Entry 12

Salut! So I'm thinking this is going to be my last blog entry because I'll be back in the states Sunday! It's bitter sweet. I miss everyone at home a lot, but my host family is amazing, I have made some great friends here, and France in general is such an incredible place. So I got over my sunburn from Cannes. Nothing else really went on last week. Emma, Casey, Matt, Kristen and I went to the fair one night. We went and had dinner then on the way to the fair we stopped at an ATM machine so I would have some money for the fair. I put in my card, put in my code, entered the amount of money I needed, and then the machine turned off. I was thinking to myself... "awesome.... really great.... what the heck! Turn back on!!". So I have no debit card now.... which I guess is good for my dad... but not so much for me. The fair was fun except we went on this ride that pretty much shook my brain until I thought I was going to have permanent brain damage. I'm sure that ride couldn't have been regulation. We left after that because we all had horrible headaches. Friday morning we got up really early and headed on a tour bus to St. Tropez. Our group was about 50 people. We stopped in this little town and went to a nougat factory. Nougat is a candy of the area. We watched a demonstration on how they make it and then of course bought a ton of candy for the bus. After that we went to St. Tropez. It was the prettiest area of the French coast I have seen so far. We walked along the beach and bought ice cream. Then we hiked up to this old castle on the top of the island. We also saw them filming some TV show there. It is a very cool city. Its small, but really wealthy and everything is very fancy. Then we got back on the tour bus and headed for Nice. We got there around dinner time. After dinner we bought some wine and went and sat on the beach for the rest of the night. Well, before that, we went to a bar which turned out the be a very gay bar... so because the guys were feeling uncomfortable we left and headed for the beach. On the beach we encountered this Tunisian man who could hardly walk. He really just wanted us to listen to the song he made up about how horrible France was and how amazing his country was. He sang to us that the beaches in France were crap because they were made of pebbles and if you wanted to see a real beach you needed to cross the ocean with him and go to his home. So that was sufficiently entertaining. The next day we woke up and headed straight for the beach. We stayed on the beach from 11am to 5pm. It was a gorgeous day. Emma and I went in the water for about point two seconds. It was the coldest water I have ever been in. Nice and tan for the evening... we went out to dinner at an Italian restaurant. After dinner we had more gelato and walked around the old part of Nice. Sunday, we got up, had an amazing hotel breakfast, and headed for the tiny city of Eze. Eze is a really old city that sits perched on the top of this mountain that over looks the water. Not that many people live there and you have to hike up to it by foot because there isn't room for cars on the streets. We took a tour of the perfumery at the base of the city and saw where they make all sorts of french perfume and soap. Then we explored the city and walked around the exotic garden at the very top of the mountain. It was an amazing day and a great last trip in France. This week I have been just trying to enjoy Grenoble. I took my camera with me running because I want to remember my running path... I know that's kind of stupid, but its just so incredible here and I'm really going to miss it. Monday night my host parents had a bunch of their friends over. We had a really good dinner that started with champagne and ended with an amazing pear tart. It was really difficult to understand them because everyone was talking at once. Isabelle's best friend was in town visiting for the week. She was very nice to me and I had a good time talking to her. Wednesday night we went to El Tex Mex with everyone for our last group dinner. My host sister Daphne came with me. It was really fun and I think she had a great time. Everyone this summer is going to love her. Tonight API is having an gathering for the students and our families. Isabelle and I are going to go. Then tomorrow night my friends and i are all going out to a bar together one last time. Saturday morning I am leaving for Paris where I will spend one night and then Sunday get on the plane to come home! Its going to be hard saying goodbye to everyone, especially my host family, but I can't wait to see everyone in AMERICA! If anything exciting happens between now and then, I'll let you know.... if not.... Ciao!

