Travel Time

So today was the big day at the Louvre, which I managed to get into for FREE (if you're under 25 and are a European, you can get in for free). Technically, I'm not European, but I managed to get in hehe (not really).  the one photo I did take It was a unique experience, we saw the Mona Lisa - which had a bunch of people taking pictures of it. We walked through some of the Royal apartments and looked at some of the jewels, my favourite being the five-sided pink diamond worn in the butt of a French king. While walking through with another exchange student I mentioned how much France values their culture and does what it can to preserve it - for example, the construction work around the city.   We also walked through the Egyptian exhibits and looked at other European paintings. Probably the most interesting part of the Louvre was seeing what the original Louvre looked like before it was a museum. We were able to feel the original materials.  The Louvre must be experienc...

Today was quite a nice day even though it was raining, thankfully not until later. As a part of our integration week, we were SUPPOSED to go to the Palais Galleria Fashion Museum of Paris to see the Frida Kahlo exhibit. But unfortunately, not a lot of people were interested or had class, and by the time I got there, they ran out of tickets.  the fashion museum - which I will probably go back to on my own Before leaving, I did look around to see what was in the area. I managed to find two places I would like to see again. The first is the Yves Saint Laurent museum. The other place I would like to go back to is Palais de Tokyo. Once it started getting cold, I decided to walk to Carette - which was only a 10-minute walk. I found this cafe on Instagram with a rating of 5/5 for its thick and rich hot chocolate. I'm not one to take photos of food or drinks, but the presentation of it all. My god. They definitely make it an experience. After Carette, I met with other ISC international/exc...

 Today started slow, as most days. I went to the Christmas market in Le Jardin des Tuileries. Unlike Vancouver Christmas markets, you don't have to pay to get in, and there are rides (which you have to pay for). These rides aren't Playland level, but it was still so fun. Surprisingly, there was a haunted train ride which was a bit lame. But I think the main goal of the rides was to have things for kids but include adults too. The ride that reminded me the most of Playland was similar to Atmosfear. It was not as tall, nor did it have sudden drops.  This was from the top of the Farris Wheel After the Christmas market, I went home for an early-ish night.  On the 9th, the international group from ISC Paris when to Le Centre Pompidou to see the exhibit on unframing colonialism.  (exhibition poster) The exhibition probably would have been more interesting if I could understand what each photo was attempting to communicate. (saw this on the way to the bar) After some discus...

Today I walked to Le Jardin d'Acclimatatioin, not realising I would have to pay to get in. I also didn't know it was an amusement park and a part of a park/forest called Bois Boulogne. But it's a good thing I just wanted to see the Louis Vuitton Foundation. I also didn't go inside because I wasn't really in the museum mood. On my walk back through the park, some creepy guy started talking to me in French. He was middle-aged creepy and CLEARLY didn't get that I was uncomfortable after repeatedly saying "Je ne veux pas" while backing away and speed walking away from him. Now my grasp of the French language is pretty limited. So it takes me a while to translate what I want to say from English to French. So it's not like I could have told him to kick rocks. I've listened to Mr Nightmare enough to know I needed to get the F out of there ASAP. I called a friend that helped me get into my apartment, freaking out while quickly walking towards the Louis...

 As promised, I managed to make it to Paris! I started by walking to the Arc de Triomphe, about a 35 minutes walk from where I'm staying. I didn't go to the top because ISC Paris has organised a whole integration week for us, and going to the top of the Arc de Triomphe is one of the activities! On my way to the Eiffel Tower, about another 30 minutes from the Arc de Triomphe, I got a little stuck in the roundabout. They can get confusing if you're not familiar with the area. Getting to see the Eiffel Tower was so beautiful. It was a real: "wow, I'm really here" moment. Like the Arc de Triomphe, I didn't do much exploring around the Eiffel Tower since it is also part of the integration week.  On my way to the Panthéon, I stopped at Esplanada Jacques-Chaban-Delmas, a park in front of the Hôtel Des Invalides.  I'm going to try to come back here. Looking at the grounds on Google, there's a lot to see. From the Eiffel Tower to the Panthéon was about anot...

Nothing super exciting has happened over the last few days. But I have settled in a bit more and have mostly gotten over the jet lag. Yesterday I tried to get a phone number, which didn't work out. But I'm hoping this RIB number (French SIN) works out cause my PTSD from not having data is coming back. I went to a café down the street from my place. I've also uncovered the key to not getting pickpocketed - turning on Google Maps and some music with your AirPods. Then you're not wandering around looking like a tourist.   oh yes busses go down the one-way streets The most interesting/Megan thing that happened on the eve before school started was getting locked out of my Airbnb for a WHOLE HOUR while on the phone with a friend who helped me with moral support (god bless his soul). Thankfully we got through it with the power of friendship and FaceTime. I was about to call it quits and went to a hotel down the street. Anyway, today was the "first" day of school. By ...

So even though I got past the border and to the Airbnb alright on the 29th, I only managed to get out on the 31st. The jet lag is kicking my butt big time. Sadly on the flight, sleep was never an option. Despite having enough legroom, I sat in the middle of a large family with two infants and two toddlers. After standing in line and crossing the border (which was nothing like crossing the American border), I grabbed my checked bag without any hassle (as a bit of a side note: they have a smoking room IN THE AIRPORT) and an Uber to the Airbnb and checked in early which thankfully wasn't an issue. After the host showed me the ropes, I took a nap that turned into a two-day coma. To say it was a coma would be an exaggeration I took the occasional YouTube or shower break.  When I finally decided it was time to get it together at 4:30 am on a Saturday. I managed to shower and waited until something was open to buy toothpaste and something to munch on. In the past 48 hours, I managed to ea...