Well well well, I have to say I am having a lot of fun with this entire study abroad experience and I'm beyond ready to get serious about my studies and newfound art mediums. That being said, I made sure to get a good bit of my wanderlust out the last two weekends before the reality of school and studying and tests/quizzes really catches up to me.

So I'm finally in Paris. 

London is a fast-paced city and can be a lot to take in at once. Add to that a lost 20-year-old trying to wrangle a bag that's bigger than her, and things can get interesting. So, for my fellow students who will one day find themselves walking the streets of this city, backpack in hand, here are a few tips that might make the trip a little less stressful and a lot more like that movie scene where the main character wanders around foreign places and miraculously becomes a better person. (If that ever actually happens I want to know about it.)

Now that I am officially in the UK, everything seems as if it's happened so fast— one day I'm sitting in the airport in Toronto, and in the blink of an eye I'm looking around my London dorm room wondering how it got so messy already. (I promise I'll clean mom.) But just like that I've zoomed right past "whoamIwhatamIevendoing" and landed right into the zone of "but where is there free food in London today." Like any good journey, however, I do have some stories, so I'd like to take some time to reflect on the trip that feels ages away.

Lyrics to "Gazpacho"

[Michael Jackson/Miguel-esque wah]

Ha! [laughter]

[intro]

Welcome everyone.

For those of you who don’t know, this is JB

and for those of you who do know.

you already know how this goes

let’s go

When I’m on the bus to and from IES, I can’t help but smile like a complete idiot. I’ve always felt drawn to cities because there’s a plethora of things to do there and now I have all of them at my fingertips. For example, I live less than a minute from a boulangerie. Just let that sink in…baguettes, croissants, pains au chocolat…a skip and a couple smells away.

Here are “a few of my [other] favorite things” in Nantes that make me so excited to be here:

Finalement! I have arrived in Paris and am settling into my homestay chez la famille Julienne in the 16e arrondissement. Despite precautions on my part to avoid the classic Paris clichés, I can't resist saying that I am already feeling like a French writer as I look out onto the rainy Parisien street in front of the Julienne's Hausman style immeuble. Sorry, had to.

Last weekend, we went to the Mercado San Roque with one of my classes. The market is housed in and around a very large warehouse-esque building with multiple levels. Everything Ecuadorians may use in their food can be found in this market. Apparently supermarkets and vendors at other markets purchase their goods here. However, it is a very dangerous market, and we had to be very cautious when taking photos. 

I've been in Freiburg for just over a week now. I have to keep reminding myself of that. In some ways it feels like I've been here for much longer, and yet I'm still not fully acclimated to life here. I can't even begin to relay all that has gone on in the past week, but I will try and give you a glimpse of how I've begun to get to know this amazing city.