Entry 11

Salut! After school on Thursday, Emma and I took the 5:30pm train to Cannes on the Cote d'Azur. We got there at about 11pm...So we just decided to take a train to the hotel and call it a night. This way we would have lots of energy for our first day at the beach. I woke up at about 8:30am Friday morning and decided to take a shower. So i turn on the shower and the shower head goes crazy. It soaks the entire bathroom which included me in my pajamas and my plugged in cell phone. So that was an awesome way to start the day. Emma and I went to breakfast in this little garden room in the hotel and ate an amazing continental breakfast while watching it rain out the windows. So the only thing you can do when you are at the beach and it is raining... is shop. We started shopping and realized we needed some cash so we went to an ATM and tried my debit card. It didn't work. So we went to three more and none of them worked for mine or Emma's card. Then we went to a store and tried my credit card. Also didn't work. So I get on the phone with Visa and they tell me there is a problem with Visa for foreign people in Europe. So now we are stuck with no money, no beach, and its raining. Awesome. We toured this pretty church that over looked the Mediterranean and then went to lunch. A few hours after lunch our cards started working again. We decided to pass the afternoon in a movie. We went and saw Goodbye Bafanna which is a really good movie and if you have the chance you should go see it. That night we had a three course meal at this authentic south France restaurant. It was amazing and that meal alone made up for the rainy day. Saturday morning, it started off rainy, but cleared up around 12. We spent the day laying on these beach chairs at a beach front restaurant. They brought us drinks and lunch to our chairs... rough life, I know. After the beach we hung out at this lounge bar and I was really thinking I was going to see someone famous because this place was so swanky. We ate dinner at this place with really good mussels and a waitor who was in love with Emma and I. He even tried to feed us our desserts.... it was really odd. Then we went to go see that movie about Truman Capote. It was weird and kind of depressing. Sunday, it was beautiful all day. We went to the new port and checked out all of the big boats and then we spent the rest of the day on the beach just like Saturday. Our train home was at 6:30 so we got back home late to Grenoble tired and sunburned. It was an amazing weekend. The south France coast is incredible. The culture is really cool and the scenery is unlike any coast I've seen. Next weekend we are going back with API. We are going to St. Tropez, Nice, and Eze. I can't wait. Then the weekend after that I'm coming back to Texas! I miss ya'll and can't wait to see you! Ciao!

Entry 10

Salut! Once again its been a while since I have written anything. Yesterday, April 10th, was the first day of spring in Grenoble.... I decided. It was 70 degrees and absolutely beautiful. All the trees are starting to bud and everything is that fresh spring green. In all of the public squares the gardens are filled with tulips. Needless to say it is amazing here right now. Ok...two weekends ago, I went to Barcelona. Matt, Glendon, and I rented a car and drove. We got there Friday night and met up with one of Matt's fraternity brothers at our hostel. Hostel Maritima... should be called Hostel hole in the wall. It was the grossest place I have ever stayed. That's what I get for letting the boys reserve the hostel. Nothing worked. We had a private room which was a prison cell with beds. The bathroom might has well have been right next to the reception desk because if you had to go to the bathroom/shower you had to walk past everyone. There was absolutely no privacy, everything was under construction, and it was filthy. However, we were in a good location. The first night we went out to eat and had the traditional Spanish meal of Paella and Sangria. That night we experienced a true Spanish discotheque. We danced to techno music until 5am.... needless to say it was quite an experience. On out walk home, this guy came up to Matt's friend Ryan and started this Spanish soccer chant. He put his arm around him and started hopping around. I looked over at some bystanders who were all pointing at their pockets. I looked at Ryan and the guy had one hand in Ryan's pocket trying to pickpocket him. I ran and put myself in between the two of them causing the guy to run off. Yeah that's right.... I saved the day. The next day we had lunch at an out door cafe and then started to walk down to the beach. That was the last bit of nice weather we had the rest of the time. It started raining so we had to take refuge in the mall. The rest of the afternoon was spent at the Barcelona mall. Some guy tried to sell us umbrellas. After giving us the umbrellas, he ran away before getting his money because the police pulled up. He later found us and made us pay him.... it was a little weird. That night we went to dinner, ate paella again, and then went to a hookah bar for the rest of the evening. The next day we got up early and went and saw the sights of Barcelona in the rain. I don't mean a little rain... I mean deluge. We ended up visiting this wax museum close to the hostel just to get out of the rain. I had never been to a wax museum before and I thought it was cool, but kind of freaky. That night we ate Paella yet again.... I'm a big fan... and my old friend from high school who lives in Madrid now came to meet up with us. She was on spring break and it was awesome because I hadn't seen her in about 4 years. Monday, we got up and went to the Olympic Village. It was beautiful. Once again it was miserably raining... so we decided to go ahead and head home. It wasn't the best weekend for sight seeing, but I was in good company and we had a really awesome time. I think Matt and Ryan were a little bummed out because they were supposed to go sky diving while we were there... but the weather just wouldn't cooperate. Last week was uneventful. We had dinner at Emma's house with her host sisters. We ate Raclette which is a french cheese. You heat it up in this thing that sits on the table and once its hot you pour it over vegetables and potatoes. It was amazing. I was supposed to go with my host family Saturday to their lake house, but I had a flu like thing Friday and Saturday. Saturday night, I went to Easter mass with Emma and her host family. It was kind of a long service, but really awesome and beautiful. There was lots of singing and lots of candles. Easter morning, I went with my host sister Alexia to meet up with her family at the lake for the day. We took a train to this little town where her cousin picked us up and we drive to lake Bouget.... the biggest lake in France. It was amazingly beautiful and their house is an incredibly old country home. On the inside, it looks like it should be a museum. All the furniture is really old and there are about 15 bedrooms. I have never seen a house like that. I had lunch with about 15 french people. We ate tons of food and lots of deserts. After that we had an Easter egg hunt and they had bought me some chocolate eggs, etc. It was very nice. We spent the day relaxing and sitting in the sun. They all talked to me in French and some of them tried to talk to me in English. The favorite thing to ask me was about all sorts of American TV shows that they watch. After dinner, I rode back to Grenoble with Alexia and her cousin. So far this week, I have just been enjoying the sun. There is a carnival right now in Grenoble that we went to. It was a lot of fun. We ate churros, cotton candy, and went on rides... all the things you used to do at carnivals when you were about 12. This weekend I think I am off to Cannes with Emma. Cannes is a small town on the Riviera. I am very excited for the beach! Miss you all! See you in two and a half weeks! Ciao!

