Raclette!!!

So, I promised I would tell you about raclette.

Oh my goodness.

Seriously, you guys don't know what you've been missing. I'm convinced that whoever invented this idea should get an extra room tacked onto his mansion in heaven. It's that good.

Alright, get on with it, you say. What IS this wonderful thing with a weird name? Well, to start with, to eat raclette you have to have an apparatus like the one in the middle of the table:



This is one version of what is called an "appareil à raclette." There are plenty of others with grills on top or fancy attachments, but really all you need is an apparatus that melts the cheese in individual trays. Oh yes. Cheese. The best part. Raclette actually refers to the type of cheese used as well as to the meal itself. The difference in French is that the cheese is masculine and the meal is feminine. The cheese isn't particularly special, from what I can tell; it's just a soft cheese made from cow's milk. But, all cheese in France is better. Believe me. Anyway, the real magic happens when you place your slice of cheese in one of the little trays (les coupelles) and slide it inside the raclette oven. While your cheese is melting, you fill your plate with your choice of an assortment of sliced bacon, ham, sausage, boiled potatoes, or vegetables. When you notice that the cheese is bubbling, you take it out and scrape the cheese over whatever you like. ("Raclette" comes from the French verb "racler," which means "to scrape.") Then you refill the tray and start eating. Everyone else does the same, so that there is a constant supply of melted cheese in the oven, ready for someone to grab. Ideally, you keep going until all the cheese is gone. :) That's why raclette meals can last hours. But, the main focus is not the raclette -- it's the people. Raclette meals are meant to be relational, a concept that is a lot more common here than in the United States. I love the fact that they have a tradition built around gathering friends together to enjoy a meal and each others' company...especially since it's a meal that involves a never-ending supply of melted French cheese. ;) It has already provided me with amazing memories, like this one involving Suzanne, who fancied a bit of cheese with her eyeglasses:



We definitely laughed about that one.

So yes. Raclette is a must-try before you die. I'm seriously considering buying my own grill before I leave France, even if I do have to pay extra for overweight luggage. I hear they're hard to find in the US. (silly Americans)

Oh, by the way. The rest of the day with the church family was absolutely refreshing. The weather was intoxicatingly perfect, and I was able to see the Loire river for the first time, as well as the amazing beauty of the area surrounding it. I could live there, I really could. It would have been great just to experience the wonder of nature on such a beautiful day, but God supplied even more blessings through the precious time spent with brothers and sisters in Christ here. Nearly the entire church was able to come to the retreat (which is amazing in and of itself), and we spent the morning singing songs and reading passages proposed by one another, praying, and discussing verses related to sharing life within the church family. Then we took a break for the raclette lunch and a relaxed hike on a nearby forest trail before coming together again for a little more worship and taking the Lord's Supper. It was so refreshing to be with everyone and to spend the day in fellowship with them and with God. I'm so thankful!

Yesterday was a crazy day...and probably one of the longest I've had here in France. I shadowed a class of 8th graders at a private middle school as a part of my internship for my Didactique de l'Anglais class. Their day starts at 8am and goes until 5pm. I don't think I've been that exhausted in a long time. How I survived being that age, I'm not sure. In any case, I'm glad that my parents were never led to put me in school, because I would have hated it. Of course, there are differences between the US and American systems, but I know enough to be quite certain that 15 year olds act like 15 year olds no matter what country they live in. Anyway, I attended all of their classes with them, which included Technology (like shop/tech/real-life problem solving), Spanish, English, Math, Latin, and French. I wouldn't mind learning Spanish now, to be honest. I actually understood a bit of what they were discussing in class. In math, however, I was totally lost, and I *know* I learned how to find those angles.



That was the problem.



This is what me and Agnes did instead. Yeah, that's my sorry attempt at a US map, locating states by memory. And yeah, we were bored in math class. What else is new?

I couldn't remember how to do all of that now, even if you paid me. (However, I'm sure I could find out, if you offered me enough. lol) I suppose it must not be necessary for my field of interest if I haven't used it for so long that I forgot it, so oh well. A word of wisdom, though, for all of you young-ish people reading this: you still have to study it and master it, even if you think you'll just forget it later. It's a good discipline. Seriously. Learn it.



