My life is a disney movie here, feel free to try to predict the ending!

Can I just mention how much more awesome my life got once I finished all the walks I had to do for class?  Seriously, we got out of class on Tuesday and we were like "what do we want to do?" Answer: "Anything we want!" (we're on vacation! Kidding, there's so much homework, but it did feel sort of like vacation today)  We decided to go to the Arc du Triomphe because the museums were closed today (ahhh I'm so museum-ed out!)  (The Louvre: 10 euros. the Arc du Triomphe: priceless! Because I didn't have to pay, hooray!)  As you can see, getting into places for free makes me quite excited.   Even all the stairs couldn't make me discouraged!  

Plus, this was our view from the top (or at least one of them) and you can't not love that!

Obviously, all that stair climbing worked up an appetite. (well I always have one,  but Rachel and Heather had one too at this point, so we went back to our crepe place that serves delicious lunch crepes. and we bought delicious lunch crepes!  Doesn't that just look so yummy? Man, I want to go back. After that we went and bought crepes! I know, you guys probably think we are crazy for buying crepes for dessert right after eating them for lunch. But there is a huge difference between savory crepes and sweet crepes. For instance, we discovered another delicious crepe stand where you can add a little bit of coconut to your nutella crepe and it tastes   divine! mmm. Love it! 

After that, Rachel went to do her own thing and Heather and I went to go get ready for the Opera. Obviously, seeing as we are both girls, there was much getting ready to be done. For example, well, we had to change into dresses.  Oh and we also had to watch Anastasia. Obviously, that was a necessity because I had to get psyched up! (What's that movie that says "I've got one idea that I'm particularly psyched out of my mind about."...that's going to bother me.) It was awesome because while watching, I noticed so many things that I never had before. But these weren't funny lines that I didn't notice when I watched as a kid, but rather places in the movie. For instance, when they sing the song Paris Holds the Key to Her Heart (Okay, that might not actually be the title) at one point they were at the top of the Arc du Triomphe (just there that morning), at one point they were outside Moulan Rouge (there a few days ago), and of course, the classic singing while riding on top of the elevator up the Eiffel Tower (Sadly, I don't think I will be allowed to do that.) Anyway, it worked. I was all excited from watching it. (Oh for those of you who might not be super familiar with Anastasia, there's a part where they go see the Russian Ballet at the Opera House in order to meet her grandmother, and I went and saw the Tokyo Ballet at the Opera House. Hence, the need to watch the movie (plus I didn't have time to watch Phantom of the Opera) 

 And the stairway leading up to our seats was super decked out, as you can see, so we all felt the need to take prom pictures on the stairs. Well, Macord didn't, but all the girls did. 

 So, that's it.
The ballet was so fun! I had no idea what was going on, turns out ballet is another thing I have no idea how to read.  Of course, I'm not going to complain if I get to watch attractive Asians dance for 2 hours.  Plus they had food and drinks during the intermission. It was so legit! And the food was asian stuff so I was loving it. (That's me and my super legit looking ticket that will forever rest in my journal (alongside all my other not as legit looking ones...)

Wednesday:

 ( Here's the part of the Disney movie where the princess meets her true love)Wednesday morning I was doing my homework on the RER and this random guy starts talking to me.  I couldn't understand what he was saying, which was alarming because I had thought that my comprehension was better. and despite me saying over and over again that I didn't understand, he kept saying random things to me. Eventually he had me smell these flowers he was holding and I was like "yes, they're nice" but what I really needed to say was that I needed to do my homework! Then he gave one to me so I just said thank you and tried to focus again.  Finally it was my stop so I got off at the same time as him and he was like "well have a good day, goodbye." (Of course this whole conversation thing is in french)  so we shook hands (which now that I think about it is weird for France, but I'm glad it wasn't les bises!!!!) and I got off. But a minute later I ran into him on the escalator and he kept talking to me again. Sadly, I still didn't understand, but he's like "oh we can go up together" and I was just kind of like, whatever because I was going up anyway. But when we got to the top and he tried to hold my hand. I had to say a polite but firm Non, merci and book it out of there. Luckily our paths diverged at that point, so I didn't see him again. But it was so weird. I guess it was nice of him to give me a flower, but now I've learned to not accept anything from people (even if I'm accepting it just to be polite) because it encourages conversation.  (Maybe that's something I should have known before, but I didn't. Now I do) Moral: that wasn't actually my Prince, he was more like a LaFoo.
Anyway, after class Heather, Rachel, and I decided to go to the Pompidou, which is conveniently close to the institute building.  The only reason I was down for going to another museum was because it was modern art, which is very different than the others we've been going to. As you can see, this random sheet (which reminds me of my bed back in Provo) classifies as modern art.

 The great part about doing a museum just for fun is that you can leave whenever you get tired. So we did! And I bought my first gelato in Paris :) Yay for speculoos and nutella flavors! So good...mmmm.

After that we bought some gyros for lunch in the Latin Quarter

literally, we just sat here next to the river for like 3 hours. I didn't actually keep track but it was long enough for me to eat my gyro, lay down and take a nap, wake up and draw a picture, and chill for a while. It was so wonderful.  I think every day in Paris should be like that :)

Thursday (today)

After class Ashley and I went to the Louvre finally. Honestly I'm pretty museumed out by this point, so for me it was more a matter of bragging rights than anything.  I had to go see what few pieces of art I actually recognized, but in the process I still ended up exploring a good portion of it.  I was in there about 2 hours.  

Honestly though, the rest of the day was better than the Louvre, because I went and bought a delicious baguette, and then walked around the Latin Quarter and bought a couple of things.  Heather and I went to the Shakespeare and Company bookstore because Buns had told me I needed to. I almost bought Anna Karina, because it's on my 100 books I have to read to prove I read more than childrens books list, but I decided against it. I don't like buying books that I haven't read before because I don't know if I will like them. Is that weird?   Anyway, it was great looking around, and it definitely put me in a book mood because after that Heather and I wandered along the Seine for maybe 45 minutes looking at all the book stands there.  I bought the entire Twilight series in french for only 10 euros.  I know that there are so many better books I could have bought, but I know for a fact I already like the series and I really wanted some books to help me practice my French. I know I will read these, and so I know I will get practice (don't judge me, sometimes I'm a girl too) Plus 10 euros, come on, that's a steal!  Anyway, it was about 4 pm by then and super hot outside, so Heather and I decided to head home.  I even fell asleep on the RER reading my book.   Anyway, now  you guys are as up to date with my life as me.  Except when you finish reading you might go do something fun, whereas I'm going to go do homework.  Motivating though, (since I don't have any gushers to motivate me) tomorrow is the last class in Paris, and then we have next week off as we do our bus trip, and then we have 5 classes in Nice, and then this study abroad is over. That's crazy huh? Can anyone else believe I've been out here a month? It feels like forever but at the same time I can't even believe that.  Anyway, that's all the exciting things for now.

I used to think I was a good reader, but I've discovered so many things here I can't read!

Can read:                              Can't read:

Metro                  stained glass windows

Maps of Paris                      ballet dancing

Books in English           Books in  French (not yet anyway)

Also, here's reasons that I love the metro:

*I can sleep on them. That's always a plus 

* sometimes random violinist will get on and perform

*when I close my eyes it sort of feels like a roller coaster