Entry 9

Salut! Ok seriously... the weather needs to make up its mind here. The week after my parents left it got really cold. I woke up one morning and didn't want to get out of bed because my room was so cold. Then I looked out the window to see it was like a blizzard outside. Being from Texas and fascinated by snow... I jumped out of bed and went to a coffee shop for a cafe and an amazing snowy morning. So it was great for one day. Then I was sick again of the cold. We didn't go out a lot last week because of the cold and rain. My host sister taught me how to dance rock. Its kind of like swing dancing, but there are more steps before each turn. It was really fun and I am glad I am really bonding with her because she is coming to live with me this summer for a month. I helped her parents buy the plane ticket on continental.com. That was interesting because I was trying to explain all the policies etc. Friday, Emma and I took a bus to Lyon where we caught our Easy Jet flight to Madrid. Easy Jet.... well its cheap. The airplane resembles a hooters on the inside. All white and orange. The flight attendants are all dressed in orange. Our pilot thought that you landed the plane by doing a nose dive. Hmmmm. So it was cheap and a little sketchy, but we got there. When we arrived in Madrid, we took a cab to our hotel. Its a huge city. A little like New York. Our cab driver was trying desperately to tell us about all the things we were passing, but Emma nor I speak any Spanish. I know hola and bueno. Thats not really enough to get you around Spain. I had the "I have no idea what you are talking about" look on my face the entire weekend. Once we put our stuff in the hotel we headed out for an authentic Spanish meal. We ended up at the TGI Fridays across the street having a burger. I know I know... pathetic... but sometimes you just need a taste of home. It was incredible. After that we shopped a little and waited for Matt to get in. Matt got in around 11pm and left his bag in the taxi which he chased down the street with no success. The reason we came to Spain was to meet up with Matt's mom who was visiting Matt's cousin because she goes to school permanently in Madrid. So we met up with Matt's cousin and her Spanish boyfriend. They took us to a bar to "pre-party" before the clubs opened up at 3am. Apparently they usually end the night around 8 or 9am... and the really hard core people go to the clubs that open at 8am and stay open until 1pm. We definitely didn't make it that late. Around 4am we were spent. The next day we walked around the beautiful park in Madrid. We took row boats out on the lake and Matt and his little cousins got a caricature. Then we went to Museo del Prado which was incredible. Of course after the stimulating Museum visit we had to shop again. So we did. That night we went to dinner with Matt's family and then went to bed because it was daylight savings time and we were losing an hour. Emma and I had to catch our flight at 7:40am. We slept through our 5am wake up call and woke up when the hotel called and told us our cab was there. Before I knew it we were back in Grenoble and I slept the rest of the day. This week has been warmer and relatively uneventful. I have been running a lot by the river near campus and that has been nice. This weekend me Matt, Glendon, and one of Matt's friends from college are going to Barcelona. I will have to let you know how that goes. Miss you all! Ciao!