This math professor with a stereotypical appearance agrees with me.

;) Okay, I think I have a little more chocolate to eat and a bit of French journaling to do before I turn out the lights tonight. Tomorrow is my long day of classes, but I'm looking forward to it because Kendra and I are cooking dinner and hanging out together at the end of it. :) I'll talk to you guys later! Gros bisous!

First visit to a chateau :)

Good morning! Well, it's not morning in the U.S. yet. Anyway, it's morning somewhere, namely here. I just have a few minutes before I head out the door to meet Myriam, my ride to the church gathering today. This is the Saturday and Sunday of "Weekend d'Eglise," when the entire church goes on retreat and focuses on caring for itself. I wasn't able to go to the activities yesterday because of my ALP excursion, but I can't wait to see what's going on today. I think we're going to spend some time sharing, praying, singing, taking communion, and eating raclette. I'll describe that later when I know better what it is. ;)

Anyway, this past week hasn't been extremely fun overall, since I came down with a cold, but fortunately, it was just a little cold, and I'm already feeling better. The weather did get warmer, though! I bought some bread at the bakery and went to a local park for lunch on Wednesday before my examen blanc. It was wonderful to have the chance to simply exist: leaning against a tree, savoring my lunch, soaking in the sunshine, letting my thoughts wander. At home, I think I had become so focused and driven that I forgot it was possible, and not only possible, but necessary sometimes, to stop multitasking and just be. It's not that I don't have work to do here - I do -it's just that it's not being shoved down my throat by someone else to the extent that I feel like I'm out of control. I have the responsibility to decide how and when I need to do it to best prepare myself. That is a freedom I wish American schools could adopt, because I feel so much more human here.

I did finish the examen blanc on Wednesday, something I'm very proud of myself for having accomplished. I took close to 3 of the 4 hours I was allowed to answer the essay question in a fully developed dissertation format: 3 segments, 3 arguments per segment, 1 example per argument. It might sound impressive, but I can tell you right now that mine wasn't. :P I still have trouble expressing ideas in essay format intelligently, because I'm used to using certain turns of phrases in English that you wouldn't use in French. I'm still getting used to the French manner of expression. Verbally, it's getting a lot easier, but overall, it takes quite a bit of time to sink in. It's not enough to just look words up in the dictionary; you have to absorb the structure and the vocabulary at the same time. So, all that to say that I have no idea how I did; I could fail, I could pass...it's all up to how merciful and understanding the professor is.

Generally, I am definitely improving in self-expression. The other day, I was assigned a short story in Expression Ecrite/Orale which gave me some room to be creative, and I was really pleased with what I was able to do with it without very much help from my dictionary or my notes. Even writing in my French study abroad journal is no longer a chore, but rather something I look forward to. Unfortunately, I still get into trouble if I start in on a conversation about some uncommon subject like Native American burial mounds or bizarre weather phenomena or the story of Saint Patrick, because the vocabulary is so unfamiliar. (Yeah, try explaining those burial mounds without a dictionary. I did -- it didn't turn out very well.) But, normal life topics are getting a lot easier to talk about. I'm also understanding about 80-90% of what I hear now, as opposed to about 40-50%, which definitely makes me feel a lot more at ease. My brain doesn't just tune it out as noise now. What's even cooler is that my brain is not actively translating what I hear anymore: it's automatically registering the French as comprehensible communication without going through English first. :) Just the fact that my brain can do that astounds me. I've also had the chance to hear German and Spanish here, and I really want to pick up more languages now. I can actually understand some of the Spanish now that my French is more natural! Believe it or not, I really want to pick up Arabic. I'm disappointed that the only university that offers it in Arkansas is in Fayetteville... :P

So aside from writing and talking and taking exams, I've also been seeing a little bit of France - the part that I've really wanted to see for so long. On Saturday afternoon, my ALP class went on an excursion to the Plessis-Bourré Chateau, which is in the countryside about 30 minutes from Angers (by car). Its history dates back to the 15th century, when it was built by Jean Bourré, the Minister of Finance of Louis XI. It hasn't been altered since its construction was completed in 1473. That means you can still walk across the moat on its double draw-bridges (the larger one for carriages and the smaller one for pedestrians) and view its defensive towers. The moat, drawbridges, and towers all identify it as typical fortress of the Middle Ages, but it's large rooms, gardens, and even the windows show a clear crossover into Renaissance characteristics; thus, it is classified as a chateau in the Transition style.



