Museum edition.

We'll just call this week Museum Week, plus Versailles and Chartres. My feet have walked so many miles on museum floors that they don't know how to walk on any other floors.

Saturday May 12:
Versailles was first. Palace of King Louis XIV. Not technically a museum but I think it might as well be! Sydnie and I entertained daydreams of Alice in Wonderland themed scavenger hunts or huge wedding receptions/parties in the massive gardens.

That night we headed to the top of Montparnasse Tower for a view of Paris that included the sparkling Tour d'Eiffel, as opposed to one from its viewpoint. It really was breathtaking. Isn't any view is when you're 59 floors above the Earth?

Sunday May 13:
Church! We might have arrived almost an hour late and had to stand in the back because it was so packed, but it was still so good. It's always reassuring to know that no matter where you go to church - Utah, South Carolina, or halfway around the world in France - it's always the same gospel and the same amazing members. There were two meetings to choose from each hour, either French or English speaking. I went to French Sunday School and Relief Society, and even read a scripture out loud in my awful American accent.

After church, Sydnie and I had a fabulous little picnic lunch underneath the Eiffel Tower and stayed there for a while enjoying the sun and the people walking by. Then we took a walk down the Seine to les Invalides (Napoleon's burial grounds) and looked around before heading home. It was lovely!

Monday May 14:
This was the day of our journey to Chartres, the site of one of the oldest cathedrals in France. It's a cute little town spreading out from the church, with winding streets and lots of fun shops. The strained glass windows are exquisite and tell the stories from the Bible in a way I have never thought of them before.

We then stopped to eat at one of the many pizzerias lining the streets, where I proudly ate this entire pizza by myself. Why don't I entire eating contests and make a living off this talent?

Tuesday May 15:
Back to school, unfortunately. But then again, this was the day that the museum hopping began, so maybe I should be glad I got to sit down for at least the first half of the day! We started with the Museum of Modern Art, where I saw many things that I enjoyed. Lots of people think modern art is too weird and too abstract, but I think it's cool.

Immediately following that, we headed to the Rodin, home of "The Thinker", and a nice garden, and a lot of other sculptures that are pretty sweet. This is the real and true Thinker over the doors to the Gates of Hell. I think the rain adds to the effect.

After dinner that night, our group met up again in the Latin Quarter for some crepes (How many days have I been here? 11. How many crepes have I eaten? 8.) and some very cold window shopping. It might be summer in other parts of the world but not in Paris!

Wednesday May 16:
More school and more museums. First up was the Shoah, which is Paris' holocaust memorial. It made me think a lot about what it would be like to go through things like concentration camps, losing family members, and starvation. I will admit that I have been a little homesick since coming here, more for people than places. But seeing that made me realize how blessed I really am. I can't imagine what it would be like to be ripped away from everything and everyone you know, without knowing if you would ever return.

There were pieces of walls in the museum that had inscriptions that people had made, perhaps in the hope to be remembered. Many of them had the person's name, the date, and the words "destination inconnu" - unknown destination. We still don't know where they went, and we may never know.

Next up was the Carnavalet, the museum of Paris' history. Personally, I'm just trying to find out where I can get one of these rings. It contains Marie Antoinette's actual hair. I know you want one too!

Which brings me to today.

Thursday May 17:
No school since it's a French holiday, so we got to sleep in all the way until 9:30, instead of our usual 6:30. A great start to the day, if you ask me. We got to the Louvre at about 11:30 and started off strong with the Mary Magdalene and the Code of Hammurabi. After lunch, though, stairs were looking daunting and people were being just a little bit pushy. However, we did make it to all the must-sees and even had enough energy for the crown jewels! It's not as easy as it looks, especially when there are literally miles of things to see. But it was worth it, of course!

My hair idol

I had to battle about three thousand people for this picture. Appreciate it.

Probably my favorite statue ever created.

Tonight Sydnie and I are thinking of hitting up Erasmus, also known as the free club for international students. But then again, we are exhausted from Museum Week, which probably still is not over, or may become Museum Weeks. So we'll see what happens I guess!

Phantoms and pirates.