Entry 8

Salut! Its been about two weeks since I've updated this... my bad. Its been a really good two weeks because my mom was here and then my dad and brother came. My mom and I had a good week of shopping and hiking to the Bastille. One day I took her to these picnic tables at the top of the Bastille and brought a picnic lunch. She had a great time. Then we decided it was necessary for me to skip school on Friday and go to Paris with her. I wanted to surprise my dad and brother at the airport and we wanted to shop in Paris on Friday. Thursday night, my mom came to dinner at my french host family's house. It was very nice and she had a blast speaking french with them and enjoying a traditional french meal. We started with wine in the parlor and then moved to the kitchen. We had a traditional meal of potatoes called Gratin Dauphinois. After the main course we ate bread and cheese and then ended the meal with ice cream with raspberries on top and a cafe. It was a great evening and my french family really like my mom. Friday morning we went shopping in Paris. It was great.I bought a little french dress and didn't have to worry about getting a phone call from my dad saying I was spending too much money. We went to dinner at on of the top 10 most trendy restaurants in Paris called the Budda Bar. It is a Japanese restaurant close to Place de la Concorde which is beautiful at night. We had an amazing evening and ate very good sushi/Japanese food. Saturday morning we got up in a hurry to get to the airport on time. My mom didn't want to make my dad and brother wait at all. I said we should probably check to see if the flight was on time, but she insisted we leave so we wouldn't be late.... needless to say the flight was 3 hours delayed so my mom and i spent a lovely day in the airport! It was worth it though when my dad and brother got there. We went to the hotel and I bought Stephen a crepe which he loved. Then we went to the Arc de Triumph and watched the sunset from the top. We also took a boat tour on the Seine and then went and ate dinner at a traditional french restaurant. The next day we went to the Eiffel Tour and I convinced my family to walk the stairs to the top. I think it was a little difficult for them. haha. It was a beautiful day... about 70 degrees and sunny. We ate lunch outside at a cafe and then caught the train to Grenoble. Monday we hung out in Grenoble and hiked to the Bastille. Tuesday, we went skiing at a place called Meribel. It was a little warm for skiing and the conditions weren't great, but the scenery was beautiful and we had a nice lunch at the top of the mountain. On the way down from lunch my mom fell and slid on her back down an entire slope. It looked really funny and I was laughing really hard. I feel bad now because the next day she went to the doctor and found out she has a little fracture in her tibia. So I am the worst daughter ever. My mom has been really positive about it because she got to experience it all speaking french. Thursday we went to Mont Blanc for the day. We took the tallest gondola in the world to the highest peak in Europe. I can't put in words how incredible it was. It was really scary riding to the top and once we were there it was freezing and you were above all of the other mountain peaks. We had lunch up there and then hurried home for dinner with my host family. That was quite an experience seeing as my dad speaks no french and my brother only speaks a little. It was a great evening. Everyone got a long great and my dad tried really hard. We translated for him and the Rossiers tried their best to speak in English. Stephen and my 16 year old host sister hit it off and she tried to speak in english to him while her tried to speak in french to her. It was cute... I mean they can go ahead and get married so I can come to France a lot to visit family. haha! We ate foie gras... for those of you who don't know... that's goose liver. It was disgusting. First thing I haven't like in France. Both of our families really hit it off and I think Daphne is coming to stay with us this summer in July to practice her English. I really hope that happens. Friday my mom spent the day shopping with my host mom, I went to school, and my dad and brother went with a guide fly fishing. They had a great time despite the fact my brother fell in and had to borrow some french guys clothes. My family left on Saturday morning to spend the day in Paris and fly back Sunday. I was sad to see them go, but it was a really great family vacation. Saturday, my host family took Emma and I snow shoeing in Vercors Mountain range. There are three mountain ranges around here and it is incredible to me how different they all are. Makes me want to be fluent in French and study geology here. Anyways, there was no snow so we just went hiking. After the hike they took us to this mountain town and bought us chocolate croissants and really good french tea. Then we went shopping at a very french store and after that took a scenic route home that over looked Grenoble. It was a very charming afternoon. I'm really lucky because my host family is so nice. Saturday night we went to the London Pub in celebration of St. Patty's day. It was great seeing everyone dressed up for the occasion. Today, Sunday, I sat outside at a cafe on top of the Bastille and did my homework. It was blue skies and about 70 degrees. Tonight I am going to mass with my french family. So that's about everything. Miss you all a lot and I'll keep you updated! Ciao!