Voila! Anyway, I couldn't understand most of what the guide was saying, because he chewed his words and couldn't decide how fast he was going to talk. So, I decided I wasn't going to worry about it, since concentrating harder wasn't getting me anywhere at all. I just started looking around for myself and enjoying the chateau for what I personally thought was interesting or beautiful. Oh...there was one other memorable incident: when the guide demonstrated how the counterbalance system of the drawbridge worked. He lifted the smaller drawbridge halfway, and then when he had sufficiently explained the mechanics, he let it drop. Now, there are a lot of birds that fly around the chateau, it being situated in the country and all. Unfortunately, one of them decided to land underneath the end of the drawbridge just as the guide let go of the counterbalance. It didn't take long for everyone to realize what had happened, especially after the drawbridge bounced back up again. :P Fortunately, I wasn't looking, but I got a kick out of the rest of the girls' reactions. They ranged from "Eww!" to "Aww!" to "Meh, c'est la vie!" I just took a picture. :P



We finished the day's field trip with a stop at Collegiale Saint Martin, the oldest church still existing in Angers. It dates back to the 11th century, but of course, it's been mostly reconstructed. You can still see parts of the original structure, though. The original church was established in the 5th century, which means that the archeological dig in the crypt below the church site has unearthed roadways and walls and artifacts from the 5th century occupation of the Romans in the city, when it was known as Juliomagus. We were able to view some of those ancient ruins underground, and some super old skeletal remains upstairs, both of which were pretty stinkin' awesome. If you want to see some pictures of the day's excursion, I've posted them on Facebook. :)

A tout à l'heure!

just hangin' out

So, I've been thinking for the past few days...if I were to write a blog post...what would I write about? I don't feel like I've done a lot that's grand, magnificent, or out of the ordinary, because I haven't been feeling that well physically, but then Caitlin reminded me that no one cares if it's ordinary or extraordinary. You guys just want to know what I'm doing and *how* I'm doing over here! lol Keeping that in mind, I'll just let you in on some of the little, everyday things I've been doing this week.

Last weekend, my ALP class took a field trip (yes, I can still go on those, and I'm 21!) to the Doutre: the part of Angers on the other side of the Maine river. The term "Doutre" comes from "d'outre mer," meaning "other side of the water." Historically, it was the Protestant region of the city, because they, as well as the outcasts, were pushed to the outskirts by the Catholics. There are some beautiful churches there, like L'Eglise de la Trinité and Abbaye Ronceray, as well as l'Hôtel des Pénitents, a refuge for women in need and repentant women from "sullied" backgrounds. I really enjoyed our tour of l'Hôpital St-Jean, which is actually an extremely old hospital built with money donated by Henry II when he began to feel remorse for having allowed his men to assassinate his friend, the archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Beckett. The hospital is now the home of Le Chant du Monde - the series of tapestries designed by Jean Lurçat as his response to the Tapestries of the Apocalypse (on display at the Chateau). They are really fantastic pieces of art, even if their subject matter is rather bizarre. He designed them in the 1950s after his experience fighting in World War II and during the birth of the Cold War nuclear crisis, so his perception of the apocolypse awaiting the Earth was one of nuclear holocaust. (He was also an atheist, so his interpretation has little to do with biblical accounts and everything to do with humanism and new ageism.) I thought his interpretations, the symbolism, and especially the artwork itself were quite impressive, even if I don't necessarily agree with his outlook. You should definitely look up some images if you get the chance, although to get the full effect, you really have to be standing in front of the floor to ceiling woven masterpiece. It still amazes me that a tapestry can be planned with that much intricate detail and then woven on a loom upside-down, so that the weaver doesn't see his progress until the product is finished!

Sunday, I decided to take the afternoon to visit the Chateau d'Angers, since the first Sunday of the month is free admission day for everyone. Unfortunately, it was bitterly cold, and the wind was blowing fiercely, so I didn't stay long. All the same, it was an amazing experience, standing on top of the ramparts overlooking the Maine, imagining what it must have been like to be a soldier looking out on the hills and trees of the Loire valley stretching to the horizon, without the roads and townhouses and cell phone towers blocking the view. I still can't believe that parts of that castle date back 800 years. And to think that there are things still older than that in this world. We really are but specks of dust in the wind.

