How will I live my dream life while staying true to the lifestyle that best suits me?

The crossroads of the semester has finally come: we’re over halfway through the experience and the newness has worn off, leaving me searching for reassurance. While I still enjoy my experience in France every day, and continue to take advantage of the cultural opportunities, I am beginning to long for the comfort of my American lifestyle. While this longing for the familiar has come over me, I still want to take full advantage of my time in Europe and be open to new chances and possibilities. As I continue to grapple with this personal shift, I couldn’t help but wonder…

How will I live my “dream life” while staying true to the lifestyle that best suits me?

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been reflecting a lot on the type of lifestyle I want to live, while also taking into account the lifestyle I know best suits my personality and my life goals. The idea of living a life like ­­­Elisabeth Eave's in Wanderlust has its appeal: you're free and can pick up your life at any moment and discover a new culture, nothing is tying you down, you meet new people, experience all that life has to offer, and there are no limits. It sounds pretty impossible when you think about it, to live with so much possibility each day. However, this perspective is obviously romanticizing the idea of living with no home base. You lose a lot with this lifestyle as well: a community, a place to call home, a family, regular friendships, etc. While I with I could live recklessly and freely for a while, and experience all of the positive aspects of this lifestyle, I know I’m not capable of it. I am way too much of a planner to ever handle all of that uncertainty. I also count on my family and the stability/comfort of my routine and lifestyle way too much to just leave with no idea of tomorrow.

It’s hard when you realize that you can’t do everything, or experience everything that people tell you about. Being the perfectionist that I am, it is very hard to accept that I am not capable of embracing and living in another fashion. But, I know it wouldn’t be as fulfilling as I make it sound, for me it would be more stressful and worrying, not to mention lonely at times. If living abroad for two months has taught me anything, it’s that I miss my stability and my close friends and family always around me.

Sur le Pont d'Avignon (yes, now you're singing the song in your head!)

After talking with my mom via Skype, we figured out how I can combine these two approaches to life: travel often, but with a schedule. Yep, sounds pretty good to me. Of course, it would be ideal if my job paid for me to do this travel (and maybe bring some family along!), but even just getting the normal vacation time will allow me to continue travelling and exploring new cultures while having my stability and home base. They always say that reading allows you to vicariously live through others, and I am very grateful for that ability.

In the past couple of weeks, I’ve had conversations with a few people that touch on this subject of living out your dreams and taking chances while also focusing on yourself and what you need out of life. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to interview Olympic-hopeful Evie Stevens, who is currently competing as a professional cyclist, for a profile that will hopefully appear in The Key (Kappa Kappa Gamma’s national magazine). Talking with Evie was very inspiring, grounding, and eye opening. We’re fortunate enough to be in the same time zone since she’s currently training out of Spain, and that made Skyping a lot easier! We chatted about everything from her entry into the cycling world, to her experience in Kappa, and her current goals.

Evie is unique in that she just got into cycling a few years ago at the age of 25 after working on Wall Street. What started as a fun way to stay fit uncovered a tremendous talent for cycling and a new passion. Her story is truly inspiring, and honestly a real-life fairytale. While she took a huge risk in leaving her financially-steady job for the not very well known world of women’s professional cycling, she says she has found her passion and the chance to go after her dream. She is so grounded, natural, and warm, and I feel so fortunate to have met such a talented Kappa sister. I love when Kappa leads to these unexpected opportunities. One of Evie’s pieces of advice was: “We all have these abilities within us, and I think a lot of times we stay so focused on what we’re supposed to be doing that you might miss this something that’s inside of you just telling you to try it out…just give it a go.”

She shared a lot about how being open to a new career, taking a leap of faith, and following through, have truly brought her into a healthier and more fulfilling lifestyle. I know I will always keep her lessons with me: focus on leading a fulfilling life while not being too afraid to take a chance. As Evie said, “I think you only get a chance once in your life to go after your dream. It was something I just had to go after.”

