Say Fromage!!

I would just like to start out by saying that the biggest sales in Europe started this week and go through next week. I'm talking 50% off nearly everything from clothes to olive oil to wine and probably even brothels. Needless to say, me and my new friends have been wandering the streets of Pau and shopping our little hearts out. I have yet to buy anything because i keep thinking i'll find something better somewhere else, so once i've visited every store i'll go back and make a decision. Except for macarons. My friend and I have gotten 1 macaron at every chocolatier that we have seen. To figure out which one has the best of course :)

Other than shopping i have spent a lot of time at the University. We've had something going everyday so far, mainly consisting of orientation things and placement tests and information meetings. So far we've had meetings from 9am til about noon then we have lunch until 2 and then we do some sort of activity i.e: tour of the city, tour of campus. Yesterday we toured the city and OH MY GOODNESS it is gorgeous. We walked along the Blvd de Pyrenees and it was just breathtaking. The town is so cute and french looking i just love it. Contrary to what i originally thought i'd feel, i am yet to be home sick. It is hard to miss being in Chicago when i get to wake up every morning and see mountains and walk through a french town. Although i did have a hamburger yesterday which did not compare to anything in Chicago. Speaking of food, today me and my friends went on a little adventure through town and we found a tiny little sandwich cafe. There was only enough room in the little restaurant for about 5 people, and the woman who ran it was also the chef! We sat in that cafe for over 2 hours, i had a steak sandwich and a crepe sucre (sugar). It was divine!! The picture is of me and my friend Shay outside the sandwich shop that i'll probably go back to every day from now on. 

Tomorrow i start my first class. It is called Francophone literature and i think it's going to be about 2 hours, then i get my schedule for next week (which is when ALL my classes start). I'll let you all know what my schedule looks like, i'm praying that the classes start a little later than 9 am, because we all know how bad i am with getting up in the mornings. Although the jet lag has helped me get up well before 9, i've accidentally been falling asleep way too early, around 9pm, and waking up at 7am. Tonight i'm going to try and stay up until at least 10, because i have to start feeling more energetic, and get on a set schedule. I don't drink caffeine, so this is all up to will power! I've been talking to my host mother a lot, and we get along so well! She took me around the town last night so i could see it with the street lights on. She is so sweet, and we hold great conversations and she helps me immensely with my french. She says i've already improved since monday. Yay!!

I've been taking the bus to the University everyday, and well lets just say it wasn't so easy. The first day i  came back from school i got lost for about 45 minutes. I had a map, but i'm clearly incapable of deciphering anything. In those 45 minutes it managed to get dark and start raining. Mind you, it is about 55 degrees here, so its not that cold when it rains. (and yes those are palm trees in the picture, they're everywhere around here!! ) Finally i found my host families home and i was so tired from walking around that i fell asleep and Christine had to wake me up! Flash forward to the next morning, where i had to get to school. Well, the bus apparently drops you off at a very different place then it picks you up at, so yes, i got lost again. The USAC (my program) directors were very understanding when i arrived 20 minutes late to our info meeting. But alas, i have finally solidified a route, and i no longer get lost, but it was fun to walk around and go on a little adventure. P.S Mom, it wasn't THAT dark out, it was still about 5pm and Pau is very very safe, even my host mom said so. The most prevalent crime in Pau is bike theft, so stop worrying, i don't want to get an email saying i shouldn't be out at night.

That about sums up my time here so far. I love it. It is everything i could have asked for. People are so nice, everyone smiles and says "Bonjour" and "Bon journee mademoiselle." Pau is definitely the place for me. I was skeptical at first to go abroad, but i couldn't be happier. You guys might have to move out here if you ever want to see me again :)
Hope everyone is happy and healthy back in the states, and i look forward to hearing from everyone!

Au Revoir,

Mari 

Alive and well in Pau

I HAVE ARRIVED

The beginning of the best semester of my life has officially started, although i am so tired i hope i'll be able to remember my first day. We left Chicago at about 6pm and had to sit on the runway for 45 minutes because the brake wasn't working, so that made me feel so much more confident about the 8 hour flight that was about to ensue. Once we got in the air the flight went by really fast, and i was in the same section as all the other USAC Pau students, so i had people to talk to. Once we arrived in Paris we had to take a ridiculously long journey to find our terminal that turned out to be a train and a bus ride away, (all the while carrying way too much luggage) and the 3 hour layover quickly slipped away and by the time we got to the terminal we only had an hour left to wait. We proceeded to shop the duty free, and stare longingly at the amazing french clothes everyone was wearing.

Soon there after i was on the plane to Pau and before i knew it i was meeting my host mom. Her name is Christine and she is the nicest woman ever. I couldn't ask for a better host mother (other than it being my real mother of course). She lives right in the centre ville of town in a beautiful apartment fully equipt with wireless internet, running water, and everything one would expect in a non 3rd world country. She even has HD tv. She has a 14 year old son Victor, and a 6 year old cat, who had managed to jump on me during my nap at least 3 times so far.

Tomorrow i have orientation and placement exams, so i have to be up at 8 am! That is going to be tough, seeing as none of my classes started before 11:30am in Chicago. My host mom is driving me tomorrow morning though so that should be nice, and i'm going to rent a bike from here on out since i'm only living about 1 mile from campus.

Better get to sleep so i can beat jet lag!!

A bientot