Anyway, it was just too cold to stick around at the castle, so I started walking back. I happened to run across a flea market on a side street, so I made a little detour to explore and ran into some friends from school who informed me that I had to go check out the car show at the end of the street. So I did...and seriously...oh my goodness...I have never seen that much money parked in one place before. Jaguars, Ferraris, Porsches, a Lotus, Vipers, antique roadsters -- you name it, it was there, and in fantastic, oh-so-drivable condition. Maybe God will have a sports car waiting in my mansion in heaven. Until then, though, I had to content myself with touching that jet black Ferrari and that bright red Lotus, and snapping some pictures, like these:




And then I went home and tried to thaw out.

I realized that I also had to fill out my official class registration paper to turn in Wednesday, so I worked on that. Turned out I needed two signatures: one from the head of each department I'm taking classes in. I tracked down one of them through e-mail, but the other one just responded to my request to meet with him by referring me to his office hours posted on his door (which I'd already seen). Of course, his 45 minutes of office hours on Tuesday conflicted with one of my classes, so I emailed him back and asked for other options. He told me to come on Wednesday during his office hours, which happened to be right after my last class, at 4:45: 30 minutes before the office where I had to turn in the completed paper would close. Fantastic. So I show up, right? And is he there? Nope. All of the other ten students who were there waiting with me were in the same predicament. So, someone found out that we could just slide the papers under his door and he'd take care of them at some point. I just rolled my eyes, shoved mine under the door, and muttered something about the educational system here. I just can't figure it out.

Hah, and that was before my history class on Wednesday, when the prof started talking about this "examen blanc" that was coming up this week. Wait...what "examen blanc"? When? Over what? *sigh* "Examen blanc" means "practice test" - so basically, it's just like the final exam, except the grade doesn't count. This class is validated only by "dissertation," or "written essay," which is written according to strict French methodology during a four hour block of time on one of two essay questions covering material from the semester's study. Mmhmm. Exciting. I'm pretty sure I'm going to flunk it, considering the fact that I'm not familiar with the correct "methodology" of writing these things (and no one will tell me what it is so I can learn it), and I'm struggling to make sense of all of the French history from 1815-1914, much less how to write about it in French. Anyway, Dr. Bailey keeps telling me to relax, do my best, and we'll sort it all out...I just wish it were that easy. Since no one will tell me how to prepare, and it's impossible to know everything, I find myself hard-pressed to find the motivation to study. I mean, where would I start, and where would I stop? It's discouraging just to think about it. Even so, I think I've decided that the best course of action is to just make a plan for myself: something concrete that I can use study, even if it isn't comprehensive. It's better than nothing! At least the work in my translation classes is going well. I earned a compliment and a very good grade from my third-year Theme professor for my practice test translation in his class. If I can do even nearly that well on the real test, I'll be really happy! Plus, I just really like my translation classes...I'm always learning something new and interesting about words or about the meanings we put behind them because of our culture or our outlook on life. There is so much more hidden inside a word than just a literal translation. Words and the ways we structure them reveal a way of looking at life. I'll try to find some examples in my work this week for you. One thing I have found interesting though is how much richer the vocabulary in French seems to an English speaker. It is easy to overtranslate French verbs into English. Take for example, "suffire" which means "to suffice, or to be enough." In everyday spoken French, you would say "ça suffit" to mean "that's enough." And you would be tempted to translate the phrase as "that suffices" in English...but alas, it's an over-translation. Another thing I've learned is that translation enriches my English vocabulary! I love that, since there are a lot of words that I have either lost or haven't learned. And the more I speak French, and then switch back to English, the more I realize that we don't speak with a very rich vocabulary at all. It's a wonder any foreigners can understand anything we say when we use "get" in every other sentence instead of a verb with a specific meaning. (I got lost = je me suis perdue = I lost myself) Much more specific.

