Mon premier jour

First post from Paris!! It still hasn't really sunk in that I'm here and it certainly doesn't feel like I'll be here for 8 more months. I was incredibly lucky and there were no problems with my flight into Paris, despite numerous other travelers who were experiencing cancelations and major delays.

I arrived in Paris just as the sun was rising and I had the most helpful and friendly driver who assisted me with all my baggage and gave me helpful hints about Paris. My host mother is very kind but doesn't speak any english. This is both a good and bad thing. Good, because it means I'm forced to speak french to her but bad because it makes communicating hard.

My room is very nice and I'm lucky enough to have my own space. I also have a little balcony  which will be great to have once the weather gets warm. Unfortunately  the view from my room isn't very scenic because I live on a very small side street off the main street, but it's very close to a metro station and some cute pâtisseries and cafés. My roommate lives in the room next to me and we share a bathroom. My room is lacking some necessities like a full length mirror and hooks for the wall but overall, it's great.

The shower and the toilets are in separate rooms, which has been an adjustment. The utilities in France are extremely expensive and for this reason, showers are to be kept very very short and lights are off most of the time. The shower has been the biggest adjustment because unlike the US, the shower head isn't stationary. This means I have to hold the shower head and this had made washing my hair and body a little difficult.

All of these cultural differences in combination with the jet lag caused me to freak out a little bit but everything ended up okay because my Aunt Robin came to the rescue. Luckily, she was in Paris the same day I arrived and I met her at her hotel for a short nap and then we went out for a wonderful dinner at Chez Georges. We ate escargot, fish and of course, bread and wine. I was also lucky enough to make the acquaintance of Robin's two friends Hubert and Michele, who offered me help at anytime. It is so reassuring to know that if there is ever a problem or even if I want to ask questions about cool places around Paris, I have a very nice couple to help me.

We ended the night with a wonderful drive around Paris. It's true what the say about Paris at night, it is even more beautiful. We saw the Eiffel Tour, le Arc de Triomphe and other famous buildings around Paris. Perfect way to end a long day of travel!