Grumpy kids and long train rides...Paris week 7

Last week was amazing, and incredibly beautiful. I couldn't imagine being somewhere more beautiful than Normandy. I'm absolutely convinced that this is the most beautiful country...

After we got home from Versailles, we spent a few days getting ready, doing laundry, and repacking. We were meant to leave Thursday, but changed it to Friday, which made our preparations much less stressful. 

Thursday evening I finally got around to going up Montparnasse tower, and I watched the sunset. It. Was. Breathtaking. Everyone gathered around the few areas that made for good pictures, and watched.

I was tempted to stay and wait for the sky to get dark and for the lights on the Eiffel Tower to turn on, but I wanted to walk home and I didn't want to wait 30 minutes for it to get dark.

I got one on the way home, anyway. 

And then Friday, the adventure started. 

We left at 8 in the morning to catch our train headed South. There had been an accident with a train the day before, but we had been assured that it wouldn't make a difference in our travels. Our train was delayed leaving about 20 minutes, but then we were off. 

Until right after we passed Bourdeaux...and the train stopped. And we waited 2 hours before they kicked us off the train. We took a taxi to Lourdes, which was our final destination, which took an extra 2 hours. 

By the time we got there, it had been 8 hours since we left that morning...and it was supposed to be a 4-5 hour trip. We were exhausted. 

Saturday, we headed into the mountains.

I could show you a hundred pictures of how beautiful these mountains were...

I mean, I love my Sandia mountains, but these were just gorgeous.

We had lunch at a cute place called "ze bistrot", and then we went and visited the Castle of Henry IV. It was really beautiful.

Sunday, we headed back up to the mountains to watch Nicolas, my host dad, in his bike race. 

Fun fact: they do this bike race here every year, during the Tour de France. It's the same trail that they ride in the Tour, but it's the day before the actual tour visits that city. It's actually pretty cool. And since my dad is such a fan of the Tour, it made it a bit cooler. 

We stopped to cheer after the first climb. The kids had these huge inflatable hands and they high-fived everyone that rode past. It was hilarious.

After lunch, we stopped at a Zoo, and they had some of the funniest things...like an insect habitat. I laughed pretty hard at that one.

How cool is it that they let them into the habitat?!

"Hotel Insectes"

It was raining pretty hard by the time the race finally ended later that day, and the kids were exhausted by the time we got home.

Monday there were a few delays in our train, but we finally made it home last night. The kids were exhausted and grumpy.

Tomorrow we head to London! It's crazy to think that I'm more than half way done with my time here...today marks 5 weeks before I go home. I'm really excited to get home(cuz I'm excited for school. How weird is that?!) but I am enjoying these last weeks so so much. The food is amazing, the people are amazing, and I am so so blessed. :)

"Maman, Regarde! Les vaches!" Paris week 6 & 6.5

Tuesday there was a power outage in our apartment complex. It started at about 9, right before I left my host family's apartment(they live downstairs and across the courtyard). It wasn't a huge problem tho. When I got to my apartment and realized that the power was out there as well, I decided to go on a run. I figured that I'd stop by the library on the way home as well, and the power would be back by then.

So, I climb down the 8 flights of stairs and push the button that opens the door, and I threw my weight against the door to open it. Aaaaand...nothing. See, the security doors of many of the apartments are controlled by electricity. You put the code in from the outside, it opens. You push the button from inside, it opens. After a few minutes of angrily pushing the button, I came to terms with the fact that I was locked into my apartment. And I wasn't thrilled. 

Luckily for me, there are 3 doors around the courtyard that all connect at the top of their staircases, with hallways branching to the various parts of the building. I saw through the window that one of the doors was propped open, so after walking back up the stairs, and then down another set of incredibly dark stairs, I was free. 

But when I got back 1.5 hours later, the lights were still out. And I was nervous to leave because I didn't want to get locked out. And it was pouring. The mini "blackout" lasted another 4 hours. It was strange, because it was just our building. 

Wednesday was meant to be full of tall towers and over priced t shirts, but it was pouring rain most of the day. So I only ventured out long enough to visit Trocadero, before I left for a long bus ride to pick S up from day camp.

The view from Trocadero.