Anyway...language tangent complete...and on to other events of the week. Towards the middle of the week, I started craving some philosophical discussions with someone (in English!) so Drew and I sat down on Google Chat and had a long debate about Christianity and politics, and I laid out some questions I've been turning over in my mind based on the observations I've been making about culture and society here. I've been storing up so much to think about, from capitalism/socialism, to perspectives on daily life, marriage and children, morality, economy, environmental issues, racism, politics, national history and past decisions of ancestors that bring shame - you name it, I've probably got an idea about it floating around up there somewhere. Just ask me sometime if you want to talk. I'm definitely up for some challenging conversation (or just interesting and informative conversation, if you don't want to debate anything). I honestly don't know enough to really debate; I just want to keep discovering: to keep asking questions to figure out why things are they way they are, and perhaps how they should be instead. (and where I fit in it all)

And...I wrapped up the week with a fantastic, relaxing weekend with friends in Nantes, at Clemence's family's house. (Thank you again for opening your home to us!) We had some of the best pizza I've ever had in my life (I never knew you could put apples on pizza), I learned a bit of a French drinking song from some acquaintances of hers that came over, we watched plenty of hilarious youtube videos and Disney movies in French, and stuffed ourselves with cookies and popcorn and Pringles. It was the perfect sleepover weekend, and just what I needed to feel at home, too. :) We watched La Belle et La Bête (Beauty and the Beast), La Petite Sirène 2 (The Little Mermaid 2), Aladdin, and The Mask - all in French - and Shrek in English with French subtitles. And yes, The Mask was just as bizarre in French as it was in English. Oh, and I tasted this:



And before you think I've been drinking hard vodka...that's not at all what that is. It's a carbonated beverage - yes, soda - with a tiny bit of alcohol (4.5% by volume) that tastes more like blue popsicles and Robitussin than alcohol. Not exactly my cup of tea, but interesting all the same. The sparkling cider we had, on the other hand...mmm, wow. Delicious.

Annnnnnnyway, it's about time that I wrap this up, since it's getting late and I should get some sleep. (Btw, I do find it rather awesome that there is only a 6 hour time difference between here and the U.S. for this week, because France doesn't change to Daylight Savings Time until this weekend. Take advantage of it!) ;) Have a great Monday, everyone, and remember that it's blessed because He created it. :) Peace!

Vacation!

I've been admonished in recent days that I should write more often, so here I am. I have been super busy and otherwise occupied, which has been a good thing, for the most part. Train rides, sight-seeing, walking, eating, laughing, more walking, buying things, and more walking...and marveling at the wonders of creation, awe-inspiring architecture, and intriguing differences in culture...that's what I've been doing lately. Oh, and did I mention walking? I'm pretty sure I could be a magazine model by the time summer comes around. ;)

I could probably write pages and pages about this whirlwind of a vacation and my return home to Angers, but I don't really have the time or the energy to write them, and I'm going to assume that you don't have the time or the energy to read them, either! (Don't worry, though, Ali - I've recorded even the little details in my journal so I won't forget.) So, allow me to share with you a list of the top 15 reasons I will never forget my vacation to Paris, Marseille, and Strasbourg (other than the obvious fact that I did indeed go to Paris, Marseille, and Strasbourg - for real-real, not for play-play). ;)

1. the train rides from Paris to Marseille, from Marseille to Strasbourg, from Strasbourg to Angers...
I really like train rides, except for the fact that I tend to get a little nauseous if I read or write too much. Getting to the right platform, into the right car, and getting out at the right stop always feels like an adventure no matter how many times you do it, and the train ride itself is always full of surprises. You never know when the police might hop on board for a visit, or what kind of random person you might strike up a conversation with. Kendra and I talked with an older woman from northern France for a couple of hours on our way to Strasbourg about work, education, church, marriage...and mistletoe. Yes, we happened to see some strange plant growths on the trees we were passing, and she explained that it was a parasitic plant called "gui" - which is mistletoe. So next time you kiss under the mistletoe at Christmas, remember...it's just a parasitic plant. :P Anyway, I really enjoyed having the downtime on the train, and especially having the time to observe the scenery of different parts of France. On the way from Marseilles to Strasbourg, the scenery reminded me of the western United States (Colorado, northern New Mexico), then it gradually changed until the rolling green hills reminded me of Virginia, and then it change yet again into something that resembled the Ozarks region, around the Buffalo river. I find all three to be extremely beautiful, so it was a lovely train ride. :) Oh, and with our student discount passes, we were also able to snag 1st class seats twice!