Evie also shared with me that most of the close friends she’s kept in contact with during her crazy lifestyle (she’s rarely in one place for a week between training, racing, etc. during the season) have been her Kappa sisters. I hope I will be able to say the same thing in the future, as I can’t imagine my life without my sisters. I was fortunate enough to meet up with two Kappa alums the other day in Nîmes. It was so comforting and fun to meet up with other Kappas currently living in Europe. One is teaching in Nîmes, while the other is currently attending grad school in Scotland. Being able to have a relaxed conversation with people who understand the Denison culture, and with whom I share the same background, was exactly what I needed.

The garden in Nîmes where we had our picnic.

The Arena of Nîmes where they used to hold bull fights

Our conversation covered many aspects, but my favorite was probably talking about the opportunities we all have ahead of us. I mean, we’re all living in Europe, how much better can it get?? As we shared our experiences abroad and our hopes for the next coming years, it was comforting and inspiring to hear everyone’s dreams and ambitions. At this point, the world is truly our oyster, and we can carve it in whatever fashion we want. It’s nice to know along the way I’ll have my close friends and family to help guide me.

I think Oliver’s quote below pretty much sums me up right now:

During this transition period, I’ve also learned how vital Yoga is to my sanity. Whenever I’ve had a stressful day, or one filled with a lot of worrying and second-guessing about my lifestyle, I find that even just 30 min. on my yoga mat changes the world. Every breath connects me with myself, the world around me, and grounds me in nature. I try to set intentions that will truly help me through the day, and re-focus on them at the end of my practice as well so I can take the wisdom and enlightening aspects of yoga with me when I get off the mat. I highly recommend yoga for everyone. It is honestly the best cure.

I’ve had some great educational experiences in the past two weeks as well! I taught my first class at the Collège Saint-Joseph where I do my community service each week. I instructed 8 students for an hour, mostly in English, about vacations in the States (since they had just gotten off their 2-week vacation period.) We talked about their activities, what American students do (I offered the typical beach or skiing spring vacation ideas), and I also tried to explain the concept of a road trip. It’s a very American practice, but I think by the end they had an idea of how it works.

The students were very active, but also respectful. I was honestly surprised by how well it went. I was definitely worried about the “authoritative” aspect, since I’m technically not their teacher, nor do I have a degree in this area. Luckily, the students were very attentive, participated, and were really fun to work with! At the end of class, two girls came up to me and asked me if we have a big “ball” at the end of high school. It took me a minute to figure out they were talking about Prom, and when I shared my two experiences they got so excited. Sadly they don’t have Prom in France, although they told me they petition for it each year. Prom was definitely a “typical American” experience that I loved, and it was fun to describe my dresses to them.

Le Palais de Papes, Avignon.

On an entirely different “educational” note, I saw Hunger Games in French this weekend! SOOOO good. If you haven’t read the books: do it. And then watch the film. I’m proud to say I understood everything in French. (Not difficult since the book is quite simple to understand and I clearly already knew the storyline.) But nonetheless, I felt very cultured seeing it in French!  

The next few weeks are seriously going to fly by! My family gets here on Tuesday, so excited!!! And then I’ll be heading off to Prague for Easter weekend, only to return for a week before spring break. So crazy how time flies!

Gros Bisous

SA

How many other unexpected cultures will I get to discover?

Now that mid-terms are over (thank goodness!) and I’m back to some type of routine here in Aix, I figured it was a good time to sit down and reflect on my winter vacation. I knew this post was going to take a while, and as much as I wanted to procrastinate during mid-terms week, I figured I couldn't chance the exams that already have to undergo the grueling French grading system. Get ready for a long post about my voyages to Spain and Portugal; you can’t say I didn’t warn you!

The eight days of winter vacation were jam-packed with culture, history, architecture, amazing food, sangria, and some fun stories! I can’t believe we managed to squeeze in two countries and four whole cities in that time. Yes, at the end we definitely paid for it with our worn-out bodies and the huge bags under our eyes, but during the trip we took full advantage of every city from the walking tours and museums, to sitting in the parks, walking around the downtowns, and of course profiting from the nightlife! For me, it was most surprising to discover Lisbon and the Portuguese culture; a country I never thought I’d end up seeing was nonetheless a spell-binding and eye-opening experience. Looking back on my good luck that landed me Lisbon, I couldn’t help but wonder…

How many other unexpected cultures will I get to discover?

