1 Month Down

I'm coming up on my 1 month anniversary with Paris. I know there are certain rules about when, how and how soon to say this, but whatever.. I'm not ashamed.... I'm in love. It's safe to say my Valentine this year is le Ville de Paris.

The way I know it's been a month is my landlord, in all his lavender wool, came by the other day asking for the rent. Without that reminder I probably wouldn't have known. My concept of time has become rather primitive. I barely look at my cellphone except to receive basic logistical information. My free days are no longer scheduled or quantified by impossible checklists, leaving me with guilt at the days end of what was left undone. Instead, I "schedule" my days when I get home at night, noting where I went, who I saw, and what I did based on where the day took me. I get a lot more "done" this way.

Here is an sample itinerary I had on Monday:

9:00- Woke up; Water-colored

10:00- Met Tom and Ryan at a Cafe
10:30- Went on a walk with Ryan through the 16th Arrondisment- Got incredibly lost, ended up on the outskirts of Paris. No Map. Ate a Pain au Chocolat to comfort ourselves.
12:00- Reunited with Tom, Metroed to Le Marias (Republique Stop) to find a perfect Cafe to do homework in.
1:00- Found one on Place du Tournes; Deemed it too touristy; dragged the boys onward;
2:00- Got us lost again; Got yelled at;

Convinced them I knew where I was going again; Ended up on the cutest street in Paris I've scene so far: Rue des Rosiers
3:00- Found the perfect Cafe Volteur on the corner of Rue du Franc Bourgeouis and Rue des Hospitalières Saint-Gervais in the 3rd Arrondisement.


Sat, drank a Chocolat Chaud and read Robinson Crusoe while Tom and Ryan did Sudoku
5:00- Ate the best Falafel at L'as du Falafel
"Wow! Ann, are you a Local?" -Tom while this picture was being taken
7ish- Arrived home and did homework.


I had my first week of classes last week. I truly love them all. I'm taking 4 classes at NYU, 2 in French 2 in English, and 1 class at La Sorbonne in French. Since this is my last semester at NYU, I am stuffing all the subjects that I have never taken but would feel less human if I graduated without into this last 4 months. In other words, I have created a mini BAC for myself: Language, Art History, Philosophy, Literature, and Cinema/Anthropology.

But the great part of it is that I only have class Tuesdays and Thursdays, one class after the other until 5:30pm. :) Yes... 4 day weekends.

Life is rather pleasant here. But there have been some lows... stay tuned..