It's been a while...

Back by popular demand: Larry's blog!

So I've been a complete slacker and done what I had hope I wouldn't do: stop writing in the blog halfway through the semester. You know it's one of those things where one weeks goes by, you get slightly discouraged, another week goes by, you get even more discouraged, and then it's a month and a half later, and you're pissed you let it happen. But that said, I am going to attempt to resurrect this thing, so you can keep track of my last month here in Paris.

So, as can be expected, a lot has happened since I last wrote: Amsterdam, my mom, London, my best friend, my penpal, and everything else that goes on while I'm in Paris.

Amsterdam was quite cool to visit. It's a city where bicycles and trams rule the streets, where marijuana and prostitution are legal. I visited the Van Gogh museum, which was really interesting because it was laid out in a very intriguing manner. It documented the different stages of his life, and all his works were organized in chronological order. It was nice to see more of his work than just Starry Night and his self portrait. I also went to the Anne Frank museum and walked through the house where she and her family hid during the Holocaust. I was incredibly moved, walking through the legendary bookshelf doorway and standing in the rooms where the lived before they were taken off to concentration camps. There was a ghostly feeling to the building, but at the same time, it felt like there was some sort of peace, that the souls of the people were glad that their story was being told.

The following weekend, my mom came to visit, which was absolutely great! Being her first time in Europe, her trip opened her eyes to so many things she had never seen before. I loved watching her eyes light up as we walked past Notre Dame, the Louvre, and the Arc de Triomphe. Despite our three attempts to climb the Eiffel Tower, we were never able to due to the large crowds. I was really excited to share with her this city that has become such a huge part of my life.

Then I went to London for my birthday to spend it with my best friend Nick! It was an amazing weekend! We went to the Absolut Ice Bar, where everything from the bar to the seats to the classes were made entirely of ice! The put us in the thermal cloaks to keep us warm and we had 40 minutes to relish the occasion that was like nothing else. We spent the rest of the weekend hanging out and watching Ratatouille! What an incredible movie!! I had a wonderful time! Then two weeks later, Nick came to visit me in Paris! Like in London, we spent a lot of quality time hanging out and talking. We had an evening at the Louvre, and then some meals with my host family who absolutely adores him. :-)

Then last weekend, I went to visit the family of the penpal with whom I started to write back in 8th grade. I've been keeping in contact with her sister, and so I went to visit them outside of Lyon for the weekend. It was great to see them again after two years! We had several meals together and spent Saturday in Valence, where my penpal Mathilde lives and works now. It was a fun weekend and nice to see them again!

And finally, tomorrow I'm off on my Italian adventure with my friend Eugenia! We're taking the couchette overnight train to Venice, and from there visiting Florence and Rome. I am really excited and plan to see a ton of things! I'll fill you all in when I return!

Again, I'm sorry for anyone who has been awaiting an update (ie. Marg...), and I will try to keep up during the rest of my stay!