My unforeseen adventure to Lisbon reminded me of my trip to China with my college music program a couple of summers ago. Just like Lisbon, China was a location I never thought I’d have the opportunity to see. Honestly, it didn’t hold much appeal to me, and I wasn’t too heart-broken over the thought of never getting there. The culture of Europe was much more fascinating in my opinion. But, as anyone can tell you, when I came back from China I couldn’t rave about it enough! The culture was so different from any I’d ever seen (I know, state the obvious!), but the style of architecture, the palaces, the art, the everyday life was truly eye-opening and instructive. My trip to Lisbon felt much the same way; once again I was blessed with the opportunity to see a new culture and a new style of life that I would probably never have seen if it weren’t for my friend who speaks Portuguese. I hope the rest of my life brings many more of these unpredicted experiences my way!

In a square in Lisbon before our walking tour.

The 8 days brought many new realizations and lessons my way! I never noticed how much I feel at home in France, or how comforting it is to have that homebase to go back to at the end of a long journey. I am so blessed to now call France my second home, even if I was welcomed back by mid-terms the day after our bus from Barcelona rolled in. Enjoy the pictures and little stories from each city below!

Friday, Feb. 24

The five of us caught the bus to the airport for our 9:55pm flight to Madrid. After the tragic confiscation of our three peanut butter jars, i.e. la catastrophe de buerre de cacahuète, we were on our flight and super excited to start the adventures! However, the first night wasn’t over yet, we still had a good 40 min. metro commute to the hostel in Madrid, during which my friend had her wallet stolen. Not the best way to start a trip! Thankfully, she only had 20€ in the wallet and her passport was in another bag. We were extremely paranoid after this incident, but our alertness paid off as no one lost any other valuable items for the rest of the trip!

Madrid

Saturday morning, we were ready to take Madrid by storm and profit from our first taste of the Spanish culture! In the morning we walked to the Plaza del Sol, took some pics with the monuments, and one with SpongeBob (of course!) and wandered over to the gardens surrounding the Palacio Real de Madrid (Royal Palace of Madrid) before heading in to check out the palace itself. Most of the rooms were furnished in the original style from the wallpaper and chandeliers to the paintings and statues on display. It was opulent to say the least. I was also a huge fan of the Stradivarius room, in which I imparted my musical knowledge on my two friends with me. (For those of you music lovers out there, there were 3 violins and one cello in the same room! They all had beautiful etchings in the wood!)

In the Plaza del Sol in Madrid.

After our first historical experience, we enjoyed our lunch and Spanish beer in a plaza and soaked up some sun (the beginning of 9/10 full sunny and 60+ degree days on our vacation). In the afternoon we wandered around, took a little siesta in a park, and enjoyed the streets of Madrid. While dinner wasn’t that great our first night, we did happen to be sitting next to a table of French couples. I didn’t know how comforting it would be to hear a familiar language! I discovered throughout the trip that I felt a connection with the French culture. It was a little surprising at first to realize how strong this connection was, but I think it’s a very positive sign of my comfortability with the French culture as I’m already halfway through the semester.

That night we went out clubbing with a friend of the group who is studying in Madrid for the semester. Talk about a Europen club! It was huge, with at least three floors, some exotic dancers (just for a well-rounded experience), and a pretty cool fog machine. I definitely danced my heart out that night, and loved my taste of the Spanish nightlife!

Clubbing à la "The Hills" in Madrid.

We spent our second day in Madrid going to the El Museo de arte Thyssen-Bornemisza in the morning and resting in the park in the afternoon. The museum was beautiful, and I specifically loved their collection of French Impressionist art. I don’t think you can go wrong with a good art museum, and was very glad we found one in Madrid to enjoy. I miss my Art Institute of Chicago, but the Degas’ in Madrid were very nice too! As we took a break in the park that afternoon, we of course brought a bottle of white wine to share! It made the nap much more enjoyable. Unfortunately the Museo Nacional del Prado wasn’t open that evening (we had read that it was free Sunday evenings), but we took the extra time to have a delicious and authentic Spanish tapas experience! We had a few dishes for dinner: two potato dishes, shrimp, asparagus, and calamari along with two pitchers of fabulous sangria! (Our logic to buying the second pitcher: well you have to buy water anyway, why not just pay for some sangria instead? This logic paid off, obviously.)

