So for some Americans, it is often forgotten that Thanksgiving is an American tradition and therefore not celebrated across the world. I know this seems silly, we know the story of Thanksgiving is based on the pilgrims coming to America and their first dinner with the native Americans. But you would truly be amazed at the amount of people who only remember Thanksgiving as a big dinner with their family while watching Football. The history behind this day is often forgotten (not to mention contorted). For me, this wouldn't be my first time missing Thanksgiving at my own family's house, but it would be the first time I would not be around at least friends or the family of my boyfriend (at that time). And it's not just the company that changed, but the environment entirely. This year there would be no turkey, no mashed potatoes, no stuffing and cranberry sauce. And my personal favorite, there would be no candied yams. And the last thing, the weekend of Thanksgiving would also be my best friend Marie's birthday. For me, knowing all this made this first holiday abroad the most unbearable. So i decided to take fate into my own hands. If I couldn't celebrate Thanksgiving, then I would do something fun and exciting to create a new memory.
So.... off to Paris I go!
Paris was the first city I ever fell in love with. It was actually the first city I ever visited outside of the United States. However, even after all of my traveling over the past year I still can say that Paris has a special place in my heart. I spent 2 weeks there with my mother in 2010 and it was the best 2 weeks of my life. I fell in love with everything: the culture, the architecture, the museums, the parks, everything. So a part of me was nervous to return. What if it no longer lived up to the hype and ideal that was in my mind? But for this first holiday I really couldn't think of another place I would rather be.
I traveled to Paris with a group of friends from my program: Anne, Caitlin, Graham, Haley and Christina. However, what is always tough in bigger groups is finding a way to stay together and a way to satisfy what each individual wants to see or do. So we broke up groups. We spent the first night having dinner at a restaurant next to the Louvre and then went our separate ways, myself with Anne and Caitlin to the St. Christopher's Inn in the 19th arrondissement.
The next day was amazing! We started by visiting the Louvre (Anne, Caitlin and I). For me, it was a repeat visit since I have actually spent a significant amount of time in the Louvre but it was interesting to uncover other works of art that I had either not noticed before or that I had discovered through research only after my initial trip. The Louvre is a staple when visiting Paris as it houses some of the most famous paintings and sculptures from around the world including one of the most famous works the Mona Lisa. However, I do feel it necessary to mention that it is not my favorite museum of Paris. I visited many both this year and in 2010 and I still maintain that the Musee D'Orsay is still my favorite. Not only is the building itself historical (a former train station now turned into an exhibition hall) but it is far less overwhelming and has some of the most beautiful works of art that suit my preferences including Van Gogh, Degas, Monet, Manet, Renoir, Lautrec, and more. The majority of the work you will see there is impressionist, more closely related to the turn of the century, and is still my favorite period of time.
We spent our time after our visit to the Louvre taking a tour bus around the city to see all the major landmarks including: Arc De Triomphe, The Trocadero, Notre Dame, The Eiffel Tower and so much more. I highly recommend for fast trip's to Paris or to just get a feel of the city in general that you take a hop-on hop-off bus. It is so easy to use and will get any tourist to the major areas of to visit. That evening, which was the night of Thanksgiving, was kind of solemn for all of us. I think it was just too difficult to not be thinking about our families and friends and now being 3 months into the program, it was difficult not to let the cold, rainy weather make you feel extra homesick for California. For me, this was the reality of just how difficult holidays are without those you love around you.
The next day, we decided to check out some other major areas and sites around the city but this time during the day time. We spent a good amount of time doing the traditional: taking crazy and fun photos in front of the Eiffel Tower. Though the weather was still damp and rainy, it was a lot of fun. We then did something that was even a new experience for me which was a visit to the Rodin Museum. His work was absolutely breathtaking. "The Thinker" is usually the initial piece people think of when hearing his name, but his "Gates of Hell"as well as "The Kiss" were by far my favorite pieces. It was interesting as I am learning more of Italian literature to understand that the Gates were in fact influenced by Dante's Commedia. I found the influence to be quite exciting, that a piece of literature would have such an affect not only on Italian culture but outside culture's as well including their artwork.
That night I tried a new experience which was to couch surf. I had arranged it through couchsurfing.com a couple weeks ahead of time. The main reason for me to try couch surfing was to save money but I was also pretty excited at the idea of meeting someone native to France and learning more about them and their life there. A part of me has always dreamed to become fluent in French and to eventually live in France for a period of time. Through the website I met a girl in her late 20's (like me!) who is also a dancer. It was such a great fit! We instantly got along and were emailing and messaging each other up until my visit. Aurora (such a pretty name and ironically the name my Italian teacher gave to me) met up with me on Friday night and allowed me to stay with her that night. We went out to dinner with another couch surfer who was from Germany. It was a great night of amazing food, drinks and plenty of talk about relationships. Both women had just ended serious relationships and were deep in talk about men, marriage, and their futures. I couldn't help but find it amusing at how dramatically they spoke of their ex-boyfriends and the reason they were forced to end the relationship. I always felt that Americans were typically very reserved about their emotions as it isn't typically seen as acceptable to "air your dirty laundry". This evening only validated my feelings on the subject. Both ladies had no issues telling every little dirty detail. It was so amazing and really made me wish it was more acceptable to put our real feelings out there, rather than having to hide them all the time behind pleasantries. Would it really be so bad if people were more open about how they actually felt? It might even lead to the decrease in "game playing" in relationships that almost everyone says they despise, yet continue to play. But i digress... I was so thankful to Aurora for allowing me to stay with her that evening. It was great spending time with her as well as having some amazing French food with her.
My last day of my visit in Paris included a day trip to Versailles. I highly recommend if people visiting Paris have at least one day without major plans, take a trip to Versailles. It is here you will see some of the most amazing palaces you can imagine, the former home of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Though we did see the inside of the main palace so we could see one of the most unique places in the world the Hall of Mirrors, we spent most of our time in the beautiful and extensive gardens. Caitlin and I went off on our own that day and it is still one of my favorite experiences. We just walked around and talked about everything, most specifically our families and friends and how much we missed them and home. Caitlin is definitely one of my favorite people I met during my time in Europe and I will always remember how much fun we had while in Paris. After our great trip around Versailles we went out to an amazing dinner in Montmartre.
This trip had a few bumps, including my credit card not functioning, shorting me on finances during my trip. Also, I ended up without somewhere to sleep on the last night, luckily Caitlin was such an amazing friend and let me crash in her bunk at the hostel. It was rainy and cold and we didn't get to see everything we wanted to or meet up with the others in our group except the very last night. However, Paris is still undiminished in my eyes. It is such a gorgeous city, and the more I have studied on its history and culture the more enraptured I have become.
Paris, Je t'aime, ti amo, I love you <3
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