Paris to Lyon.

As I was saying, packing was intense. I started at 12:30 am and went to bed at 4 am. Woke up at 8am to finish packing and I was out of my home stay apartment by 12:45pm to catch my train at 1:30. I went a little kookoo on Linda and Joann because I was stressing that I wasn't gonna make it on time and miss my train. Hehe thanks for bearing with me! I said my quick goodbye to Madame Marie Antoinette and off to Lyon I was.

Even though I had my many crabby moments about this lady, I realized it's not her spite-ing (is what a word??) me but it's just the French culture. Hahah. Yes, they are quite dirty...sad face. But, all in all, it was a good learning experience. How am I to be a servant of God and to the world without learning how to live like a princess and a baby (even though I'm not..Angela!!). I've learned to be mission-minded and I try to stay humble with everything I do. Please please please let me carry these habits over to the states!! Please!!!

I really thought that when I finally got onto the train, I would just sit and explode into tears because of my tiredness and sadness and overwhelmedness...but I didn't. And I still haven't. 

After two hours, I finally got to Lyon to be greeted by my aunt and uncle. My aunt took me to Olivia's school where she had her Christmas performance but we were late. 

But biensur, she is still cute as a button. Her bffl right next to her.

It's so nice to be in Lyon. Hot shower. Check. Nice bed. Check. Good food. Check. Cute cousins. Check! Good family. Check check check. All I've been doing is relaxing and just watching movies with my cousin and talking to my auntie about life and it's just so freaking nice. I've realized that by the end of my Paris trip, I was just so tired of living and knowing that this is not my real home. I felt like I couldn't put my feet down all the way and I was just moving and hopping around everywhere. Even though I'm still not home, I feel so much more comfortable here. It's nice (for the third time in a row).

And now, I just sit here and I think. My body is sore from the craziness in moving my luggage. My hands are swollen from pulling my luggage up and down the million stairs in the metro. Yeah, I really have that much stuff. I'm still super, duper tired. Hence, four cankersores. I've been eating like mad crazy as my aunt has an unlimited supply of Granola, BN, ChocoSprits, Yogurt, Nutella, and you name it bud! And yes, I just sit here. I don't know if it's because I'm not home home yet that it hasn't hit me big time that I'm not in Paris anymore. I feel like I'm a little numb or something. Or maybe I'm not letting myself feel anything because then I won't know what to do with those feelings. It's so odd. Because really, I love Paris with all my heart and this has been the best experience of my lifetime (other than missions - though this was like a mission as well)...but yeah. It's so weird. I don't feel anything. I'm a numb zombie, maybe.

But I'm still happy and still trying to soak in every moment of me being on European soil. 

I've learned that everything has its time and place. Even the bad things. They come...but they also go. Glory hallelujah for that. For example, sometimes people are just so mean and so disappointing and I just want to give up hope for all man kind. But seriously, people are also so inspiring. Seriously inspiring. And then, they give me hope to keep on keepin' on and inspire me to be like them. So even though I get shot down and put down...I will keep going!! Whoo!! But again, even good things come to an end. Such as this trip. But I'm excited for whatever else I'm gonna face back at home. I can't wait to see my family (+++++), friends, start school (pattern making holla!), worship with Kum Ran, bake, cook, stop shopping (maybe?), move into my new apartment, and just start everything fresh and new.

Before all of that is a Christmas lunch with my uncle's side of the family (legit French meal holla!!) and then it's Christmas in the French Alps (holla times ten!!) and then yes...it's HOME SWEET HOME! 

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I really don't know how to sum my whole experience and my trip into one blog post. I think that's why I split up my last couple of days/memories into a few, jotting down whatever I felt. This last post doesn't do justice either. It's all over the place. I didn't even try knowing that I can't do it. I guess you and I are gonna have to grab (if I didn't proofread this, it would've said "crap". Told you I'm tired.) a cup of...BOBA (oh, how I miss it) and chitchat our lives away.

I am ending this nonsense............now.

Goodbye and have a nice day.

Olivia + Camera = Lyon.

This little munchkin always insists on pictures. But I don't care because she's so cute anyways!!!!!

Love, Dad.

I just got an e-mail from my dad today. It was the cutest thing ever and I almost cried. I didn't realize until now that I really miss my parents! I love my parents so so so so so so so so so much.

Here are some snippets of his cute times a million e-mail:
1. "It may not be easy for you living over there by you shelf with no ones help."
2. "You are a baby anymore."
3. "I love you so much and I miss you very much, but you are in my mind al the time and I

will be with you."
4. "Talk to yoe later baby......................"

I love it so much! Thank you, Lawd for such wonderful parents!

Le Homestay de Madame Peloux!