Lisbon

Love the beach in Lisbon!

It was an extremely early morning to catch our flight to Lisbon (4:30am departure from the hostel anyone?), but we got there safe and sound. Unfortunately, we still had three large (and I mean San Francisco size) hills to walk up to get to our hostel. Fortunately, we got into our room right away and passed out for a few hours before enjoying the free coffee, fresh rolls, and jam for breakfast! Due to our extremely tired state, we decided to go to the beach for our first afternoon. The sun was out, the sand was warm, and it was only February! We enjoyed Pina Coladas and Tequila Sunrises on the beach, taking in the Lisbon experience! For dinner I had the best salmon of my life (I really should research that recipe) and tried my friend’s traditional Portuguese dish of fish/rice/vegetable stew-the flavor was awesome!

Enjoying our Pina Coladas on the beach.

Due to our late start the first day, we got up early the second morning to go on the walking tour. I’m so glad we took advantage of this opportunity as I learned so much about the Portuguese culture and history. After our two hour walk learning about everything from the historic earthquake in Lisbon to the fact that Lisbon has 7 large hills in total (yeah right!) we decided to hop on a tram to Belém for the afternoon.

In front of the Monastery with our Starbucks.

Inside the Monastery.

Tower of Belém

Belém (besides being another Portuguese word I cannot pronounce) is a neighborhood of Lisbon where you can find the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (Monastery), 

Torre de Belém (Belém Tower), and the world-famous Pastéis de Belém (pastry). The Monastery was incredible; I’ve yet to find a church/cathedral/place of worship in Europe that doesn’t astound me. The sunlight happened to be perfect at the time, and I caught some great pictures. The Tower of Belém is truly right out of a fairytale. It was a beautiful sight to see, even if we didn’t get there early enough to go inside. And, of course, since we were in Belém we had to try the internationally known pastry that apparently they sold 40,000 of last summer (or some ridiculous number like that!). If you happen to go there, I definitely recommend it: it’s a small flaky muffin-shaped pastry with an egg-custard filling, and you add powdered sugar or cinnamon. Don’t worry if you didn’t know it was world-famous, I definitely didn’t. But, now I can say that I ate one; always profit fully from your new cultural experiences!

Plaza del Espana

Seville

We took an overnight bus to Sevilla (just as enchanting as it sounds, not), and spent the early morning passed out in the lobby, attempting to make up on the sleep we missed during the night. While that didn’t work so well, I was able to make a fresh pot of coffee the next morning to get us energized for the walking tour! On the way to our meet-up spot, I discovered that the woman who was taking us to the official tour guide was actually from Paris. We spoke in French on the way there, and once again I felt more comfortable conversing with someone in a familiar language, and connecting with the same culture. The walking tour had some amazing highlights: the cathedral, the river where Columbus set sail for the Americas, the Plaza del Espana, and a ton of history! On the downside, it was 3.5 hours long. You try walking for 3.5 hours in direct sunlight after an overnight bus on your 5^th day of vacation, not so easy.

Catedral de Santa María de la Sede

View from the Catedral de Santa María de la Sede

But, we rallied again in the afternoon to go back to the Catedral de Santa María de la Sede and walk to the top of the tower. The view was definitely worth it! And, once again, I fell in love with the architecture and grandeur of the cathedral, no surprise there. After a much-needed nap, we took advantage of the hostel’s free sangria hour (as amazing as it sounds!) and paella dinner. Paella is a native Spanish dish with rice, seafood, vegetables, and sometimes chicken (that was a fun one to pick out!). During the sangria hour we met two other American students who are studying in Strasbourg for the semester. After speaking with them about their experiences in their respective program, we couldn’t have been happier to have chosen AUCP. The students in their program rarely spoke French outside of the classroom, a part of my program that I enjoy and profit from the most! The weather is also gray and cold all the time (I can’t go without my Provençal sunshine!), and they eat a lot of ham. (Ok, that last point might not sound that important, but coming from a vegetarian who doesn’t want to offend her host family, it would not be a good aspect of the French culture.)