2. the FOOD!!!
I don’t even know where to begin, talking about the food we tasted on this trip. If we had come home after just our trip to Paris, I probably would have been satisfied with the yummy Parisian pastries we enjoyed every morning on our way to the Metro stop. (My romantic mind was definitely content with finding the nearest boulangerie/patisserie and then taking a stroll with a fresh raisin pastry or chocolate croissant in hand. It didn’t really matter what street we were on, since it was all Paris!) But, the pastries were not the only memorable cuisine from Paris. The egg, cheese, and ham filled crêpe that I bought from a tiny one-man stand in the Latin quarter was possibly one of the most amazing, mouth-watering delicious things I’ve ever eaten. But, there were even better things to come. In Marseilles, Kendra and I decided that we couldn’t leave until we’d tried some seafood. After all, it would be a shame to travel all that way and not taste the local specialties, straight from the source. I doubt that I’ve ever had seafood quite that fresh before -- as in, my oysters and mussels and shrimps were on ice and very ... raw. I managed to get several down, just to say I’d had the experience, but I don’t think they’re my favorite type of cuisine. However, the bouillabaisse was another matter entirely. Bouillabaisse was a tradition said to be started by hard-working mothers in the seaside towns who would take the leftovers of the day’s catches and throw them all together into a pot to make a fish stew. Fortunately, the tradition has evolved into something a bit, um, fresher. Our bouillabaisse was made with oysters, three different kinds of fish, and potatoes. The fish were cooked whole, because we could see the waiter cutting them up and pouring the broth over them before he brought the soup to the table. As odd as it might sound, it was one of the tastiest soups I’ve ever eaten! It does take time to eat it, though, since you have to pick out all of the bones. So, after our culinary highlight in Marseilles, we set our sights on Strasbourg and all of the yummy German-influenced foods we had heard about. And indeed they were yummy! Tarte flambée, kougelhopf, vin chaud...all amazing. Tarte flambée is like a crispy thin crust pizza topped with a thin layer of sour cream/white cheese, bacon (more like bacon fat), and onions. You can order it with other toppings, too, such as mushrooms, garlic, etc., like I did. Quite tasty. Kougelhopf is a traditional Alsacian bread made with currants or raisins and topped with almonds. It’s always made in the same shape, kind of like a Bundt pan form, and it’s not as sweet as you would expect from a raisin bread. In fact, if it’s traditionally made, it’s supposed to be a savory bread. And...I can’t finish this point on food without mentioning that yes, we did eat German food...in Germany. :) My sausage salad reminded me of high-quality bologna shredded on salad with cheese and a dijon-style dressing...a salad which I enjoyed, but didn’t know existed!

3. the walking!!
I will never forget the sheer quantity of walking we did on this vacation. I think that if you calculated the number of hours that we spent on foot, it would come to an average of 6 to 8 hours per day. (mostly because we’re too cheap to use the bus and the metro, and walking gives you a better feel for the atmosphere of a city in such a short time) We discovered lots of neat little shops and restaurants just by walking around, like the leather boutique in Marseille where the woman designs her own purses and leather goods and was more than willing to explain her work to us. I will say, though, that by the end of the vacation, I was much less willing to go out of my way to walk somewhere, because my feet were killing me. But, at least we burned enough calories to work up enough of an appetite for lots of local food!

4. the Eiffel Tower
Now I’m sure you’re wondering why this made it on the list. After all, everyone knows that it’s in Paris, but it’s still the ugliest structure in the world. If that’s true, then I must not be everyone. It’s not the most breathtakingly beautiful thing I’ve seen, for sure, but it’s not bad-looking on a pretty day. At night, though, it’s a completely different story. Laura secretly took Kendra and I to a lookout point after dark one night around 7:00, and we weren’t sure exactly what we were going to see next. We just climbed the stairs out of the Metro station and started following her to the next sight. As soon as we turned the corner, there was the Eiffel Tower, glittering and sparkling in the night sky. I’ll admit, I just stood there with a huge grin that you couldn’t have wiped off of my face, like a kid who just walked into Disneyworld for the first time. Of course, the tower didn’t hold quite the same sense of wonder the next day, but I’ll always be grateful that I had the opportunity to see it for the first time like that. Thank you, Laura, for remembering that it would be lit up on the hour, and for sharing it with us. :)

