris I am more than willing to keep on learning and living in this beautiful city.

Adventure One - Moving to Paris

Moving to Paris was an adventure in and of itself. I was supposed to leave on January 25th but heavy rain and wind on the East Coast resulted in two cancelled flights and one rerouted flight through New York where the connection was so delayed that I would have missed my flight to Paris. Needless to say, I did not leave on January 25th.

January 26th roles around, beautiful day not a cloud in the sky. Get to the Portland International Jetport and get through check-in and security in about 5 minutes (for those of you who have not had the pleasure of flying out of this airport the name "International Jetport" is a bit deceiving - the entire airport has 1 terminal and about 10 gates). I wait around in the airport making phone calls to friends and family before boarding my plane on time and having a very smooth and on time flight to Philadelphia. In Philadelphia I meet Belal (my friend who is also currently studying in Paris), we have a few drinks at the bar, and then board the plane on time. So far, so good. It is not until we are on the plane that the pilot announces there is an indicator light on that needs to be investigated before we take off. This is now about 8:30 pm. For the next 4 hours we watch airplane mechanics take apart the plane with nothing but screwdrivers and flashlights and start replacing parts (I get a front row seat to this as I am sitting in a window seat directly next to the faulty wing). Not only was sitting on the plane an additional 4 hours on an already 7 hour flight not exactly fun but it is not reassuring to watch the plane that is supposed to transport you across the ocean being disassembled. Apparently whatever they did worked however, the plane held together all the way to Paris and I arrived in one piece, only about 30 hours late.

Luckily our friend Stephen met us at the airport to help us move to our hostel because getting from the airport to the hostel involved one train, two metro lines and about 8 billions stairs. Dragging our 100 pounds of luggage (which did not include my entire thesis research in my backpack) while seriously sleep deprived and in a foreign city is not something I am eager to repeat.

Belal and I stayed in a hostel our first week in Paris while looking for an apartment. After much searching and frustration (exacerbated by our incredible lack of French) we found a pretty ideal place not too far from school in a good location. That first week was also consumed by things like getting a phone, setting up a bank account, and signing up for classes.

I have been here three weeks already and I am not sure exactly where the time has gone. I have been settling in, starting classes, and getting myself acquainted with my new home. So far I really like it here but am eager to learn French so that my interactions with Parisians are not longer limited to smiling, pointing, and butchered phrases of basic French (i.e. je ne comprends pas and je ne parle pas le francais).

More adventures to come soon, especially when I am procrastinating writing my thesis...

Keeping in Touch

Well I have finally broken down and started a blog. For those of you who know me well keeping in touch is not really a strength of mine. I always intend to write detailed and thoughtful emails but I never seem to find the time (and not wanting to send short and impersonal ones, I just don't write at all). So hopefully this will be a good way to keep you all up to date on the various adventures of my life and to remind you to drop me a harassing email to keep in touch.

So as most of you know keeping track of me has been nearly impossible. In the past year I have lived in Glenside, Pennsylvania; Norway/Otisfield, Maine; Staten Island, New York and now Paris, France. This has all been in the course of various internships and pursuing two master's degrees. I plan on being in Paris for the next 18 months so start saving your pennies and come visit!