Overall, Sevilla was a huge success in terms of culture and history! I definitely recommend it if you want to see the south of Spain. Amazing! But don’t go in the summer, it got to 130°F last year, not so much fun.

Barcelona

Ready to go out in Barca!

We finally made it to Barcelona, the last leg of our journey! Even though our plane got in around 8:00pm, we were determined to go out that night! We met up with my friend’s cousin and some of his classmates. While we had a great time at the bar we went to, I couldn’t help but notice that all of his friends at the apartment and at the bar were so stereotypically American. Read: the girls were dressed exactly like college American girls ready to go out, the guys were total bros, etc. Once again, I realized how fortunate I am to be in my program where we make an effort to assimilate into the French culture and make French friends. I really appreciate that our program isn’t just a displaced American university campus in the middle of Europe, but feels like an authentic French experience. Even though it was a little Americanized, we had a fun time at the bar, and had an…interesting experience at the club. It was reggae night, enough said.

Since we only had one full day in Barcelona, we made sure to make the most of it! In the morning we went to La Sagrada Familia, designed by Antoni Gaudi. All I can say is: wow. Just wow. I wish the pictures could capture how mind-blowing and spectacular this cathedral was. You just have to go there and stand in the aisle to get the full effect. The tree-like columns, the intricately designed flower-patterned ceiling, the bright light from the stain-glassed windows, the list could go on forever. It was an astounding combination of gothic and modern styles, even though it started construction in 1882. I think one of the most captivating aspects was the natural light that took up the space, making it a much more peaceful, breathtaking, and sacred environment as opposed to most of the historic cathedrals that are practically pitch-black or artificially lit. I am definitely going back there some day. Probably my favorite stop the whole trip. Lots of pics below!

In front of La Sagrada Familia.

That afternoon we got to see some more Gaudi artwork at the Parc Guëll. Walking around this space, marveling at the nature-inspired walkways, arches, statues, etc. was spell-binding. I honestly felt like I was living in a fairytale. The designs are so whimsical, organic, and natural! If you’ve ever seen Roger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, the one with Whitney Houston, I felt like I was living there. Disney in real life. On the way to the Parc we also strolled on Las Ramblas by accident (as usual, we were a little confused by the Spanish language and the maps. We found that it took us approximately twice the time someone told us to get anywhere during the trip. Gotta love the adventure of getting lost on vacation!)

 

In the Parc Güell

We had some good old-fashioned Mexican food for dinner that night (with some fabulous margaritias, of course!) and hung out in the hostel. The next morning, much to my dismay, I found out I couldn’t walk. Literally. Due to all of the warnings about petty crime and pick-pocketing in Barcelona. Read: every single person we told we were going to Barcelona had a story to share about how a friend had lost a backpack, money, etc. I came up with the brilliant idea of storing everything in my boots. It seemed great at the time. I walked around all the first day with two wallets and some metro tickets in my boots. Ends up, that severely bruises your muscles. Thus, I had to shuffle to breakfast and couldn’t take any stairs. Good times. Due to this unforeseen circumstance, a couple of us spent the morning getting coffee, and walking to the supermarket to get snacks for the bus ride home. I’m so glad we jam-packed the first day with everything we really wanted to see!

That afternoon we got on our 8-hour bus ride home to Aix, my many postcards and new scarf in tow! Getting into Aix that night and walking down the Cours Mirabeau was a true homecoming. I felt so comfortable to be in France again; I was home! The vacation was amazing, and I loved every experience we had! The liberty and freedom of planning our own vacation was exhilarating, and I’d say we definitely took full advantage of those 8 days!

Side Note: if you ever decide to go travelling in Europe, bring a dossier. My friends will understand this :)

Gros Bisous!!

SA

As my experience in France continues to change me, how will I in turn affect the society and people around me?