After picking him up, we waited at the bus stop for 15 minutes before the bus arrived. And then we watched it drive past. As we flailed our arms about, hoping the bus would stop, the grouchy looking driver shook her finger at us, her expression as cold as our toes(it was still pouring rain). We walked around for another 15 minutes, stopping at every bus stop, looking for a bus that was headed home. Finally, I gave up and we got a taxi home. By this time, S was exhausted and grumpy, and I looked like a drowned rat. 

Poor baby passed out on the way home.

Turns out he got a fever, and I tried really hard not to feel like the worst nanny ever.

Then, Thursday, I headed to the top of the Eiffel Tower. I can't believe it took me 5 weeks to get myself up there...and obviously, I picked the worst time. The weather was just as great as the day before...meaning, the weather was horrible. But, it didn't rain for the two hours it took to get up and then back down the tower, so I'm grateful for that.

Obviously, we WOULD end up in a cloud...

Friday afternoon we headed to a Normandy.

And I am convinced that there is no place more beautiful.

Rock beaches and cold water means I kept my shoes on, thank you very much. 

We stayed until Sunday morning, when we took a quick stop in Les Havres so I could go to church, and for lunch. We drove straight through to Versailles, where we stayed until Tuesday evening. 

We stayed in the Trainon Palace, owned by Hilton(I feel proud right here, even tho I don't work there anymore...) our days were basically swimming, eating, and walking.

Isn't he cute??

 We also took a rowboat out onto the Grand Canal and it was beautiful. The kiddos pointed out every duck, swan, and ugly duckling(which were actually adorable..)

We're taking two days to recalibrate(and do laundry) before we head to Southern France this Friday. 

I am loving the traveling around more than just sitting in Paris. And it's not just because we're travelling, although that's a major plus. There's a lot more structure, and it makes my days in Paris more important, because I have to actually plan on the things that I want to get done while I'm here.

And now that we're spending a lot more time together, the kids and I are getting a lot closer. E told me this week that she was going to miss me when I left, so I take this as a win. ;)

Who knows when my next post will be, because I don't have wifi much when we're travelling. But, as always, thank you to everyone for their encouraging and loving words. <3 :)

Paris Weeks 4&5

I kept meaning to write this post last week, and I never got around to it. A lot of really big changes are coming up in the next few weeks, so my weekly posting may not be weekly.

BUT. Before I talk to you about the exciting stuff coming up(it's really exciting), here are some highlights:

Two weeks ago, some lovely girls from my ward invited me to go to Saint Chapelle with them. However, when we got there, it was closed(they were preparing for a concert). So, we went to the Opera house instead.

Besides the fact that it was BEAUTIFUL, this also just so happens to be the building where they filmed Phantom of the Opera. How cool is that? I definitely need to re-watch it now...

And yes, there really is a lake underneath it.

The staircase behind me is where they filmed the "Masquerade!" scene.

It was incredibly breathtaking, to say the least.

I hope you guys can endure food pictures...I found a cute gluten free bakery in the 4th Arrondissement, and had to restrain myself to only two pastries. They were so good.

Then, that weekend, we spent half a day in Versailles. We didn't get a chance to visit the Palace, but we did stop by in front and admire it. Holy goodness, it was beautiful. (Don't worry, I'll get another chance soon to go inside!)

What we DID do there, was go swimming(I guess there wasn't somewhere suitable in Paris??). We visited the Waldorf Astoria there in Versailles. I guess my host family has some sort of deal there, because they let us use the pool without being guests. The hotel was beautiful, but it sorta made me miss my little family back at the Hilton in Salt Lake.

E, getting into the pool.

After we finished swimming, we went and ate in the Gordon Ramsey restaurant that was on property. I was so hungry that I didn't take a picture of my beautiful lunch(salmon. All the entrees here are so healthy and delicious). BUT, I did take a picture of my dessert, so you could all be jealous of that. ;)

Took a selfie on my run outside the Eiffel Tower. 

This is M. I try not to pick favorites, but...;)

I'm starting to develop a really beautiful tan from my favorite walking shoes. 

