(my life is richer<br>because you're in it): March 26, 2009

So I was totally aware that my blog was not up-to-date, but I figured nobody took much notice...which is why it's been almost two months since my last entry. Well, anyway, apparently someone did notice. Monday night I returned home from a weekend trip to Paris to find an email from MaMa (my grandmother) politely reminding me that I hadn't updated my blog in quite a while. I wonder if she was the only one who noticed?

(standing in the Place de Tertre)
Anyway, yes a lot has happened in the past two months. So much has happened that it would be impossible to even attempt writing about it all in just one sitting. So I'll give you an overview (pics included) of it all slowly but surely. First, however, I'm going to talk about my weekend in Paris.

(meeting up on day one)
Long story short, here's what went down:

Early last week my cousin Kim (who is currently living/working in Germany) invited me to Paris to spend three days with her and celebrate her birthday. Her friend had to bail at the last minute, so I'd be "doing her a favor" by keeping her company in Paris. The hotel was already paid for, and because of my money situation (still no CAF or Visa bankcard replacement), she offered to pay for my train tickets as well.

(I ate snails for the first time!)
I felt bad about not having the funds, but didn't want her to spend the weekend alone because of me. So I accepted the invitation. I admit, though, that I was secretly excited about spending time with and getting to know her because we usually only see each other once every few years. :)

(under the Eiffel tower at night, waving to our mommies)

During our weekend together, we managed to cram a lot in. Spent Saturday night in Chalons-en-Champagne so we could see Basshunter, a techno group, in concert at the Alegra discothèque (nightclub). On Sunday we hung out with Emily, my freshman year roommate who is teaching in Beauvais, a town just north of Paris. The three of us saw lots of sights: the Place de la Bastille, Champs-Elysées, Eiffel Tower, American Embassy, Notre Dame Cathedral, Point Zero, Louvre, etc. Monday Kim and I slept in and then headed to the Sacré-Coeur and Place de Tertre, where she had someone sketch her. Then we caught the train back to our respective cities.

(Kim at the Place de Tertre)
The weekend was pretty awesome overall. We had all seen Paris before, so there wasn't that mad rush to see and do everything. It was a pretty casual weekend, and the trip was totally worth the 12 hours I spent in a train traveling to/from Nice. ;)