2 Months in Paris
RECAP: The last 2 months
What a crazy time it has been. I touched on this a bit in an earlier post, but just in these 2 short months (which have felt like 2 entire lifetimes) I feel like a completely different person.
Here are some of the things worth talking about:
The first photo is in the city that I work, Mantes La Jolie. Do not be fooled by the name, or the pretty train tracks. (I have to take the train to work every monday and Tuesday, the only 2 days teach. Altogether it’s about an hour commute, but public transportation commuting is so much nicer than driving. I can read, nap, eat breakfast, or prepare my lessons all while on the train.) The part I dread is getting up so early, and this is coming from a morning person. 6 a.m. is not a time that should exist for existing.
Luckily for me, (really lucky,I don’t believe many others in my program were this fortunate) I only have to do it 2 days a week and I’ve got the rest of the week off! (Besides my Au Pair hours.)
I try to keep an open mind about the city. Before I moved to France, I considered living directly in Mantes instead of Paris. I’m glad that I didn’t, although I met someone recently who lives in Mantes and speaks proudly of it, the way I do Detroit. But even he prefers Paris. He is going to show me around more, so I’m hoping I will see a different side of the city.
The second photo is justv1 of about a million I have of the Eiffel Tower. I live only about a half mile away from it, so I see it every time every time I wake up for my day, come home for the evening, and all the other moments in between. I have many opinions about this – especially since I have been hearing so much negativity about it from some of my peers (Americans) who live in Paris.
I could pass it a million more times, and I would still find it beautiful. I want to make that clear. I don’t feel “cool” by saying that ‘yeah, I’m just used to it now. Meh. I mean, it’s okay. If you’re a tourist, I guess. It’s actually pretty ugly in person. Once you’ve seen it – you’ve seen it.’
These are all things I have actually heard people say about. I still get off the Metro and feel stunned by the surreality of it though it’s always there, sparkling. I still want to admire it like all the tourists around me taking photos. Sure, I may not do that as often, but I never look at it and think anything negative: because to me the Eiffel Tower is more than just a statue. It’s about what it represents. Where I came from, where I am, how I got here, how lucky I am. I won’t belittle it because, yes, there’s more to the country.There is beauty everywhere here.
The last 4 photos are of Achille and Ambre, the kids I nanny. Before I get into this, I have to let it be known for those of you who didn’t, that I absolutely hated kids before this trip. I didn’t understand them, I thought they were cheesy weird little alien people.
I’m no expert now, but something is different. Something happened, and I’m not sure if it’s my maternal/biological clock ringing, or if it’s the way Ambre couldn’t stand me at first and now she tells me she loves me in her squeaky little French voice. Or the way my heart dropped when for twenty miserable seconds I couldn’t find Achille on the carousel. I don’t know what’s happened to me.