This last week was the last week of school for the kiddos, which meant there were a lot of half-days, a lot of picnics, a lot of birthday parties, and a lot of friends coming over. Which meant my schedule was crazy insane, and I didn't really have time to go do anything. When I'm not with the family(and it's not raining), I go sit in the Champ de Mars and read. It's so great. The only thing you have to watch out for are the ladies trying to get you to "donate" money for their various causes. But as long as you know how to defer them, it's pretty peaceful, despite children running around. It reminds me of home. ;)

On Friday, the first "official" day out of school, the family and I went to Parc Asterix, which is an amusement park near Chantilly, which is about an hour North of Paris. The park is based around a French cartoon, Asterix, and it's all a play on the Romans and Greeks and the invasions and all that stuff. It was really cute, and every section of the park was themed differently(Rome, Greece, Egypt, etc.).

Entering the park.

 The first ride we went on started with you sticking your faces into these little boxes on the wall, where a camera would take your picture. You walked into the next room, and after a few minutes of robust French talking and cheering over the speakers, a bunch of cartoon soldiers were projected on the walls, marching around. With our faces on them.

E and I on the Carousel.

"Turn around so I can get a picture!"
"Aurora, I can't! I'm driving!"

E, S, and I, with the two main characters. (Sorry for the way blurry picture)

Saturday, we went to an exhibition at the Grand Palais, on Augustus and Julius Caesar. Although it was majorly in French, there were some bits written on the walls in English, so I gleaned most of my information from that. Nonetheless, it was really cool to get to see all the statues and artifacts, which were actually pulled from numerous museums around Europe.

I have no idea why they're noseless.

M and I walking along the Seine. 

On Sunday(yesterday), I walked through this ENORMOUS market that went for probably 5 blocks, on either side of the sidewalk. They had the most amazing fresh fruits and vegetables, cheeses, meats, clothing, shoes, fresh bread. Oh my goodness, it was heaven. I'm hoping that I'll be in town on another Sunday so I can bring my camera and photograph how absolutely amazing and quaint the whole thing was.

Every single day has been incredibly full of babysitting. And I expect this next week to be equally as crazy. However, it is my last full(ish) week in Paris, and so I have big plans to squeeze as many last things as possible into this week. Such as:
The Catacombs
The Top of the Eiffel Tower(it's surprising I haven't done this yet)
Saint Chapelle(Also surprising)
Hotel Invalides(REALLY surprising I haven't done this one)

Now, I just said this was my last week in Paris. But I'm also not coming home until the very end of August. Confused?

I mentioned(in a post before I even left for Paris) that once school got out for the kids, the family was going on Holiday, and I'd be tagging along as their live-in Nanny. The work load will basically doubled, but we're going to be travelling all over the place, so I don't really mind TOO much.

I'm(unfortunately) somewhat out of the loop on our exact itinerary for the summer. So I'll have to keep you guys updated as we go. I do, however, know how the first two weeks will go.

This Friday afternoon, we're leaving and heading to Versailles, where we'll stay for 3 days. Then, we head to another city(I cannot, for the life of me, remember the name) that's somewhere generally nearby, to visit my host mother's family. We'll be staying there for 2-3 days, and then on that third day, we'll head back to Paris. We'll only be in Paris for 1 day, however, before we repack and head to London for a week.

So, expect tons of pictures on all of that, and you will all definitely get updated throughout my journey.

I've really enjoyed my time here in Paris. It is definitely going to be very different, not having my separate space from the family, or having the freedom of visiting the markets whenever I please, but I'm still really excited to get going.

So, here's to hoping that I make it everywhere in the next 3 days. And if I don't, we'll always have a day or two between destinations back in Paris, so I'll try to hit all the extra sites then.

Thank you to everyone for their support and love while I've been here! I seriously appreciate it so much!

The truth usually wins a staring contest

I catch a glimpse of myself in the smudged mirror as I exit the bathroom. My reflection catches me off guard, as it usually does. I take a minute to study the reflection I don't recognize. When did my own body become foreign to me? I rub the dark circles under my eyes from lack of sleep, I pick at the acne on my cheeks and chin from lack of nutrition, and I run my hands through my brittle hair from lack of hydration.

Ashamed and embarrassed by my image, I look down. This was a mistake. I see the pudgy ghost of where my defined core used to be. I stretch my hands over the long purple marks that have formed on my legs. This is not a body I am proud of. Once, it was something that I spent hours a week working on, perfecting. When had I decided that taking care of myself was no longer a priority?