Entry 7

Salut! It is Tuesday morning and I am waiting for my classes to start at 12:30... so I figured I would keep this updated. This weekend we rented a car and headed to Venice. Matt picked us up from school at 3:30pm on Friday and we started the seven hour drive to Venice. We were in a a blue standard minivan. It was hilarious driving there... especially once we got into Italy because at all the tolls we didn't know whether to speak English or French...none of us speak any Italian. We ate on the road and got into Venice around 11pm. We parked the car and went to search for which night water bus would take us to our hostel. We get to the water bus stop and it says the last one was 15 minutes ago. So now we are all thinking we are stuck. I don't know how we got so lucky, but an old American women who lives in Venice was looking at the time too. She showed us a different one we could take and proceeded to be our guide and tell us everything we should do and see in Venice. What are the odds? We walked up to our hostel... it looked like a scene out of the movie "Just Married". We were down this scary dark ally and walked up to a huge brick place with no visible windows and a huge wood door. I'm now thinking I'm going to be the story on the news where a bunch of kids disappear in Venice or something. haha. It actually ended up being fine inside and we even got a complimentary croissant and coffee the next morning. Saturday was beautiful. It was about 70 degrees and perfect clear skies. We walked around all morning being really touristy and shopping a lot. For lunch we ate outside at this place that faced the Adriatic sea. It was incredible. At 2:30 we took a four hour bus ride to the three islands of Venice. The first one, Murano, specializes in glass blowing and we saw them making Venetian glass which was really awesome. The next island had a really old cathedral on it and a lot of stores that specialized in lace. Finally, we went to Burano which is an old fishing village. This was my favorite island because all of the buildings are painted bright blue, red, green, yellow, etc. It was such a cute place and all the shops were very nice. The boat tour was great because we got to be on the water and see a little bit what the Adriatic sea was all about. That night we came home, freshened up, and then went to an authentic Italian dinner. It was delicious. We had good wine, pasta, and sea food. Sunday we spent shopping again and visiting the palace where all the old important governmental figures lived. We left Venice at around 1pm and got home about 8:30pm. It was a lot of driving, but completely worth it. If you ever get a chance... go to Venice. It is my favorite city in Europe so far. After we got home, I met up with my mom and we went for a French steak dinner. It was pretty surreal seeing her in Grenoble. We have had a lot of fun together the last couple of days! I have been staying at her hotel and showing her around the city. So it was an amazing weekend and a great start to the week! Ok... I have class now... Miss you all! Ciao!

Entry 6

Salut! Nothing really to report in the last week. I went to Catholic Mass on Sunday with my family. It was in this really old cathedral. It was amazing. The choir sang beautifully and the sound resonated through the entire church. It sounded so good because of the high domed ceilings. The sermon was spoken very slowly and I actually understood most of it. Its cool that it is the same message just in a different language. It was an enlightening experience. Then Sunday night I got sick with the stomach flu and a fever. It was horrible. Today is Thursday and today is the first day I have functioned outside of my room. I went to school today and was a little tired, but it was so nice to be out doing something I didn't care. Being sick was hard because I couldn't really explain to my family what was wrong with me. My host mom was very nice. She made me rice every night.... even though I didn't want anything. She seemed to thing I should be scared of dying from hunger, or that's what she told me. Anyways, today was a better day and tonight I am going to a French movie with my study abroad program. Tomorrow, after school, we are jumping in a minivan and driving to Venice. Crazy? I know. It should make for an interesting weekend... don't worry because Matt reassured me with his book of European rode signs.... in case we get confused. haha. So... weekend in Venice and then my Mom will be here! I can't wait! Miss you all! Ciao!

