le bonheur suprême: bliss

The first photo I took of Paris. Or did truly leave États-Unis?

Two months down, two more to go. Halfway done with my time abroad and I am beyond excited to go home. Yes, I am homesick, but that's not the reason I long to go back. Above all, I want to go be in the U.S. to finish what I started three years ago: college.

I am in love with the city and with the continent in general and that's why I am thinking of starting my post-graduate life here. You may ask, where’s “here?” Will it be Paris, anywhere in France, or just somewhere in Europe? Anglophones and Spanish-speakers like myself can survive without the knowing French in Paris, and what I want be forced to speak the language. So, in my ideal future, I would live in the south or le midi de la France, own a farm with my beautiful French husband, and sell the harvests at marchés of nearby cities—perhaps Marseilles or Nice? Yes, I'm thinking too far ahead, but a girl’s gotta dream big right? However, I would not be opposed to living in Paris since most of my ideal jobs are here...like the OECD. 

Now, reflecting back on my current situation, studying abroad in Paris feels like an extended vacation—a dream-like reality. It’s not as extravagant like my living-in-the-south-having-a-farm fantasy, but it’s surreal that I get to walk by Jardin du Luxembourg or that the Eiffel Tower is a metro ride, or a four-mile run, away. I do attend classes (yes, mom, I really do), but the workload is far different and I enjoy studying at cafés (but let’s be real: I usually end up at Starbucks, the most reliable place for Wi-Fi and for being open on Sundays).

My friend and I were discussing our abroad experiences and she did an amazing job at summarizing why we use precious study-time to discover the city. By doing so, finding a small café (with WiFi), or finding a small, hidden street, those moments brings us as “pockets of bliss:” instances that make the tears, frustration, and homesickness worth going through in order to indulge in a moment of pure joy. I may have shed tears for missing home, for feeling frustrated when a local talked to me in English, and for getting lost in the city at night the first week of my arrival. But, when the bliss finds you, you forget those low points of the trip. It’s an integral part of studying abroad: you are given the chance to learn about yourself, to learn about your limits, and to persevere against the challenges of adapting to a new culture. 

And so yesterday, I embraced a “pocket of bliss” after I inadvertently celebrated my two months abroad. Paris went all out for our “monthiversary” since my professor cancelled the night class and my friend from Copenhagen came to the city. Additionally, I discovered that my favorite tapas place offers a cheap formule à midi with sangria included. To top it off, I sat by the Seine with my friend and her Copenhagen classmate and ate my first macarons from Ladurée. And while sitting near Pont des Arts yesterday, I was really tempted to buy a lock and profess my love to Ladurée and its magnificent colorful pastries. 

Tapas at Les Piétons, near Chatêlet metro station in the 4th. 

My true, Parisian love.

It was like eating an actual framboise. 

            After a long night celebrating, I am being semi-productive and working in Place des Vosges, near Victor Hugo’s house. The city offers free Wi-Fi in this open, grassy space, and I get to enjoy the weather while I people watch (hence me being semi-productive). The events that took place yesterday and today make me very thankful for the opportunity to “study” in Paris. It may not be the full year, but I still get an inside look into the life in Europe, which someday, I want to be part of. But for now, I am enjoying my current moment of bliss before another wave of homesickness hits me.

Prior to getting kicked off the grass since it's "hibernating."

To be fair, as the days pass, I've learned to cure such sweeping emotions by going to the greatest fast-food joint America has created and that the French are getting acquainted with: Chipotle.

20 Boulevard Montmartre...I have street,  the metro stop, and sortie  memorized.