I don't have to look much longer to find my answer. I pull my sleeves down quickly to cover the scars on my arms, as I always do. This is the part of me that I am the most ashamed of. Somewhere when the depression set in, and I slowly began giving up on other parts of my life, my body had gone with it. I was ashamed of those scars. They were few, but they reminded me of the darkest era of my life.

I look up at the mirror again, this time blurred from my view by the tears threatening to spill onto my cheeks.

I remind myself of how far I've come, where I started, and where I was going. I reminded myself that what mattered was the person inside, not the scars on this temporal body. Just as the cuts had healed into scars, the raw cuts on my self-image would heal over.

I wipe my tears, smile at my reflection in the mirror, and I take a closer look.

I marvel at my smooth lips, the beautiful curl in my hair, and the deep blue of my eyes. I look down and admire the strength that comes from my sturdy legs, the full belly that means that I haven't had to go hungry, and my elegant, long arms. I see my scars, both visible and not, as a foundation for great growth. My past does not define me, but it shows how I've gotten to where I am now. It reminds me that I'm strong. It reminds me that I can shoulder through the trials. It reminds me of what I will never be again.  

"I'm sorry, I don't speak English": Paris week 3

This week started off with being horribly sick(as was mentioned in last weeks post). I was actually sick the entire week. I steadily improved throughout the week, though. Friday was the first day where I felt like I could actually leave the apartment and do things. I just had to make sure I had plenty of tissues in my bag. ;)

However, even though I was sick, which was not fun, it wasn't that bad. I napped a ton the first few days, but I just allowed myself to have a few chill days. I didn't worry about the fact that I wasn't going out and doing things. I tried to let myself recover, even though I was worried that I was missing the "experience" of being in Paris. 

The surprising thing was, on Friday when I felt good enough to go out and do thing, Paris was still there. ;)

Friday I went to a cute bakery on the other side of the city, and then I went to see Notre Dame. It. Was. Breathtaking.

Also it was free, which was a huge plus. ;)

The trains have been on strike here since the beginning of week 2, so it took me forever to get home. Aside from that, my trip was lovely.

Saturday, E had a dance recital that took up a good bit of my day. But it was adorable and I loved it. 

I don't seem to remember the really intense Indian scene in "Snow White"... ;)

The little "dwarves" were adorable, though. 

I didn't get a picture of E while she was dancing, sadly. She's the short one in the second row, looking to the left.

I'm picking up more and more of the language. I actually learn the most from M, the baby. And often, when in conversation with other people, I'll take note of some of the words/phrases I will hear repeatedly, and then I'll look them up later. It's actually been incredibly helpful. I learned the word for "Marmoset", which is obviously vital to my everyday conversational needs. 

One thing I've found myself saying quite often, on accident is, when people try to speak to me in French I often respond with, "I'm sorry, I don't speak English." 

Face. Palm. 

I need to differentiate between "I don't speak French" and "I only speak English" a bit more... 

The time is passing much more quickly than I anticipated. But that's okay, I'm glad that it's not dragging out uncomfortably. 

Today I was able to go to church, finally.

It was exactly what I needed. The lesson in Relief Society was even about leaning on the atonement when we need help. Seriously, just what I needed.

I slept through my alarm, and I had an incredibly difficult time getting myself there, so I was only there for the last hour. But I'm so glad I still went. I met some wonderful people. And the Young Adults do quite a few more things than I had anticipated. And there's institute! Definitely going to that this week. I'm really stoked.

I met a few girls at church that have invited me to join them on a few things this week, and there's a YSA dance this Saturday. So this week should be really great.

And I just want to say thank you to everyone that has shared their love with me these last few weeks, and the weeks before I left. It really means a lot to me to know that I have people in various places in the states cheering me on, and I try not to get too sad about missing you guys. ;)

Also. Mariah, my lovely roommate from this past school year, is getting MARRIED this week. It makes me so sad that I won't be there, but I am so excited for her and Tanner and their eternity together.

AND Bonnie is getting her mission papers turned in RIGHT NOW. Like, she's currently in a meeting with her Stake President to get them sent off. So. That's really exciting too, and I am so stoked for her.

I miss these two so much that my heart hurts. 

Okay, and now I promise that I'm done being sappy, haha.