Entry 5

Salut! It is a lazy Sunday afternoon and I am relaxing at the Internet cafe. I had a good week. Monday, we have determined, is hike day. We all get out of class at 12:30 so we have the entire afternoon to do whatever. We started in Grenoble and hike straight up for three hours. Around 5pm we reached the top of Col de Vence which is the mountain in my pictures titled "beautiful view". I don't remember the last time I was that exhausted. We hiked to the snow line (first time I've encountered snow this trip). Emma goes to school in Colorado... so she took the lead. She is truly a mountain girl. By the end of the hike I was crawling on my hands and knees to the top, the boys were 20 minutes behind us, and Emma was hardly tired at all. I have never seen anything so incredible. It was really rewarding to make it all the way to the top. We were up there for about 5 minutes before it was time to leave because we were losing day light. We hiked from about 2pm to 7:30pm. Tuesday was Mardi Gras so we went to Matt's host familie's house and cooked dinner because they were out of town. They live in a villa with a beautiful view and big glass windows. Everyone pitched in and helped cook. We succeeded in making a very good meal of chicken, Gratin Dauphinois, and ravioli. Thursday night everyone came to my house to enjoy another home cooked meal because my french family was out of town all week and they said I could entertain people. Friday night we went to our first french dance club. We didn't get home until very late. I can't even believe how late bars and clubs stay open here. The rest of the weekend has been very lazy. We all needed to catch up on some rest. Later today I am going to go to my first french mass with my family. It should be interesting.
OK now for the funny things that happened to me this week. My family is out of town... so I am home alone. The toilet is in a different room then the shower and sink. I locked myself in that room because when I locked the door the lock broke. There is no window, I have no phone, and the door is a very heavy, old wood door. It was so scary. Funny now.... but scary then. Luckily for that night... one of my host sisters had some friends staying at the house because they were traveling through Grenoble. I was rescued by french guys staying down the hall from me. Talk about embarrassing. In french I have to yell... "help me... I'm locked in the bathroom".... oh yeah. It was awesome. I was locked in there for about 40 minutes... was 40 minutes late to school... and had a hell of a time trying to explain to my teacher why I was late. That was the first awesome thing that happened.... the next night... I went downstairs at 2am to try and fix my Internet. I haven't had anything to drink (I have to specify that because the only time this usually happens to people is when they are very intoxicated). I end up slipping because my stairs are different widths and falling all the way down the stairs. It hurt so freaking bad. I laid on the bathroom floor for about 20 minutes trying to keep from getting sick because of how bad my butt/legs/back hurt. Now I have an incredibly huge bruise on my butt. It is dark purple and the size of a pancake. AWESOME. Both of those experiences were not the best, but I hope they amused you.... they are funny now when I look back. So that's about it... next weekend we might rent a car and drive through Northern Italy! That would be amazing... and my mom comes next weekend! I am so excited! OK I'm out! Miss you all! Ciao!

