lifescouts:
Lifescouts: Eiffel Tower Badge
If you have this badge, reblog it and share your story! Look through the notes to read other people’s stories.
Click here to buy this badge physically (ships worldwide).
Lifescouts is a badge-collecting community of people who share real-world experiences online.
I’ve been lucky enough to see this structure during two different trips to Paris. My favorite memory of the Eiffel Tower was when I was running to it to meet my friends and I was racing from the Paris Nord train station to the tower so I could see the first glittering lights of the evening. I made it just in time!
Filed under France Paris lifescouts
As of yesterday, I have finalized my plans to return to Europe!
I will be flying to London on April 17th and staying for approximately 2 weeks! I am meeting two of my best friends I met in Nice and we will be doing a fair amount of traveling and a lot of catching up :)
I’m over the moon about this trip. It has been so long since my study abroad program it feels like it was a dream. Since I’ve been back I have been working on a scrapbook, which has been slowly coming together. But I’ve been ready for an adventure and to add more to that slowly developing scrapbook.
I’m excited to see my lovely friends and to make some new memories with them. Look out for some itinerary options I will post on this blog. I’m going to get creative with what I can see and do during my time there! It will be fun to play!
A bientôt!
Filed under France London Returning to Europe
I was attracted to the French language my freshman year in high school and have been in love with the language ever since. I’ve had the opportunity to study French at the Université de Nice for an academic year in college and that has been the experience that has made me feel like I’ve made progress in my understanding and use of the language. J’espère que cette langue sera présent pendant toute ma vie!
(Source: lifescouts)
Filed under French Lifescouts
I’ve enjoyed being home. But I’ve missed my great friends that I’ve made. I think I’m ready for my next great adventure! What will that be?
I’ve been back in the US for 4 days now!
The morning of the 4th was exciting. I basically jumped out of bed finished packing a few items and I joined my host family for one last meal together. This morning I ate a little more breakfast than I normally would have and just enjoyed the terrace.
Then it wasn’t long after that I was in the car with M. Jeandel heading to the airport for my 11:50 flight from Nice to London - Heathrow. It was a full circle. I was picked up and dropped off by M. Jeandel and was under incredible blue skies both days. Saying goodbye to my host family wasn’t difficult. I know that I’ll be back to see them when I can.
The flights were ok. They were long and I had no problems with my connection. I was just anticipating seeing my family at the airport!
These past few days has felt kind of hazy. Just getting adjusted. I attacked my clothes and got rid of a lot and that was refreshing. (When you go from living 9 months with clothes that can fit in 2 suitcases, you learn you don’t need a lot).
I keep waking up early 6:30 - 7am, which is nice. I’m going to keep trying to do that for as long as I can, but it leaves me tired in the afternoon which is the evening in France. Still working on the jetlag.
It’s so nice to have all my American favorites at my finger tips, like Poptarts and my mom’s Sweet Ice Tea. But I don’t stuff myself as I would have before I left. This is a good thing I’ll try to hang on to as well! :)
The town I live in is much more relaxed and open a very different change from the city of Nice. I can’t run across the street to get food or see a friend or go to the sea. I feel like I’ve just been noticing more of what happens around me and how people act, like while they shop or drive. I’m always comparing it to the habits of the French. It’s nice having that different perspective.
I’ve had a great year abroad. It definitely had it’s high and low points, but overall I made some great friends and learn a lot. I’m just enjoying home at the moment but I know soon I’ll want to start planning trips to return and continue exploring!
Thanks for being with me on my journey. I’m glad I could share all of the moments that I experience with you here.
A la prochain fois,
Sarah
I’ll be in the car with my host dad driving to the airport! Then it’s a long travel day after that!
What a year but I can’t wait to be home!
Going to sleep! Long travel day tomorrow!!! I can’t wait to be home!
Boat day June 2!
Organized by our director, the University of Maryland group spent the afternoon and the evening on a boat! The morning, however, was rainy and cold so I was nervous the trip would get cancelled. None the less I packed a bag and Sanata and I got on the bus to go to our meeting point.
