December 6th, 2012 - Paris, France!

Paris from above - Sacre Coeur

Last Friday (November 30th), I was lucky enough to get to take a trip to Paris with my roommates, and I think it was probably the greatest trip I've taken while I've been in Europe. Even though I've been there before, seeing it with a group of girlfriends is such a different experience than traveling with just my mom, and I was so grateful for the opportunity!

Our days were jam-packed, our bellies were constantly full, and we fell asleep each night around 10 pm, but it was a successful trip, and I had such a great time! Some of the highlights: 

Day One: Pere-Lachaise cemetery. Wandering around Notre Dame. Being able to ask the cashier at Starbucks a real question in real French. Seeing the glass pyramid at the Louvre all lit up at night. Crepes and kebabs for lunch and dinner. A cozy hotel room with a real working shower. Snuggling with friends. Falling asleep happy.

Here's Elyssa happily modeling in our hotel room.

Rachael and me on the balcony of our hotel. 

Pere-LaChaise cemetery

Victor Hugo's grave at Pere-LaChaise

Notre Dame

One of the many museums we passed on our walk around the city!

Kristin and me at Starbucks! 

A beautiful sunset in Paris

Friends on the Pont Neuf! - Celynna, Elyssa, me and Rachael

I found America!

Just two lovers on the Love Lock Bridge

The Louvre at night!

Nicole, Celynna, Rachael, me Elyssa, Anne, and Kristin

A couple of selfies at the hotel. 

Day Two: Boat ride down the Seine. Berry-Nutella crepes for lunch. Looking out over the Sacre-Coeur on the first chilly morning in December and seeing the whole city. Watching the sunset from the top of the Eiffel Tower. Feeling certain that I made the right choice to change my major. Watching the Eiffel Tower light up and twinkle. More crepes. Giddily eating my first (albeit overpriced, though totally worth it) veggie burrito bowl from Chipotle in three and a half months. Falling asleep happy. 

Musée D'Orsay - the view from the Seine

Elyssa and me on the Seine

The Eiffel Tower 

The Eiffel Tower at night

A happy girl and her Veggie Burrito Bowl.

Day Three: Visiting the Arc de Triomphe. Eating chocolate chip-cream pastries for breakfast. Shopping on the Champs D'Elysées. Successfully navigating the RER train system in order to get back to the airport on time. Suffering through my first airport patdown (luckily the woman was nice - note to self: wearing your money belt through the security gate in the Charles De Gaulle airport will get you a lot of extra attention from the security guards). Coming home to messages from friends and family. Eating a giant bowl of pasta. Falling asleep happy. 

It's crazy to think now that I'm home from Paris, I have less than two weeks left. In fact, as of today I have 8 days until Mom arrives and another 13 before I come home! This weekend is full of birthday celebrations for my good friend Kristin, shopping at the Christmas markets, and studying all day every day. Should be a fun time! 

Have a great week!

November 29th, 2012 - Milan, Week Thirteen!

My friends from home are the absolute greatest. I'm convinced I have the best friends in the world. When I told them how disappointed I was that I wouldn't be home to celebrate Friendsgiving / see everyone while they were home, Alli and Sarah proceeded to make a cardboard cutout of my face and bring it to parties and dinner with them. What champs. 

Miss these kids, but I'll be back to see them soon!

November 29th, 2012 - Milan, Week Thirteen!

The last couple of weeks have been a crazy flurry of fun and love with all my roommates and friends from Milan. 

First, we celebrated Rachael's 22nd birthday! Cake at home, followed by drinks and fun at a local pub. Happy birthday to such a wonderful girl! I am so grateful to have met you this semester. 

We also celebrated Thanksgiving last week, which was a surprisingly adorable affair. I made biscuits and an apple tart, but between the other eight girls who were there, we had turkey, chicken, meatballs, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, mac 'n' cheese and a whole host of other things. I am so grateful for the people I've met here! It's going to be terribly difficult to leave them come December, but I will be forever thankful that we had such a wonderful time together! 

Our feast! This was about 3/4 of the food we prepared. 

Chefs!

When we miss our families, we get together, eat a lot and act like small children by making paper turkey hands. 

The best girls! How lucky am I? 

This weekend is Paris, where my roommates and I will be spending two glorious days in the most beautiful city on Earth (that's probably biased.) What isn't biased is how great the crepes are. I'll be devouring all of them. After that, I have two more weeks of classes and then mom arrives so we can go to Rome and then go home! Time flies!