Sunday, I moved into my homestay finally! For the last past week I have been living out of my luggage and not being able to find things but finally I got to unpack! I am only living with one Madame. She has no family living with her. She lives in a small, humble abode in which I have much getting used to to do. You can look at the pictures first. Then, I will tell you my sob story.

At first, they told me: "Make sure you barely move around in your room because there are many things that could break in the room". It's a bit exaggerated but doesn't it make it seem like she's rich?! Or is this just me? But anyways, I thought it was going to be amazing and I was going to see chandeliers and bright, sparkly lights, etc, etc. But no. Again, it's a small, humble abode.

The taxi dropped me off in front of her house and I got to the door #1. I typed in the code I was given and aha! I got in. I was trying to get into door #2 but the code I was given were the letters "MADP" and the buttons on the machine were only numbers. I was like, "Uhhhhh." I didn't even have her number! But luckily, a man from the apartment was coming in so he let me in as well. At first, I didn't see the elevator and I freaked out. How the heck was I supposed to get my fat 50lb+ luggage, duffel bag, flowers, and purse up to the third floor?! (Btw, in France, the first floor is called floor zero...then it starts counting.) But smart me turns around and sees an elevator. I get all my stuff into the claustrophobic elevator and go up three flights to the third floor. I am trying to get my luggage out of the claustrophobic elevator and I guess I am making so much ruckus that she hears me and comes out to help me. She gives me les bises and tells me here name is Marie Antoinette. On the paper, it said Madame Peloux. I was like, "Is this grandma crazy? Why is she calling herself Marie Antoinette? It says her name is Madame Peloux." (But I later found out that that's her first name. Whew. No crazy, name-forgetting grandma for me!) But yeah, the moment I get in, she tells me where everything is and blah, blah, blah. She gives me a cup of tea, which I like very much, and some biscuits from Britain. Yum.  

Anyways, story time is hard so I'm going to list some things about my homestay.

1. I have really itchy, scratchy wool blankets.

2. My pillows are dinky little things. I don't even know.

3. The shower is like five trickles of hot water that lasts for 45 seconds then turns cold. I have to turn off the water, wait, then turn it back on, wait, then use my 45 seconds of hot water again. And it goes on about 10 times to take a legit shower. The waiting time, I am freezing cold and soapy.

4. She won't let me leave my toothbrush/paste in the sink. Nor, she won't let me put my shampoo in the tub. This means an extra five-ten minutes out of my getting ready time in the morning because I have to put everything back into my little cupboard. And pick up all my hair off the bathroom floor. Which I do anyways but not every morning!?!?

5. As I am eating breakfast, I often find food-bits stuck to wall. I think they have accumulated over the years. Yum.

6. I had to buy my own cereal and milk for breakfast because she only has bread, butter, and apricot(?!) jam. Even though she's supposed to provide me breakfast daily, I can't find a polite way to say, "Buy me some cereal because you owe me, please." 

But still, it's not that bad! I mean, there are just so many things that I could be unhappy about but seriously, I'm totally fine. Sometimes, I want to sit and cry because I'm lonely and away from all the other students but honestly, this is what I'm here for. To be stretched and pushed to my limits everyday. Certainly, this is what's happening to me. "When you're studying abroad, it's 100% dependence on God" (-Michelle Moon). I totally concur. Everything that I am experiencing, I sort of love it. It teaches me that I'm a princess (back at home or maybe even here too) and that I seriously get everything that I want. I really feel like I'm on missions or something! Yes, in Paris, France! It's not all fine and dandy. At least not every moment of the day, you know? I'm learning so, so much and I am so thankful. It's crazy. Small, humble abode, ya feel? I need Jesus, ya feel?

Random adventures here and there.

I haven't been blogging so here's a (fat) recap of:

Saturday morning, Courtney, Monica, Suhz, and I made our way Les Puces Fleamarket. It was actually off the Paris map so when we got there, we had no idea where to go! We asked some random chicken restaurant man and he gave us the perfect directions. This fleamarket is one of the largest fleamarkets in Paris? Or the whole world? I forgot. We found some goodies but more towards the back, it was very swapmeetish. I am not looking for no swapmeets in Paris! But it was still fun and adventurous. I should have took pictures of my goodies I bought but here are some other shots of other goodies from the day!

Then, I finally had some crepe!!!!

Avec nutella et bananes. Nomnom!

Then at night, we got some Falafels at the Jewish District which was one metro stop away from the Bastille. Falafels are like these fried gargonzola beans + vegetable filled pita bread. Quite interesting.

And right next to the Falafel place, there was an amazing vintage thrift store that sold pretty much everything for 5-10Euro! Amazing. Got myself a nice striped shirt to fit in with the Parisiennes. Trés cool!

We are definitely going back to find some more nifty things!

How I Spend My Friday Nights in Paris, France.

Blogging, AIM, Nutella & Go!, and my new favorite: Yop by Yoplait. Hooray?