We boarded the boat on a dock just passed Antibes around 3pm and enjoyed snacks and drinks while we were in route to two islands just of the shore of Cannes. The sky was becoming clear and the sun was shinning, much different from earlier today. There we anchored the boat and the brave ones, including myself, jumped in 16 degree C water! It was very chilly but amazingly blue! (Pictures will be posted of me swimming when I locate them ;) Some students swam to the close by shore, others paddled around in kayaks and I enjoyed the clearness of the water and just floating.
Then once everyone was back onboard we lifted anchor and headed to our next destination Villefranche-sur-Mer. It was relaxing being on the boat and looking out at the water and the coastline. I loved seeing the coast of Nice from the water and picking out the Negresco Hotel and the Collin du Château.
When we got to Villefranche-sur-Mer the crew got dinner together for us, which consisted of pillea, salad, cheese and dessert. Towards the end of dinner music was blasting and some of the students began to dance, it was great entertainment while I ate a slice of apple tart for dessert.
Then we began the short trip to the port of Nice. It was so peaceful sailing at night.
The whole year I’ve been sitting in classes looking at the sea and watching the boat and wishing to be on one of them! And that dream is now fulfilled and in perfect timing!
Filed under Boats Travel
Soon enough it will all be over!
On the agenda is a Political Institution exam and a Geography, economy, and social exam. They are both oral tests and last roughly 10 minutes.
These will be different from the oral expression exam yesterday, because these actually require a knowledge of information that we learned over the semester.
I’m going to try not to stress… I’ll post as soon as it’s all over! :D
May 29th Sanata and I started our day at Carrefour getting picnic supplies and other things we needed at the house. Then we went to Beaulieu to have our picnic!
I was partly cloudy but we ate and laid out in our bikinis anyway. Every once and a while there would be a patch of very hot sun light which was appreciated.
It was great having the beach to ourselves and it was relaxing just laying there on very small rocks, not quite sand. ;)
Filed under Beaulieu France Travel
Château des Baux was our next point of interest. Once we got ticket we went straight to a Bear vs Man show. Which was a guy playing with a bear while informing the audience of bear habitats. The bear was really cute, especially when it began to play with a rope.
Then after the little show we got some audio guides and toured around the area. Surrounding the château are lovely vineyards and olive fields and they were beautiful!
Isabelle and I spent a lot of time waiting to see the trebuchet demonstration, which was more of a combat history discussion. There eventually was a little demonstration, but it was lame and that was a little disappointing.
4pm rolled around and we headed back to the bus to return to Nice. I had a great nap again on the bus and when I woke up we were driving through a thunder storm! It was pretty and reminded me of the US.
Overall it was a incredible full day and I’m extremely glad that I was able to make to the bus that morning. :P
Sunday the 24th I woke up late! After calls from Isabelle and the director I got up in a rush, threw on clothes, and ran out the door. I continued running until I got to the bus with the other students in our program. Once I calmed down, I was able to rest, we had a 3 hour journey to our first stop.
The Pont du Gard. This is an old Roman aqueduct used to transport water to the town of Nîmes. It was extremely impressive! The whole area was picturesque with the river running underneath the aqueduct and families with their little ones splashing in the water.
We spent about an hour in the area and enjoyed a light picnic supplied by our director. Then it was back on the bus for a little drive to our next location.
Filed under Travel Pont du Gard
6 days remain of the 273 days I’ve been abroad.
All that is standing between me and my flight home is 7 exams.
I’m ready.
May 23rd was a day of crossing things of the list. Sanata had never been to Eze Village so we decided that morning we would go there and explore. It hadn’t changed since the last time I was there, but I got an opportunity to take more photos.
Then we came back to Nice to have some lunch, before continuing on to Cap 3000, which Mme Jeandel said we should go to before we leave. Cap 3000 is a mall and it was pretty equivalent to American malls. We spent about an hour there browsing and then came back to Nice.
I was really exhausted by the end of the day, which wasn’t the best because the next morning was the last UMD group trip that left at 7am.
That adventure is next to come!
Filed under Eze Village Cap 3000 Travel
