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.