Oh man!

Oh man you guys are going to want to see this! It's a new web series called Sixpenny Globe. This series follows 2 girls as they navigate their way around this big thing we call earth, showing all the wonderful (and not so wonderful moments) of traveling. It's the perfect blend of young travelers heart, quick wit, and some slide of hand magic that'll make you want to pack your bags for a little visit to the anywhere but here. I've posted the trailer here but you can watch the first series HERE. ***disclaimer: i lied. there's no magic so sadly no coins being pulled out of peoples ears...but there is a tap dance number or two***

p.s-
I'm aware I went a little Roger Ebert on you there...I promise that won't happen again. Though, I can't promise Julia Child won't show up.

Street Art in Paris

Seeing all the graffiti/ street art on the walls, rooftops & metro tunnels makes me want to watch this again. 

Little invaders on every rue "..."

... these deer are my favorite. Pretty clever if you think about it.

This is on the way down the hill from Sacre Ceur (i could be spelling that wrong)

Vous Sacrément Tricheur

 (my new room. & yes that yellow lump on the pillow is my teddy bear & yes I am 23)

Welp, I've arrived safe and sound after my 15+ hour flight from LAX (the plane was delayed in Miami for 7 hours - I've never felt so sticky). It's now my 4th day here and I'd say things are going relatively smooth - which really means there have been plenty of awkward moments/ things "lost in translation" but I haven't lost the kids yet. Here are some of the things I've learned thus far:

- when it's hot during the day it's going to rain at night so don't leave your balcony doors open!

- just because the crosswalk light
is green doesn't mean the cars will stop for you (i'm kidding mom, it's fine - tell grandma I say hi)

- the birds WILL ATTACK you if your walking through the park with a baguette in your hand!

- sarcasm doesn't always translate

- you'll scold yourself at least 5x a day for not having learned french.

Other then that it's been an easier transition then I'd thought it'd be considering I know 0% of the language and I'm from a country that's viewed by some as being largely ill-mannored (& large). The family I'm living with has been super welcoming - they made sure to point out to me as soon as I arrived that they had a toaster and peanut butter for me (I'm the envy of all the au pairs). 

I've gotten use to the paranoid feeling that I'm going to get yelled at any second for doing something "wrong" - like walking on what I would think is the sidewalk but is actually a road for small vespas acting as a trap for tourists to be scolded. That hasn't happened but I'm waiting. The feeling that people are always talking about you is also something I'm getting use to - because they are talking about you. Especially the woman at the local Monoprix who just about died of a rage blackout when you didn't have exact change. Though my favorite feeling, that I hope I never get use to, is that one of "endless(& new)possibilities". I hate how dumbly wide-eyed and doey that sounds too but get over it judge judy. *warning: following sentence may induce gag reflex. If you are pregnant or have high cholesterol proceed with cation* You know what I mean though, that feeling of guiltless frivolity or indulgence that comes with visiting a place other then the city you live in. I can chalk it all up to a "cultural learning experience" or "taking advantage of my time here". Sitting in a coffee shop doing absolutely nothing "productive", getting drinks with new "friends" I met only a minute before, visiting every monument-museum-landmark, all of it.

(Notre Dame & the Seine river)

(Shakespear's & Co - bookstore off of Saint Michel metro stop)

[insert smooth transition here] The kids don't speak english but the parents do. Though I think my grammar is suffering from only speaking with people who know it as a distant second language, what think you? ...Anytime I hear a small child speaking french I can't help but feel a small sting to my pride... but my french is improving
....................it's not, I just wanted to say that. 

Au revoir, I'm off to go do french things like drink wine by the Seine while discussing philosophy - or maybe I'll watch just one more episode of Mad Men.

I should be packing...

With only a week left before I move to Paris as an au pair for the year - I'm naturally procrastinating. I have a growing list of things to do so that I'm fully prepared for the continental move. 

- file visa paperwork

- pack

- buy converters

- pack

- buy rain boots

- pack!!!!!!!!!!

...but to ease into productivity, after weeks of absorbing into my family's couch while watching reruns of Friends, I rented Paris Je'taime & An education and counted it as "research". Now I feel like a have a realistic perspective of what Paris is like- I can't wait to fall in love with a mime. 

some french phrase,

pink shoes.

!!!!!!!!!!!

He always does great work but I especially love these - could look at these forever (wishing I had mermaid pants).