It has been a week of dreams coming true.

1. Cœur de Pirate. 

Regular readers of my blog should know that I have been counting down to this one for a while. This gorgeous and talented Canadian has joined the list of concerts I have attended and loved. Despite the fact that her opening act was hacking up a lung, they wouldn't let me take my camera in, and the show started an hour late, it was well worth it. My voice was definitely among all the fans singing along to Comme les enfants!

Wish I took this. But I didn't.

My iPod is lacking in its picture taking skills.

2. Opéra garnier.

Also known as: the building that inspired Phantom of the Opera. It did not disappoint. We technically went there to see a ballet, but who can actually follow those things? Sydnie and I skipped Act II and walked around to take pictures. Also well worth it.

Oh my gosh. I'm there.

3. French fashion show.

It was no Louis Vuitton runway, but France Langue, my school, got us into a little défilé de mode on Friday which I would probably compare it to a Nordstrom fashion show. Either way, I've been to one in Paris! Cameras were not technically allowed here either but I did manage to sneak a few shots.

I know it looks like there wasn't anyone there... and I don't really have an explanation,
there just wasn't anyone sitting in those seats.

After the fashion show, we were wandering around the mall and stumbled across this very interesting art exhibit. We looked at a bunch of drawings down a hallway that led to a black curtain. When we opened the black curtain, we found a black tunnel that led to a black door. When we opened the black door, we found this:

Then we went out of there, and found other things such as these:

Then I found a mirror next to a fake puddle, and took a picture to show you all what I thought of this situation.

It was a very interesting and very cool place.

There have been other things, of course, such as school (4 hours of straight French a day. Yay. Love it.) and of course more food, which I will continue to tell you about as time goes on. Lifelong dreams becoming reality, though, need their own spotlight.

Bienvenue à Paris.

Well, I'm finally here. The time has finally come and I am in Paris for the next month. I can barely even believe it.

So far I have learned a lot of useful information. For example, it's impolite to cut lettuce with a knife, you shouldn't eat the "crust" of cheese because it could be plastic, and I need to watch out for des voleurs so they don't "couper couper" my camera!

Meet my fellow France habitants:

Sydnie, Ariel, and Jacques

Cindy and Elise

Sydnie and I are living in a little appartement de standing with our host, Anne Charlotte. Who, by the way, makes the best dinners a girl could ask for. And speaking of food: French food. Just a few things I have had include croissants, crepes, cordon bleu, quiche, and lots and lots of bread. Mmmmm.

Today, we visited Notre Dame and Tuileries, which is the garden around the Louvre. Look at the joy on this face.

I call this "The Little Mermaid's ghost meets the Notre Dame bell".

For some reason, my favorite part of Notre Dame has always been these candles. I don't know why I love them so much.

Another thing we stumbled across today that I have never heard of is this bridge. From far away, it looks like there is a bunch of garbage attached to it. But, when you get closer, you can see that they are padlocks. Couples come here and lock them to the bridge to symbolize the bond of their love. I'm kind of obsessed with it.

We also visited a World War II memorial, took a boat ride on the Seine, and went window shopping for a while. Living the Parisian life, no big deal.

Get ready for probably around a million more posts this month.

Bon soir, mes amis!

Goodbyes are not my friend.

It's over. My freshman year of college has come to an end. Almost everyone is gone, and soon I too will be leaving this place in the rear view mirror as I head out on my next great adventure.

I'm going to miss these times and faces.

First party with the roommate

Zions!

Football games

Vegas round one

Meeting Go Radio and seeing Yellowcard

Party rocking

Halloween

All our bowling trips

Dancing the night away

Trips to St. George

Skiing/snowboarding

Daaaates :)

My birthday and Dixie Rock

Going shooting

Vegas round 2: Spring Break!

Colorfest

Camping

I don't know where this year has gone or why it isn't still here. I'm so thankful for these people that have made me who I am today, who have supported me through everything, and been there to share the rainy days and the laughter (mostly laughter). You have become my best friends and I don't know what I would do without you. Our paths will cross again, some sooner, some later. Some of you are only four short weeks away.

