Thursday, March 19, 2015

So much for posting every Sunday, huh? Between fickle wifi that seems to give out EVERY WEEKEND and juggling my time, it just hasn't worked out how I planned. I'm back to posting weekly- or given that it's been a over a week since my last post- TRYING to post weekly. I didn't realize how much time a blog takes up, even if it is just posting once a week. Not to mention, the past 6 days have been the most stressful and time-consuming since I've been here. Now that it's all over, I can look forward to my weekend trip and FINALLY POST AGAIN. Here goes!

I MISS HOME.

I miss home. I'm not ashamed to say that I've been counting down the days till I return. This is not to say that I haven't been enjoying my time here, absolutely not. I LOVE IT HERE. I've wanted to study here so long and it's finally happening, of course I'm enjoying every minute being in the wonderful place. However, I still miss home. This is the first time I've ever been able to say I truly miss being in California. Usually I'm singing the tune of missing Jamaica, which is still true but I digress.

I realize that what I miss most, aside from my family, are probably some of the most clichéd aspects of LA. I miss waking up to the bright sun, while some days can be sunny here, it's just not the same as in LA. Back home I'd awake to blue skies, white cotton clouds, warm breeze; ok so I just described an ideal LA day which doesn't always happen, but when it does, it's PERFECT.. I know many days the sun is so hot that I don't even want to sit down in my car at the risk of burning my thighs on the leather,. Before coming here I was so sick of perpetual heat that I am so surprised that I'm actually admitting this.

I miss my actual home. My house. My family that lives in that house. The Watsons. I miss them.

I miss the traffic. NO. I am not insane. Let me explain what I mean. I have not sat in a car since the day I first arrived in Paris and my super shuttle van dropped my off in front of my apartment. I MISS BEING IN A CAR AND DRIVING AROUND- even if that means I am stuck in 405 traffic on a Friday at 5 pm. I'LL TAKE IT ( Come June I know I'll regret saying that, however this is how I feel at the moment so I will own it.) Everyday I am subjected to metro rides where I do not get to see anything other than hurried faces, and while it's amusing to watch, I would love to see outside where I'm going (Thank God for Metro line 2 where I can actually see where I'm going for a couple of stops!) Unless I'm walking or on the bus, I literally have no idea where I'm going and I will NEVER get used to that.

THE BEACH. That is all. No further explanation needed.

Disneyland. (Yea, I know there's one here, but I don't think I should spend money on Disneyland when I can spend it doing something else here that I've never done before. (Never thought I'd say THAT either) Plus, Cali has the OG Disney location so.....)

SMILING FACES. I know you all are probably sick and tired of hearing me ramble on about how no one smiles here so I'll make it short. NO ONE SMILES HERE. PEOPLE SMILE (usually) IN LA. I MISS IT. I NEED IT. I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT I DO.

MY ROUTINE. I miss my routine. Going to church Saturday morning, Aunt's house later in the evening, something else later that night. Annoying my sister any possible chance I get, I know she misses that too, don't ya, PJ? Geeking out to 90s boy-band tunes with Moe and Andrea, pretty much acting absolutely ridiculously at any point in time with Andrea and Maria. Watching my parents interact, they're so amusing, love them to death. My political science classes. Yes. Classes. MY BED, my gosh I miss my bed. There are so many other things that I couldn't possibly list here, and I realized how much I genuinely enjoy doing each of them and took them for granted.

Aside from the minuscule details I've listed, LA has so much more to offer; much more that I myself haven't experienced and I've lived there for so long. That'll all change once I get home. Being away has really given me a newfound appreciation for my city and I can't wait to get back to it.

Friday, March 6, 2015

Quick Note! Apparently instead of posting this latest update, it was saved instead (I'm assuming there was an issue with my internet connection or something of the sort.) Better late than never? Lol, hope you like the pictures. I may add more eventually!



Had a week of vacation and now I'm back to my Parisian routine. I spent a couple WONDERFUL days in Lyon. The differences between the two cities are immense (people actually SMILE on public transport there lol), but I will have to blog about that later, as I am currently pressed for time. Here are a few pictures from my mini-vacay!



Hélena, my travel buddy, and I 

Parc de tête d'or with Hélena and Devina (met her at the hostel we stayed in )
View of La Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière  
Outside of l'Institut Lumiere

LE CINÉMATOGRAPHE (1895) I was super stoked to see this after my french cinema classes (Go Mme. Chirol!) At the house of the Lumière brothers. No biggie, just the fathers of cinema. ;)
At the Roman Amphitheatre


Roman Amphitheatre

View from La Musée de Confluences

Where la Saône meets la Rhône
Memorial de la Prison Militaire de Montluc

Inside the walls of the prison memorial
Mur peint de la resistance (The man depicted in the photo is Jean Moulin)

Mur Peint de la resistance (outside of the prison memorial)

Inside the memorial de la Prison Militaire de Montluc  
La Rhône 
Cathedral de Saint-Jean-Baptiste

Vieux Lyon