Entry 4

Salut! Ok ok.... I promise I'll get better at this. Its been forever since I have taken the time to sit down and update this. I am in a better class now in school. It is still the intermediate level, but the teacher writes everything down for us and everything moves just a little bit slower. This is good for me considering the year and a half intermission from french I took. Things are getting a little bit easier with my family. I can understand more. The best is when I talk with Isabelle (my host mom) alone. We had dinner together the other night and ended up talking for almost two hours. It is amazing what we can talk about with a little patience. Ok so what I have been up to the last two weeks.... well.... school, went to Geneva, found a gym, Valentine's Day, went hiking, and went to a town called Annecy. Geneva was incredible. Two friday's ago, I got out of class at 4:30pm and headed to the train station. We had to go to the SNCF station to pick up a friend's ticket I bought on my credit card. My ticket was already with Emma, who was waiting at the gare (train station). So I'm trying to get my credit card to be read by the machine.... its not working.... and Kristen is in line for help in case I can't get it work. I can't. I go get in line with her... my phone rings.... turns out our train isn't at 5:45... it is at 5:32 and we have 17 minutes to get there. It was like out of a movie. We go the ticket with 12 minutes left, rode the 10 minute tram to the gare, jumped off the tram and ran. We got on the train no more then 30 seconds before it left. How we made it?? No idea. Switzerland was incredible. For our first trip, it had its bumps. The first hostel we went to was full and then the next one we came to was also "full". I proceeded to beg the man until he gave us a room. I think the problem was the rooms are not supposed to be co-ed and we were a group of girls and boys. They ended up putting us in a room with a french lady... when we got to our room she was already in bed and with no clothes on. Slightly uncomfortable... but whatever. I got a little bit confused on the exchange rate between swiss francs and euros... needless to say I took out about the equivalent to 360 US dollars... awesome. Other than that... our trip went smoothly. We walked around beautiful lake Geneva, went to the UN headquarters, went to the Red Cross museum, had fondue, went to an Irish pub where we listened to live music and encountered enough drunk English boys to last me the rest of the time I am in Europe. It was a very exhausting, but successful trip. Switzerland is a really amazing place. It is so great to be in a place that stands for so many great things. We had an enlightening weekend. This week... I finally went to the school gym and got a membership. The first couple of days I swam laps (lots of speedos), but the third day Emma and I went to the weight room. Bad call. Apparently girls don't do that kind of "manly" exercise in Europe. We were the only two girls in the entire place. The trainer in there kept coming up to us and criticizing everything we were doing. It was incredibly uncomfortable and sexist feeling. So we left. After that we found the most beautiful running path I have ever been on. It went along a river and ran under towering mountains... everyday I see mountains I haven't seen before. It is amazing. Valentine's Day was fun. We were all missing special people from home, so we decided to all go out together. The boys made reservations at a nice Italian restaurant. We had wine and cheese before, and then went to dinner, then out to the pubs. Needless to say we were all a little tired for school the next morning, but it was well worth it. Friday, I skipped school (i know i know) with Emma and Matt. We hiked for just over 5 hours. I have never been so sore in my entire life. We hiked up for about three of those. The hiking trails here are so extensive and take you to so many scenic places. It is great exercise and incredibly rewarding when you finally reach the top. Saturday, Emma, Glendon, and I went to Annecy. It is this quaint little town on the shores of Lake Annecy. Lake Annecy is a crystal clear glacial lake in the middle of the Alps. This city is the reason I decided to come to Grenoble to study. My mom and I came here when we traveled in france. We (my mom and I) took a boat to the middle of the lake, went swimming, and I fell in love with the city. There is a market on Sunday that takes place on all the streets in the center of the city that are along side the canals. It is a truly charming place. We stayed with Emma's friend from high school who is there for a semester long internship. She started dating a french boy from work and so we made dinner with the two of them and then hung out at a wine bar with their Swedish and British friends from work. It was a nice relaxing weekend. I was a little homesick because everything made me think of my mom. She is coming to visit in two weeks though and then my dad and brother after that... so I'm fine. She thinks I don't want her to come... but I can't wait. She is going to love it here! Also, I think it will be very funny to see my dad and brother interact with the french! Ok well it is late and I still have homework.... I miss you all... I will try and be better about keeping this up to date. Don't lose faith! hah! Ciao!

Entry 3

Salut! We started class today... blah. I had class from 8:30am until 12:30pm. Possibly the most boring four hours of my life. Why you ask. Well for some odd reason.... I tested into the highest intermediate level. I haven't taken a french class in a year and a half. I was completely lost all day. All the kids in my class are from Brazil, China, and Japan. The only language we have in common is french. I sat there completely lost for four hours. My teacher spoke so quickly and everyone in there is nearly fluent. Hmmm. I talked to her after class and she said I could move down so I could review what I have forgotten. I hope she puts me in a high beginner level because that is definately what I need. On top of school being so hard.... I just had one of those days. I woke up and hit my head on the ceiling because my room is slanted. Also I think I woke up with a fever. I couldn't breathe at all during class and kept blowing my nose on toilet paper all class.... i know... cute right? Then class was impossible. After class I went to the API office to hang out and I ended up spilling hot tea all down my shirt. Awesome. Now I get to walk home sick, in the cold, with a wet shirt. I step out of the office and of course.... its starts raining. At this point I just have to laugh a little. Anyways, I guess everyday can't be amazing even though I am in Europe. I'm fine though. I slept off the fever and now I'm going to go struggle through some impossible french homework. Maybe my french sister will do it for me if I do her english homework! haha! Tomorrow will be better. I miss ya'll! Until next time! Ciao!