I’m sitting here in the sun, having just finished a huge cup of coffee, and am currently loving the blue sky! I was worried there for a couple of weeks when we had all the clouds and snow, but the typical Provençal weather is now back and hopefully here to stay. A long Sunday of studying and an excursion with my friends lies ahead of me, but all I want to do is crawl back in bed and sleep. Being a study abroad student can get quite tiring! After a month here, it’s still exhausting to have to constantly be cognizant of the French culture and making little adjustments. Not to mention the amount of studying I have to do while I have friends who think I can go out past midnight every night of the week! Exhausting. As I continue to adjust and learn from the culture and people around me, I couldn’t help but wonder…

As my experience in France continues to change me, how will I in turn affect the society and people around me?

This past week I had my first experience at my travail bénévole, where I hope I will be able to affect the lives of the students with whom I’ll be working. I will be assisting a professor with her English class of 20 middle school students. My first day was a little nerve-racking to say the least; I know that middle school students can have an attitude, and weren’t going to be like the elementary school kids with whom my friend is working who adore her and think she’s amazing simply because she’s from America. I felt there was something I needed to prove, that I needed to be interesting, fun, and exciting so they would want to work with me throughout the semester. My introduction went fairly well (except for the fact that I started talking way too fast at the beginning because a. it’s me, and I always talk fast, b. I was nervous, and c. it was in English, and I hadn’t spoken in English for so long that I lost track of myself! But after I realized the entire class was staring at me dumbfounded and had no comprehension of what I’d said, I started over-much slower!), and the students were able to ask me questions about my life.

The conversation was entirely in English, and it was a very interesting experience to have the roles reversed in the classroom. Now I was the one patiently waiting for the students to translate their thoughts and ask questions at a slower pace, as opposed to me being in a class at the Center and having to take time to form my own thoughts. I have an entirely new appreciation for my professors; I marvel at how they can wait for us to think so slowly and take a painstakingly long time to form phrases, not to mention how they can teach an entire class at such a slow pace of talking.

The students asked me every question from if I like fast food and video games to if I wanted to stay in France after the semester and what I did when I went to Paris. They were all very eager, and for the most part well behaved and attentive. After our 45-min. Q&A, I took five students into the adjoining classroom to practice conversation skills. We sat in a circle and talked about our hobbies and the American culture. For next week I have to come up with some phrases/vocab words that the students can copy down and study. I’m still in the process of coming up with a theme that is applicable and useful, as well as interesting and fun. If you have any ideas, please send them my way!

My language partner and myself at the billards bar.

Another way I hope to affect those around me during my stay is by helping my language partner with his English. He has to pass an English exam to receive his diploma in Mechanical Engineering in June, and is in the process of preparing. We met up this past week at a café to practice and speak in English a little bit. We went over some exam questions together (which are very picky and specific!) while I enjoyed a noisette, and we attempted to have a conversation in English. It was an entirely different experience from our conversations in French, which I find to be much more fluid and natural. I hope that through our continued work together he will be able to pass the exam and continue onto his career. In the future, we will be discussing current events in the news, and continuing to converse in an English that is applicable to his exam. In addition to improving his English, I will definitely benefit from the cafés that come along with these rendez-vous!

While I may not change French society with my adoration for Country music, I will at least introduce them to the concept! Friday night at a friend’s apartment we played guitar and sang together after some amazing crêpes! (Don’t even ask me how much Nutella I ate, it’s rather embarrassing!) We sang a mixture of popular songs, with some TSwift and Dixie Chicks thrown in for good measure! I’ve found myself listening to my Country playlist non-stop these past couple of weeks, and I think it is a definite sign that I miss home. I always associate Country music with hometown America, the sentiments of family, friends, love, and belonging, not to mention a simple and nostalgic version of the American Dream.

My playlist, along with my continued addiction to Friday Night Lights, has signaled to me that I’m definitely homesick. “Mal du pays” is the French translation of homesick, and I think it fits my situation much more aptly, since I am missing my American culture and lifestyle more than anything (mal=sick, pays=country). While I continue to love and take advantage of my French experience every day, sometimes I just wish I could take a couple of hours when I didn’t have to think about how my actions and natural reflexes might be different from the French culture, or how the way I view my future, my dreams, and want to raise my children are almost entirely different from the society around me. I never realized how much I took for granted the fact that all of my friends and family have the same core values and beliefs, and I miss that. I'm not saying that I don’t value the French cultural practices or understand why they’re different, because I do, and I value their differences, it’s just that sometimes I wish it wasn’t so tiring to keep an open-mind and neutral state all the time.

