Just Breathe
So I was just looking at some pictures and I know that’s a huge no-no… I’ve been doing okay about not being homesick so far though and I’m very proud of myself. I have to apologize to everyone for not having posted my pictures yet, but it seems like every time I try to sit down and upload them I get seriously distracted by something. I promise they’ll be up soon. It’ll be the first thing on my to do list tomorrow, but the internet café might not be open since it’s Sunday and Sunday truly is the day of rest for most Europeans. We in America keep ourselves too damn busy. If there is one thing I truly love about this trip, it’s that I’m experiencing what it’s like to actually breathe and look around me, and appreciate what this beautiful world has to offer. I mean, back home everything happens so fast and we are constantly rushing to do one thing or another or even two things at once, and it’s no wonder people in the states are so depressed all the time. I am convinced that everyone should take a vacation here, and not one of those vacations where you have every minute of every day planned out and centered around one activity or another. A real vacation, where you can just go to bed one night, not set an alarm for the next day, wake up on your own, open the curtains, take a breath and stretch then order yourself room service. The rest of the day will happen as it happens, there’s no need to rush. I love it. Since school hasn’t started yet, that’s pretty much what I’ve been doing here, except for the whole apartment hunting thing which is a pain but I have a feeling it will be worth it in the end.
So a little more about Grenoble… I don’t know what else to say other than it’s beautiful. There are mountains everywhere and we’re in sort of a little valley between them. They say that this is the flattest city in France, which is cool since I’ve been walking non stop since I got here. No hills! Yay! The first night we were here it rained and when we woke up the next day one of the mountains was capped with snow. I’m looking forward to a white Christmas, but I’m not sure yet how I’m going to deal with being cold for oh, say, 4 months if not more. To me cold is about 55 degrees Fahrenheit... If this town is covered in snow all winter I don’t know what I’m going to do! My California blood can’t handle anything less than 50!! I need to make sure that wherever I end up has good central heating.
I spent about 5 hours at Neptune today researching apartments online. I called one Belgian lady who was super awesome and she was showing the apartment to someone already today, but I told her in, very bad French I’m sure, that if it didn’t work out I am absolutely interested, and I left her my phone number. I thought the conversation was pretty much over but then she got all chit-chatty and started asking me what I studied, how old I was, and where I was from. When I told her I was American, she busts out in English, “Oh, so you speak English then?” I laughed and said, “Well, yeah!” It was so funny… My friends who were there researching apartments with me all looked up when they heard that and started cracking up. Anyways, the lady was super nice and I hope that the other person doesn’t take the apartment because I’m very anxious to get out of this sorry excuse for a dorm room. Have I told you about it yet? Oh geez, when I got here and heard they were giving us all our own rooms at the dorms you can imagine my excitement. I haven’t had my own room for 3 years – since moving to Santa Barbara. I haul my crap up 2 flights of stairs; open my room and my jaw drops. It’s about the size of a ring box. But I’ve managed to add a bit of personal flare to it and one of the guys came in today and was admiring my lack of peeling wallpaper. I checked out his room and decided finally that maybe I don’t have it so bad after all.
I guess I should tell you about the people I’m here with... Well there are 2 other girls from Santa Barbara, Morgen and Katy. Winter quarter I had 3 out of 4 of my classes with Morgen, so she and I met and shared notes and stuff last winter. She’s pretty cool, very laid back, and a party girl at heart so I see good times ahead. Katy is an Alpha Phi who I didn’t meet until our EAP orientation back at school. Turns out J.Holla knows her (yeah beezies!) and they’re good friends. Jen put in a good word for Katy and turns out it’s all true. She’s one of the sweetest people I’ve met. Then there are the guys: Phil from UCD, Henry from UCSD (I think), Chris from UCLA, Daniel from UCLA, Garret from I’m not sure where… and I think that’s it. I know I’m going to leave some people out and if they end up reading this I’m sorry! The guys are all awesome. Good people, good to talk to, very funny.. Today Henry let us watch a little bit of 24 (it’s a TV show from the states) on his laptop, and last night we all went out drinking. We ordered 2 “Giraffe Jupiter’s,” which are basically maybe 6-pint graduated cylinders of beer and polished them both off. A cute little old Italian man selling roses walked right up and started batting his eyelashes at Katy and serenaded her right on the street.. It was the cutest thing! He had no teeth, was all smiles, and kept kissing her hand. It wasn’t one of those sleazy kinds of things at all, it was just so cute.
So the other girls are Marie-Claire, a native Santa Barbaran who goes to Cal; Deanna also from Cal, Megan from UCSC, Ellen from UCSC, Jeanne Marie from UCD, Julia from UCI (I think), and I think that’s it. Again if I’m forgetting anyone I’m sorry! We’ve all been getting along really well and have been helping each other look for apartments. MC (Marie Claire) and I are neck and neck in the race. We have an appointment to look at the same place on the same day at the same time and definitely didn’t arrange it that way. Then today as I was taking the tram back to the dorms I saw a sign on an adorable house that said there were 2 rooms to rent and so I got off and took the info down, and slipped a note in the mailbox. I got back and was talking to her about it and she said, oh yeah I already called and left a message. Who knows, we might end up getting each of the rooms and living together. She’s a sweetheart so I wouldn’t mind. And it’s a pretty big house so we’d probably be living with other people too.
All in all, Grenoble is a dream so far, and I’ve been enjoying myself thoroughly. I can’t wait to find a place and get settled in so I can finally feel at home. There are so many things I want to do while I’m abroad and I need a place to rest my head before I can even get started. My French has improved drastically since I got here and I’m finding that I can understand nearly everything people are saying to me if they speak slowly enough, and even having conversations in French over the phone is getting to be easier and easier. It’s still nice to be surrounded by native English speakers, but I’m enjoying the practice when I go out and one intensive language classes start on Tuesday it’s gonna be cake. I bought myself a real French dictionary the other day and am trying to study it a little.