Entry 2

Salut! Not much is new.... Yesterday I hiked to the top of the Bastille. It wasn't the long hike. It only took about 45 minutes. The view of Grenoble from the top was incredible because Grenoble is completely surrounded by mountains. After hiking, we decided it was time to finally start studying because we had a placement test the next day. So we all told our host families we wouldn't be home for dinner and we went to dinner and then to a cafe to study. The only problem was because it was Sunday most of the cafes were closed.... There is only one solution. We went to an Irish Pub instead and watched a football match. Life is rough! We had our test this morning which was fine because it is only to see what level you are at right now. Tomorrow is the first day of class... I'm sad that Christmas break finally ends for me in February! haha! Things here are going really well... my favorite thing to do is get a cafe au lait with friends at different cafes. We like trying new ones and finding different ambiances. Ok... I have to go help plan a trip for this weekend... We are thinking Corsica! Miss you all! Ciao!

Entry 1

Salut!
This is my first entry in my "blog". Not going to lie.... I feel pretty cool right now! I decided to do a blog so I can keep everyone up to date on life in Grenoble, France. I mean.... I know all of you are very concerned with what I am doing... so I thought I would indulge you. hah!
I left for France Saturday January 27th. Saying goodbye was hard, but once I was on the plane everything was a little better. On the plane I sat next to two french woman who spoke to me in french and I tried very hard to understand them. It was funny because they were telling me in Grenoble there are a lot of Italian boys who are very smooth and I had to be very careful. I just laughed and said thank you for the advice. Once in Paris I met everyone in my group a Hotel Luxembourg. It is a very quaint hotel in the student district in Paris! The rooms were tiny and it is cool because all of the hallways are dark. When you enter a hallway, you have to push a button to turn on the lights. The lights stay on for about 15 seconds. The French are very concerned with conservation of electricity. The next three days we toured all of the major museums and monuments in and around Paris. It was amazing. The people in my group are all really awesome and come from everywhere. There is someone from Washington, Pennsylvania, Colorado.... etc. I am really lucky because everyone gets along really well and has a really good time together. Everyday we would eat at a cafe for lunch. I love sitting down for meals here bc noone is in a rush and the time spent talking and getting to know everyone is great. We did everything from the Eiffel Tower to a Karoke bar in the red light district (close to the Moulin Rouge). At the karoke bar there was a french boy who sang Backstreet boys and it was hilarious.
On Wednesday we took the fast train to Grenoble. The train goes about 200 mph. It is incredible how fast we crossed the french country side. The scenery was beautiful.... like out of a movie. We met out host families at the train station. It was very scary because they imediately began speaking french to me. Most of the time I can understand, but I have a hard time telling them in correct french what I want to say. We had dinner at their house which was also really scary. However, they are very nice and made me feel right at home. They have four girls. 2 dont live at home and one lives in an apartment above the garage. Daphne lives at home and is 16. I am really lucky she is there because she speaks slowly for me and helps me understand what her parents are saying. My family is very wealthy and lives in a large house in the center of the city. I have my own room on the third floor which is very nice. Since being in Grenoble we have taken a tour of the university and the city. We get around by tram. Yesterday we visited Lyon.... which is a big city about an hour outside of Grenoble. We saw some old house and churches from the original city if Lyon. Everything here has so much history and is very interesting! Today... My friend Emma and I are going to go on a 12 mile hike.... I hope I can handle it. It is going to be incredible because we will get to see the city and all the mountains around it from an ancient bastille. I will let you know how it goes.... Night life here is fun because we get to go to bars with our host families kids. My host sister Alexia had me over for crepes and champagne. It was hilarious bc she doesn't speak english and they were trying to teach me a card game. The one thing I am trying to remember is not to be too hard on myself. The language barrier is frustrating, but I know it will get better. I miss everyone a lot and I will try and update this as often as possible! My email is bretani.heron@gmail.com if you want to shoot me an email! Also, send me your address so I can send a post card! Until next time... Ciao!