Day 1

January 6, 2009



I guess I'll start off when I got to Paris. The plan was to take the plane to Paris, then from there take the train to Lille, then from there a taxi to my school. Looking ahead to the trip, I thought this would start the worst part of the trip. I'm a terrible over-packer to I had two HUGE bags (50 lbs each), a square roller carry-on (about 30lbs), and my book-bag. I thought for sure I would have to lug those around the airport and train all by myself - which had some reality to it.



I got the the Paris airport and wasn't that nervous. I usually don't freek out about stuff because I know one way or another they'll get worked out at some point. I soared through customs and began searching for a bathroom. I knew I should go before I picked up my other two big bags. I started to panic a little bit when I couldn't find them. Finally I did - then I went to baggage claim and quickly grabbed one of those big cart things to put my bags on. It was crowded but I managed to get my bags and I went for the exit to the rest of the airport. The very first thing I saw was the money exchange so I went there and waited in line for a little bit. I think I got about $300 in Euros to get me through. After that I felt really lost. Up until then, signs pointed the way easily - but I couldn't find a sign for the train station which I knew was connected with the airport. I really really wanted to just get out my phone and call home to Mom, Dad, or Hadley...BUT my phone does nothing over here. It won't even show the time. I put that behind me and started walking until I saw signs for the TGV (the train). I had to walk for a good 15-20 minutes until I hit a point where I had to drop off the luggage cart. The first escalator was quite the challenge. I had to use a few that day and I got the hang of it quick...I kinda had to.



My next scary part was when I finally reached the train station. See, when I was ordering my train tickets I didn't realize that France's TGV couldn't do things online like the rest of the world does. The only use paper tickets. I ordered my ticket on Friday for a Monday departure. Needless to say my ticket didn't come in the mail before I left and that was $100 down the drain. Back to the train station...I had no idea where to go for the tickets but I simply asked someone who worked there and she pointed me in the right direction. I didn't have a problem buying the ticket (which was way cheaper than the one I bought online at home). When my train came about an hour later...I was LOST. I kept reading my ticket, with the seat number, the floor number, the car number...but no numbers on the train. So I asked a man where I was supposed to go and thank goodness he spoke a little English. I was on the way wrong end of the train but he let me just get on there since there weren't many people on board. I hoisted my two huge bags onto the train (no help thank you) and went to sit down.



EVERYTHING was new. The smells, the people, the clothes, and even the way doors opened and closed. It was really exhausting - I fell right asleep on the train (the country side wasn't much to look at...looked the same as home pretty much - just fields and houses). When I woke up I had no idea how many stops we passed or where we were, or where Lille was. I asked a lady in the same car and she was getting off the same stop as me so I just followed her.



In the train station at Lille, there were alot of people. I knew I was looking for a taxi but it took me a little while to find which door to take. My taxi driver was super nice. We talked the whole time and he told me about things we were passing and so on. He talked alot about American cars and how big they are. He said he wishes to travel to the state next year to buy a car haha. He got me to my destination and it was pleasant. --- Overall, getting there wasn't so bad at all. I was relieved because I thought that would be the worst of it. I was so wrong.



The building I had to go to was the same building where students buy their meal tickets. Being that it was lunch time there was a big crowd of students in the front of my building waiting in line. As I looked at the building, I quickly noticed the set of stairs outside to go up to the door - then the flight of stairs inside the door, then the sign that said the office I needed to go to was on the 3rd floor. Then I looked at my bags - the ones that weighed more than I do - and this started the bad day. I struggled and struggled and struggled to get up those stairs, through the doors, and up the next three flight of stairs. I was hot, and SO tired, and embarrassed! Everyone just watched. Not a single person asked if they could help - or even held a door open for me. I could have cried when I finally got to the top of the stairs, only to sign a paper and head back down.



I ended up living in this same building...but the entrance door is outside, near the windor where we buy our meal tickets. Two women met me at the door and helped me with my bag (I decided to leave one bag in the office and I'd go get the other one after I found my room). These two ladies were so nice. I think they are kind of maids? And I think one might be like the guardian of the residents? I haven't quite figured that out yet. But they showed to the bathrooms...just a room with about 4 toilette stalls and two urinals - yep! Both guys and girls use the same room. Then they showed me to shower room - same thing - 4 showers, for guys and girls. There is a laundry room on my floor and a room where we can get breakfast every morning too.



My room is very small and very green. I have a sink and a mirror, a small closet, a small fridge, tiny dresser, night stand, bed, and a makeshift desk. There is a window, then a door/window thing that I think you can go outside on a balcony...but it has likes rocks and stuff on it. So I don't know if I will use it or not. Anyhow, my room is COLD. The windows basically let a breeze in and the heater isn't very strong. I tried to cover them up with the big black curtains that were on them but it doesn't do much.



To sum up the rest of the day (because I wasn't planning on writing a book but it just kinda happened) I went to the international office and the lady was rude. Then I decided to walk around a little bit because I wanted to find a converter for my laptop - because I couldn't get the one I brought from the U.S. to work....AND there's only one outlet in my room. Ugh. So, I walked into town after crying in my room for a while because all I wanted to do was talk to Hadley and my parents but I couldn't. They didn't even know if I had made it safely yet or not. But I got lost. And it was about 27 degrees out, and windy. I couldn't find anything I needed and I ended up being out there for like 3 hours walking around. Let me remind you that I hadn't slept for about two days at that point and travelling like that is exhausting anyhow. So that night when I finally got back, I hated France. ALOT. I cried too. ALOT. Ecuador was so so easy to fall in love with...so I wasn't used to this. I was cold all night because I didn't have a warm blanket - and I had to use the neck pillow from the plane. I covered up with a small thin blanket, a beach towel, a pillow case, and my winter coat. And that ended my first day in France.