Let It Be

"Live each season as it passes." -Thoreau

While last night I was definitely feeling a little homesick, tonight I feel completely energized and excited about everything that's to come. Of course I knew Paris was a city full of cultural and artistic opportunities, but today our directors gave us a TON of information on all the things we can do in this amazing city. My roommate, Gabi, and I have been anxiously planning our next few weeks since we got back from the meeting.

Last night we went out in the St. Germain-des-Pres area, and wow is Paris nightlife expensive!! We're going to have to start drinking the incredibly cheap but incredibly good bottles of wine in the parks before we go out, because 7 euros for a glass of wine just can't be justified. However, getting out of the house was a great cure for the homesickness.

So dinner was interesting tonight. We were absolutely starving after the meeting that lasted pretty much all afternoon and most of the evening. And we're being tortured with delicious smells creeping in from the kitchen. I am very pleased to see a giant heap of pesto covered pasta on my plate. I start to dig in and realize after a few minutes that my throat feels a little funny. I ask Mme Dugan what type of nuts she used to make the pesto. She replied that there were no nuts in the pesto (of course I know this is incorrect). After some insisting she checks the label on the pesto and finds out there are cashews in it. Awesome. So I had my first allergic reaction in Paris, but I suppose that was bound to happen eventually, best to just get it out of the way.

Also I'm pretty sure I ate tongue tonight. Like cow's tongue. It wasn't half bad. But I didn't dare confirm my suspicions for fear that my stomach would change it's mind.

So moral of the story so far--things are a little difficult, at times uncomfortable, and a bit overwhelming, BUT there is a lot to be gained from this experience and I've got to keep at it with an open mind. I'm just going to see where the wind takes me; it looks like it should be a pretty enjoyable ride :)