5. the deepened understanding of the importance of relationships
I would be lying if I said that I felt perfectly content throughout the entire vacation. To be honest, I would have to say that I missed my family and friends even more while I was gone than when I was in Angers (if that’s possible!). It seemed like every time I turned around, I was in the middle of another experience I wanted so badly to share with someone...but I couldn’t. Don’t get me wrong; I’m so, so, so grateful that I had the chance to travel with Laura and Kendra! I just wish that more of you could have been there with me to see the blue water, to feel the power of the wind, to play in the sand, to marvel at the churches and monuments, to enjoy a meal together. I felt like, as amazing as it was, it was only half as amazing as it would have been with the most important people in my life there to savor it with me. So, does that mean that I had a miserable vacation? No. It just means that I have a renewed sense of appreciation for the relationships God has given me. :) You are all so special to me.

6. the history
From the monuments and landmarks of Paris, to the old port and the Chateau d’If in Marseille, to the unique Alsacian heritage and identity in Strasbourg, there was always something historical to intrigue me on this trip - even things to inspire my reluctant imagination. The tomb of the Unknown Soldier under the Arc de Triomphe reminded me of the sacrifices of men and women whose names and faces we don’t even know, and the sacrifices made by their families and friends and countrymen. They were all important to someone. The fact that a country like France lost a million men in one war still blows my mind. Visiting Notre-Dame in Paris was also a special experience. The very building itself is awe-inspiring, but it somehow it held more meaning because we happened to visit during mass. It’s overwhelming to imagine how many people have come to mass there over its years of existence, who they were, and what they might have been like. I found my imagination to be even more lively when we visited Marseille and got caught in a blustery rainstorm out on the calanques of the Isle of Frioul. The wind was dashing the waves against the rocks like I’ve always heard it can do, but I’ve never seen or experienced the sheer power of it for myself. Since we were only witnessing a small rainstorm, I couldn’t help but imagine the terror of being stranded on a ship in the middle of a real storm or imprisoned in a fortress in the middle of the ocean like Edmond Dantes in the Count of Monte Cristo.

7. the playful moments, when we forgot we were 21 and decided to be 8 again

...of swinging in the park
...of climbing onto whimsical statues of birds that spin, just to see how fast we could go and make ourselves dizzy
...of running and jumping into the wind and letting it lift us off the ground
...of eating Kougelhopf, food of champions!!!
...of drawing pictures in the sand and wading in the ocean
...of trying to open a can of tuna without a can opener and laughing hysterically at the looks from the guy behind us on the train
...of eating ice cream for dinner
...of taking pictures of angry faces, sad faces, serious faces, sleepy faces, happy faces, and all faces that might occur in between

8. Kendra
It was such a blessing to be able to wake up with her, to sometimes share something we’d read in the Bible or talk about something we didn’t quite understand, to pray together, to talk over all the cultural differences we’d never seen before, and most of all to take the time to really get to know one another and discover dreams and quirks and personality we’d never seen in the other before. I will always remember the time we laughed until we couldn’t breathe at the can of tuna, which was really “man-bait,” the endless jokes we made about Kougelhopf and the Place Kleber, and the glare she gave that drunk guy who put his arm around my shoulder at the fruit stand. (I pity her children when they do something to cross her in the future...) ;) She was even the perfect person to take shopping, because she is just like me...we’re both so indecisive. We understand each other!

9. Laura
I also enjoyed spending those few days with Laura and getting to know her better! I was really glad to have the opportunity to see not only the big things in Paris, but the tiny little things she loves. The falafel, the tiny crêpe stand, the Eiffel Tower at night, the Toys’R’Us with the 5kg jar of Nutella...it was all awesome...but doubly awesome because she was there to enjoy it with us. She’s not only best guide to Paris ever, but a good friend. :)

10. the Beach and the Calanques
cold water. distant horizon. blue sky. white clouds. soft sand. messages. shells. freshest, sweetest air I’ve ever smelled. roaring wind. laughter. awe. indescribable.