I think tonight we’re going to a barbeque at the home of one of the guys who has been nice enough to show us around town, get us set up with cell phones, and give us advice on renting. Should be fun and you bet you’ll hear all about it tomorrow. That’s all for now, sorry these entries are so long but for those of you who are patient enough to read all the way through them, I LOVE YOU! And I miss you J And of course I love and miss those of you who don’t read all the way through because you Americans are so busy that I almost understand if you don’t have time. Until later, -Liv.
So a little more about Grenoble… I don’t know what else to say other than it’s beautiful. There are mountains everywhere and we’re in sort of a little valley between them. They say that this is the flattest city in France, which is cool since I’ve been walking non stop since I got here. No hills! Yay! The first night we were here it rained and when we woke up the next day one of the mountains was capped with snow. I’m looking forward to a white Christmas, but I’m not sure yet how I’m going to deal with being cold for oh, say, 4 months if not more. To me cold is about 55 degrees Fahrenheit... If this town is covered in snow all winter I don’t know what I’m going to do! My California blood can’t handle anything less than 50!! I need to make sure that wherever I end up has good central heating.
I spent about 5 hours at Neptune today researching apartments online. I called one Belgian lady who was super awesome and she was showing the apartment to someone already today, but I told her in, very bad French I’m sure, that if it didn’t work out I am absolutely interested, and I left her my phone number. I thought the conversation was pretty much over but then she got all chit-chatty and started asking me what I studied, how old I was, and where I was from. When I told her I was American, she busts out in English, “Oh, so you speak English then?” I laughed and said, “Well, yeah!” It was so funny… My friends who were there researching apartments with me all looked up when they heard that and started cracking up. Anyways, the lady was super nice and I hope that the other person doesn’t take the apartment because I’m very anxious to get out of this sorry excuse for a dorm room. Have I told you about it yet? Oh geez, when I got here and heard they were giving us all our own rooms at the dorms you can imagine my excitement. I haven’t had my own room for 3 years – since moving to Santa Barbara. I haul my crap up 2 flights of stairs; open my room and my jaw drops. It’s about the size of a ring box. But I’ve managed to add a bit of personal flare to it and one of the guys came in today and was admiring my lack of peeling wallpaper. I checked out his room and decided finally that maybe I don’t have it so bad after all.
I guess I should tell you about the people I’m here with... Well there are 2 other girls from Santa Barbara, Morgen and Katy. Winter quarter I had 3 out of 4 of my classes with Morgen, so she and I met and shared notes and stuff last winter. She’s pretty cool, very laid back, and a party girl at heart so I see good times ahead. Katy is an Alpha Phi who I didn’t meet until our EAP orientation back at school. Turns out J.Holla knows her (yeah beezies!) and they’re good friends. Jen put in a good word for Katy and turns out it’s all true. She’s one of the sweetest people I’ve met. Then there are the guys: Phil from UCD, Henry from UCSD (I think), Chris from UCLA, Daniel from UCLA, Garret from I’m not sure where… and I think that’s it. I know I’m going to leave some people out and if they end up reading this I’m sorry! The guys are all awesome. Good people, good to talk to, very funny.. Today Henry let us watch a little bit of 24 (it’s a TV show from the states) on his laptop, and last night we all went out drinking. We ordered 2 “Giraffe Jupiter’s,” which are basically maybe 6-pint graduated cylinders of beer and polished them both off. A cute little old Italian man selling roses walked right up and started batting his eyelashes at Katy and serenaded her right on the street.. It was the cutest thing! He had no teeth, was all smiles, and kept kissing her hand. It wasn’t one of those sleazy kinds of things at all, it was just so cute.
So the other girls are Marie-Claire, a native Santa Barbaran who goes to Cal; Deanna also from Cal, Megan from UCSC, Ellen from UCSC, Jeanne Marie from UCD, Julia from UCI (I think), and I think that’s it. Again if I’m forgetting anyone I’m sorry! We’ve all been getting along really well and have been helping each other look for apartments. MC (Marie Claire) and I are neck and neck in the race. We have an appointment to look at the same place on the same day at the same time and definitely didn’t arrange it that way. Then today as I was taking the tram back to the dorms I saw a sign on an adorable house that said there were 2 rooms to rent and so I got off and took the info down, and slipped a note in the mailbox. I got back and was talking to her about it and she said, oh yeah I already called and left a message. Who knows, we might end up getting each of the rooms and living together. She’s a sweetheart so I wouldn’t mind. And it’s a pretty big house so we’d probably be living with other people too.
All in all, Grenoble is a dream so far, and I’ve been enjoying myself thoroughly. I can’t wait to find a place and get settled in so I can finally feel at home. There are so many things I want to do while I’m abroad and I need a place to rest my head before I can even get started. My French has improved drastically since I got here and I’m finding that I can understand nearly everything people are saying to me if they speak slowly enough, and even having conversations in French over the phone is getting to be easier and easier. It’s still nice to be surrounded by native English speakers, but I’m enjoying the practice when I go out and one intensive language classes start on Tuesday it’s gonna be cake. I bought myself a real French dictionary the other day and am trying to study it a little.
I think tonight we’re going to a barbeque at the home of one of the guys who has been nice enough to show us around town, get us set up with cell phones, and give us advice on renting. Should be fun and you bet you’ll hear all about it tomorrow. That’s all for now, sorry these entries are so long but for those of you who are patient enough to read all the way through them, I LOVE YOU! And I miss you J And of course I love and miss those of you who don’t read all the way through because you Americans are so busy that I almost understand if you don’t have time. Until later, -Liv.
posted by Liv at 8:35 PM
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