Tell 'em, Webster.

sad: adj.; affected with or expressive of grief or unhappiness; causing or associated with grief or unhappiness; of a dull, somber color.

Guys. I am SAD. Don't get me wrong, I am so excited to get back home and spend time with my friends and family and get back into a routine, BUT I just love this city, y'all. It's so great. I love everything about it. Tonight, Audrey and I climbed to the top of the Arc de Triomphe (I can check that off my mini list!) and watched the sunset, only to find ourselves tearing up while we thought about leaving Paris. It just feels like I literally flew into Charles de Gaulle yesterday. Really.

On a happier note, we're going to FAJITAS tomorrow night! YESS. I am so pumped. Clearly. For the past three Friday nights we have been eating at Fajitas so we had to go again before we left, even if it was on a Thursday night this time. AHH I can't believe this trip is almost OVER!! Woah. So bizarre. OK. Have to write a paper. Can't procrastinate any longer!

*definition taken from merriamwebster.com

They don't have this here.

Wish they did. SO BAD. I could really use a can of this "unique sparkling soft drink" right about now.

Can't believe this.

I can't believe I only have a week left in the city! It makes me so sad, but at the same time I am so excited to see my family and friends (and the people at Sola Nail Salon). I'm making a list of things I HAVE to do this week. We've done so much here but at the same time I feel like I will never be able to see all of Paris and it's wonderfulness. Hmm, wonderfulness is an actual word. Interesting. So, because I just LOVE lists, I'm going to make a bucket list if you will for my last week in Paris.

1. Get some ice cream at Berthillon. (Like how my number one thing is food related?) It's a wonderful ice cream in Ille Saint-Louis near Notre Dame, I can't wait to try it. I also want to walk around Ille de Cite and Ille Saint-Louis and go inside the shops. I love that area of the city but I haven't been able to explore it too much.

2. Get one last steak frites meal at Le Relais de l'Entrecote. (Once again, food related. haha.) This place is SO good and we are all so excited about going there for our last meal this week!

3. See the Champs Elysees from the top of the Arc de Triomphe. I have never been to the top of the Arc de Triomphe and have always wanted to go. I hope the weather will be nice for this, I heard it's a beautiful sight.

4. Go on a boat cruise on the Seine. One of my friends did this last week and she said it was absolutely spectacular. I can't wait to take pictures!

There's my condensed version. I also want to do the classic things we've done all month such as eating dinner at Fajitas, getting crepes at Henri's, hanging out at the Pont des Arts, grabbing macarons at Laduree and going for a few more runs in the Luxembourg Gardens. It is going to be tough to leave.

I would give a lot for these luxuries right now.

How glorious does that look to you? A private bathroom with CLEAN appliances.

Fried. Okra. Oh my goodness. I never thought I would crave, out of all things food-related, fried okra. But I am. I can't even look at that picture anymore.

Mashed. Potatoes. Not just any mashed potatoes though. ONLY my mom's or my Granny Pearl's.

BUT.

Guess what? I know a lot of people would kill for this luxury:

Watching the sunset from the Pont des Arts in Paris.

Needless to say, I miss everyone in good ole Alabama but I DO love Paris. And the food! Well, most of it. :)

Just procrastinating. Like it's my JOB.

So, I have my final tomorrow morning. As in, 10 hours from now. The worst thing? Ok, there's two bad things:

a) I don't know French. Not very well at least.

b) The test is STANDARDIZED. Yes, that's right. I have the same test as people who have taken four or more years of French.

c) I HAVEN'T STUDIED.

But you know what the good things are?

a) I AM IN FRANCE.

b) I am a REGULAR on the Metro. And a regular at McDonald's when dinner at the residence includes the infamous mystery meat.

c) I have fallen in love. With the city, of course. I love being able to go for a run in Luxembourg Gardens, go to museums anytime I want, see so much history all around me, AND eat as much Nutella as my heart desires.

I'm going to miss it TOO MUCH. In other news...my great friend/future roommate PAIGE is coming to Paris this weekend!! I am so excited. I'm going to take her to Notre Dame, dinner at the best Mexican place in the WORLD, take her to Montmartre so she can see a great view of Paris, then we're ending the night with a "party bus" for our friend Daniel's 21st birthday. I'm so excited, I can't wait to be a Paris tour guide!

Ok, this is getting serious. I need to study. Now.

Before I go, here is the most random assortment of pictures. I don't even know why I chose them. Hope you enjoy!

Jamie. My other twin.

Happy Birthday, Scott!!

I love these people.

Bastille Day!

At the market.

Macarons from Laduret. DELICIOUS.

I'M ENGAGED! Totally kidding. This is our new friend Mark. I'm wearing his signet ring (I'm dead serious) so people will think I'm someone famous. That's legit.

OK SERIOUSLY leaving now. Bon soir.

Oh, and here's some more pictures..

Why am I such a terrible blogger?

I thought this blogging thing would be simple. I just had NO IDEA I would be busy every hour of the day in this wonderful city. We have been doing so many fun things, and since I LOVE lists I'll make one now that sums up the past week and a half of our program.

1. Musee D'Orsay: BEAUTIFUL. Wonderful. Such a great museum. We went to the D'Orsay our first day in Paris and I loved looking at the works by Monet and Degas and Van Gogh, it all seemed so surreal! We also went to the Pompidou and Le Musee D'Art Modern, which are two modern art museums, and to Musee Rodin which is a museum of sculptures. I really like going to these museums. They are relaxing yet you feel so cultured after you visit each one! :)

2. FIFA. Fan. Fest. The World Cup was coming to a close when we came to Paris, but we were able to watch a few matches on a big screen at the Eiffel Tower! We set up a picnic and had fun and just hung out. It was great.

3. New friends. I am LOVING the people that I have met on this trip. Each one of us is so different yet we all mesh very well. I miss my friends and family, but these friends have been so great and I can't wait to continue my friendships with them in Auburn!

4. Bread. Bread. And more Bread. I don't think the French know what a low carb diet even is. I have never eaten so much bread in my life. But hey, I'm not complaining! My favorite pastries so far have been Chausson aux Pommes (an apple croissant) and Pain du Chocolat (chocolate filled pastry). YUM.

5. Class. IS. Hard. I didn't think my French class would be THAT hard, woah, I was wrong. I can hardly speak French, but my teacher speaks ONLY French. It's a learning experience for sure. But through this I have decided that this immersion into French is great for me AND that I'm going to get a French minor!

6. My last point doesn't really have to do with anything about the past week and a half, it is just a thought of mine: I CANNOT believe I am in Paris. I am a student here, living life, going to class, learning how to conquer the Metro, and just loving every minute of it.

Miss you all, sorry I'm such a terrible blogger. Happy Bastille Day!