Having some fun with our baguettes and rosé!

Along the lines of our crêpe dinner, I was also able to have a few friends over for dinner Saturday night to cook. It was so much fun! We made some delicious food, had some rosé (duh!), and laughed a lot. It was so nice to just relax and hang out with some friends, and I love that we spoke in French the entire time. I’m never going to get sick of speaking in French all the time, and I hope we can stay in touch over the summer with our "French friendships"!

Our gourmet dinner: brie crostinis with smoked salmon, sautéed mushrooms and caramelized onions; sautéed zucchini and red pepper; extra baguette; and rosé.

Provence students with Frédéric Mistral.

Yesterday, the French experience wowed me again as I was able to walk in the footsteps of Van Gogh! Our excursion with the Center was to Arles and St. Rémy where we were able to visit a few spots and landscapes that inspired Van Gogh’s work. (Below you can see the places we visited and the corresponding paintings of Van Gogh!) It was a gorgeous blue-sky day, and we had an amazing time walking around the two towns! I am absolutely in love with the charm of small French villages and getting lost among the winding side streets with colorful shutters and old stone houses. I also found quite a few fun places/signs that relate to the Provençal Literature and Film class that I’m taking this semester. I took a photo with some of my friends in the class of the Frédéric Mistral statue in Arles (he was an extremely famous Provençal poet who wrote only in the local language, Provençale, and won the Nobel Prize), and found a post card of Alphonse Daudet’s moulin (we recently read excerpts from his novel Lettres de mon Moulin). I love making educational connections outside of the classroom; how Denison of me, I know!

                                                                      Les Alyscamps

Terrasse du café le soir, Place du forum, Arles

Oliviers avec les Alpilles dans le fond

Jardin de l'hôpital en Arles

Enjoying the day in Arles

After a fabulous day enjoying Provence, I went out with some friends last night to play billards. Beforehand, I enjoyed a dinner in one of the town squares with two friends, where we each brought food and literally ate it on a fountain! Sometimes not having a house to host guests in can get a little odd, but it was still enjoyable. Yes, we may have gotten some odd looks from the people walking past with our plates of sautéed red peppers, brie, and smoked salmon, but it was a hilarious experience. While I didn’t play billards last night (making a fool of myself two times is enough!), I enjoyed chatting and laughing with my friends. Enjoy our photos of the night below!

My friend's face in the background: priceless.

So cute!

I look forward to the week ahead, and continuing my relationship with the French culture!

Ciao et Bisous,

SA

Here's an excerpt from one of the stories we read in Daudet's novel Lettres de mon moulin. I would attempt to translate it, but it's just too beautiful in it's original poetic form, and I'm afraid I'd ruin it. It is a beautiful passage that describes spending a night out in the fields underneath the stars, enjoying the nature of Provence around you, and having the person you love at your side. It ends with a gorgeous metaphor where the narrator compares his love to "one of the stars, the most fine, the most brilliant that had lost it's route and come to lean on my shoulder to sleep."

« Si vous avez jamais passé la nuit à la belle étoile, vous savez qu’à l’heure où nous dormons, un monde mystérieux s’éveille dans la solitude et le silence. Alors les sources chantent bien plus clair, les étangs allument des petites flammes. Tous les esprits de la montagne vont et viennent librement, et il y a dans l’ai des frôlements, des bruits imperceptibles, comme si l’on entendait les branches grandir, l’herbe pousser. Le jour, c’est la vie des êtres ; mais la nuit, c’est la vie des choses…Autour de nous, les étoiles continuaient leur marche silencieuse, dociles comme un grand troupeau ; et par moments je me figurais qu’une de ces étoiles, la plus fine, la plus brillante ayant perdu sa route, était venue se poser sur mon épaule pour dormir… » (Daudet, « Les Etoiles », Lettres de mon moulin) 

Nothing like a little cat saying "bisous bisous" to make you think of Arles!