I hate goodbyes.

So let's end with a "see you later".

<3

Full circle.

So, this weekend.

I can honestly say that I have never been more physically and emotionally beat up in my life.

Thursday commenced with a test in Human Sexuality which really was one of the more mellow things that happened that day. French was fine as well, until after when we had a meeting about study abroad, following which I had a full-fledged panic attack for no real reason. I seriously thought I was going to pass out/start crying/die. Dramatic I know. But really.

Following this little episode, I made the long and hard trek (easy 20 minute drive) out to Three Peaks with this crew to go camping.

As you can see, everyone was psyched to be out in what can barely be called the wilderness. We made tin foil dinners, hot dogs, and banana boats; played cards; and watched The Walking Dead. Everything was going smoothly until about midnight when it started pouring rain and our tents flooded, resulting in everyone getting soaked right down to the bone. We endured this torturous, sleepless night until about 5:30 am when we finally gave up and made the drive home, and then proceeded to sleep basically all day Friday.

The rest of the weekend was not bad at all, but was still somehow very draining. Yesterday Tyler and I went to the National Mustang Car Show or something like that in St. George, which was cool despite the fact I know nothing about cars. I just like looking at all the custom license plates. A few highlights include "GOPNYGO", "FANCEY", and "VENOM". Of course nothing beats Tyler's (EATMDST) (or, as I like to say, "Eat most"). We got frozen yogurt for just 13 cents on the way home and continued our Walking Dead marathon with Marissa that night.

Today has been pretty uneventful so far. It was my last Sunday in my singles ward, which I honestly haven't grown that close to. Still, I found myself getting teary when the closing hymn was "God Be With You Till We Meet Again" and I realized I'm on the threshold of another one of those moments. The kind of moment when life will probably never be the same as I know it right now. The last time I had one of these moments was last summer, when I moved away from home, and it has been one of the best years of my life. I guess I didn't realize it would happen again so soon. Even though I will be coming back next year, not everyone will be. People will leave, and some of them I might never see again. This is such a hard thing for me to face. I hate goodbyes more than anything.

Kinds of adventures.

Well, a few things have happened since I last thought about the events of my life. I know you all are chomping at the bit, dying to know what I've been up to. Not really. But I'm going to tell you anyway, since I haven't said much since Colorfest.

A few weeks ago, Tyler and I decided to take advantage of the fact that all our high school friends were in St. George for spring break, so we made a trip south for a mini spring break of our own. We met up with Katey, Janessa, and Andrea for some caving/glow sticking adventures, Panda Express adventures, freezing cold swimming pool adventures, and Iceberg adventures. Basically a much needed vacation to warmer weather and old friends!

Two weekends ago, I had the pleasure of embarking on a different kind of adventure when I planted myself in the passenger seat of a minivan for ten hours and eventually arrived in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I did this off-the-wall, amazing project last semester for my geology class about natural disasters and the media, and everyone in Cedar City was so blown away that they sent me to the Western Regional Honors Conference to try to hold my own against all the real honors kids this side of the Mississippi. I learned many things during the three days I was there, which include but are not limited to:

• Harry Potter can be related to anything in life.
• Native American dancers and mariachi bands can both perform at the same dinner.
• Mexican food can be good, but not for every meal.
• Five page papers can be written on a Friday night.
• Hot tubs can be too hot.
• I definitely should not be in honors.

Not only was I completely lost during all the Harry Potter conversations (which in itself probably gets me kicked out of the club), I didn't even understand the titles of most of the posters besides mine. Although I did go to both a Star Trek presentation and a zombie presentation and they were pretty much the best things ever. So maybe that's enough to keep me hanging on in the honors crowd, until I get around to reading HP again.

Last but definitely not least, Tyler got his mission call this weekend! Scotland/Ireland, Chinese speaking! Which I still can't quite wrap my mind around... But I could not be more excited for this boy! He is going to be such an amazing missionary.

Also, I have been slacking on my picture taking and I don't have a single photo of a single one of these events. I did take this picture of the sunset today though, so you can look at it if you want.

PS. The countdown to France is at 12 days. I'm freaking out.