Nous Sommes Ici!

We arrived in Paris on Tuesday, and have started to settle into the apartment, get over jet lag, figure out where to get groceries, and we've seen a few cool things too. We're so excited for your arrival next week, and can't wait to get our adventures started.

The weather has been cold, but we had some sunshine today and walked to the Eiffel Tower with the boys. Remember to bring a warm coat, but don't overpack. Seriously, I was the one telling you all how to control what you brought, and I'm already thinking of a long list of things I could send home. Really, the most important thing is a warm coat, hat and gloves, and good shoes. And remember, a lot of things can be bought here, especially because all the shops are having their annual after Christmas sales (or SOLDES). And if you're at all interested in trying to blend in while you're here, check out this great little article on how Parisians dress. I found it hilarious, and very true, even for the guys. Actually, I dressed in all black today to give it a try and had some Spanish tourists ask me for directions, the sure sign people think you're a local. I don't think they trusted me when I gave them directions to the Metro in English (which, by the way, were correct), but it was nice to be mistaken.
However you dress, be sure to be comfortable (I have a personal black fetish anyway, so it wasn't a stretch), and just enjoy!

See you soon!

Great Expectations

Now that our adventures in Paris are almost here, the reality is starting to set in, at least for me. Even though I've been to Paris several times, I find that each time I've visited, I've had a very different experience. The last time Steve and I were there, one of my favorite days was one when nothing went right. It rained A LOT, the museum we went to in the morning was closed except for one very bizarre, very French exhibit. Just before we got in to see the Chagall paintings on the ceiling of the Opera House they closed for rehearsals, and we were left at loose ends. We were still jet lagged, so we thought we would go back and try to get some sleep in our hotel room. When we were almost there, we changed our minds and went to the Cemeterie Du Pere Lechaise instead. The day ended up being magical.

This experience reminded me of one of my favorite parts of the film Paris, Je t'aime, a compilation of short films about most of the arrondissements in Paris. This section kind of sums up what I'm trying to say:

I think that you may be surprised to find that what you love about Paris may be where you least expect it. And I guess this is my wish for all of us, that even if our time in Paris is not exactly what we planned, that it will exceed all our expectations.

We leave on Monday to get ready to see you guys on the 18th.

See you in Paris!

Making A List And Checking It Twice

It was great to meet you all during class today, and I've uploaded my favorite packing spreadsheet so you can download it to use for yourself. Just drop it into Excel and you can customize it to fit your needs. I know it may seem a bit obsessive, but I promise, it will help you a TON if you decide to use it!

I hope you found our discussion helpful, and if you have any further questions, comments, or insights, post a comment here and it will be automatically e-mailed to me.

I'm so excited to get to know you all better next week at our Fête de Nöel, and even more while we are all living in Paris together.

PS. Here's a link to Rick Steve's website. It's a great resource for preparing for a trip to Europe.

Winter In Paris?

We all know about Paris in April and Paris in the Springtime, but Paris in the Winter? Does anyone go then? Well, I can only speak for myself, but the first visit I made to Paris was in February, over Valentine's Day. It all sounded very romantic until I was on top of the Eiffel Tower with only a very thin leather jacket, and then I started to think maybe we should have put our trip off a couple of months. We had the city to ourselves, went to all the great museums and restaurants, and once we dressed appropriately, we had a fantastic time. The second time I visited Paris was in May, and I was so excited to be there in the warmer weather, but I learned all too fast that the warmer weather meant the tourists, and with them came lines to see the Mona Lisa, annoying street vendors, and people EVERYWHERE. Nothing like the intimate glimpse of Paris we had in the winter. So, in my opinion, those of us lucky enough to go on the BYU Study Abroad to Paris in Winter 2010 are among the luckiest Parisian travellers in the world: we get Paris all to ourselves for a couple of months, and then, we get to experience it in the Springtime (along with everyone else).

Truly the best of both worlds.