Anyway, in lieu of a newsy post, here are some things I have discovered in my second month of living in France:
- Carrefour baguettes should really be eaten within two days of purchase. There is only so much a healthy slathering of Nutella can do to save stale bread.
- Making sure your phone isn't dead before you go somewhere can be very helpful. It can lessen the stress of an accidental train ride, and it can help you avoid awkward conversations in terrible French with other people's landlords.
- Always buy your fruits and veggies at the Wazemmes Market.
- Spaghetti can be delicious with mixed veggies instead of sauce, especially when prepared as outlined in your vegetarian cookbook.
- Train trips to Germany are super expensive. Gah.
- On the other hand, train trips to Disneyland Paris are not.
- Putting your small suitcase in front of your door will stop Demon Cat from forcing his way into your room at six in the morning, like he did on Wednesday.
- Staying up until three in the morning to watch the new episode of Switched at Birth is a bad life decision, especially when you're only doing it because you're bored.
- It is surprising how much you can get out of a movie even if you only understand about half the dialogue.
- French movies use a lot of English-language songs.
- Mushroom pizza on a baguette is pretty much the best thing ever.
- Churchill class is awesome when you know you've made a favorable impression on the instructor.
- If you drop your pastry on the street, the 10-second rule still applies. Just pick off the dirty bits and you should be fine. I haven't died yet.
- As gross as it is to pick up after your dog when you're taking him for a walk, it is infinitely more gross to have to constantly sidestep the business of other people's dogs. Seriously, France, how hard is it to take a grocery bag with you and just take care of things then and there?
- Spending day after day in cold and cloudy weather has made me appreciate El Centro's warmth and sunshine far more than I ever expected.
- Planning a vacation with your mother is actually really exciting, though it is a lot of work.
- Skype is a lifesaver.
- Absence makes the heart grow fonder. I miss UVa so much, and trying to find a way around a six-hour time difference is much harder than I thought it would be. On the other hand, nine hours between Lille and California is not as inconvenient as I expected. Basically, though, I wish I had my friends around.
- To end on a positive note: The past two weeks have been good ones for making new friends. :)