11. Germany
We hopped on a train Sunday morning just to say we’d been there. Offenburg was pretty much deserted for most of the day, but we managed to find a restaurant that was open, where we ended up being the American tourists who didn’t speak a word of the native language and had to fall on the mercy of the waitress who happened to speak some English. We didn’t even know how to count or say the days of the week in German! It was a completely new feeling, since we could always fall back on our French before. Anyway, we loved listening to the normal German people having conversations around us, and we had a great deal of fun on our quest to find postcards (that we couldn’t read), stamps (we probably stuck on enough to send the cards around the world twice), and a drop box (that didn’t have a separate slot for foreign mail - but it’s not like we could read it if it did). We had a long talk over dessert that afternoon about some ideas we have for the future, and we ended up doing some impromptu brainstorming. I love afternoons like that.

12. the Markets
Strasbourg has three different outdoor markets: the produce market, the book market, and the flea market. We hit up all three on Saturday, and it was one of the best things we did in Strasbourg. The book market boasted stand after stand of old books, new books, trashy books, childrens’ books, antique books, postcards, and posters, and I found a book about all the known phobias in the world -- which should be humorous and a good opportunity to learn vocabulary. However, the flea market was where I found the real treasures, both in objects and in memories. I found a little ceramic bowl I liked, and the old man sold it to me for a euro. Not bad. But then I found a painted plate that really, really wanted...but I didn’t want to pay the 10 euros the guy was asking (even though he said he was giving me a good deal since I was pretty, or the bowl was pretty...I’m still not sure which pronoun he used). Then he offered me two plates for 15 euros...but I didn’t want the other one. I’d seen him working over a couple who was looking at a tricycle at his stand, and I got the impression that I could bargain with him, so I stood up a little straighter and told him I only had 7 euros for the one plate I wanted, and he didn’t waste a second taking me up on it. I’m sure I could have gone lower, but it was my first time...and I was bargaining in French...so I was super-proud of myself. And I now own the plate I really liked, too. After that, I found a beautiful locket at a different stand, and I came back to it three times because I just couldn’t leave without at least trying to buy it. The lady tried to sell it to me for 20 euros, and then she offered it to me for 10 euros if Kendra bought the 20 euro item she was considering for 10 euros as well. Kendra didn’t really want it, so I asked the lady if she would take 15 for the one I wanted, and then thought better of it and offered 12, which she also took. I was quite happy with that. :) Then we headed off to the produce market, where most of the vendors were packing up, but we still got to taste some locally-produced Munster cheese, 1 week old and 3 weeks old. I think I prefer the taste of the newer cheese, even though most people prefer the older. Anyway, all in all, it was a great day at the markets that I won’t soon forget.

13. the increased confidence
I CAN speak French. I CAN travel on my own. I CAN navigate a city without getting hopelessly lost. All with His help. :)

14. the new friends at the hostel
Nearly every night we stayed in the hostel, a new person came to share our the room with us, which made for great opportunities to share backgrounds and having deep, interesting conversations. I’m really glad we had the opportunity to meet Kayt, Caroline, and all of the others. :) They’ve each left me to think about a little bit of their own perspective on life, which I think is a valuable asset.

15. the realization that He is Emmanuel, God with Us, Jehovah Shalom, our Peace and Jehovah Jireh, our Provider
He is the God who sees. So many times, we could have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, or could even have been in grave danger, but he delivered us because of his mercy. I didn't find out that there was a massive storm that killed over 50 people in France until I was safe in Strasbourg after the storm had passed. Thankfully, He kept the knowledge of the storm from my parents until I was able to talk to them. What i find amazing about the entire situation is that Kendra and I were getting on our train from Paris to Marseille at the same time that Paris was instituting warnings and watches and cancelling flights. Before long, Paris was buffeted by the winds and flooding -- but we were already in the south of France, out of harm's way, enjoying the sand and the waves and the beauty of His creation. How amazing and merciful is our God!

Well, hopefully these 15 highlights give you an idea of how amazing this trip was. Unfortunately, it was also exhausting, and on top of that, I'm currently dealing with some health issues. This too shall pass. I'm pretty sleepy now though, so I'm going to sign off. Bisous!