Just Call Me Princess-- Loire Valley

March 8 and March 9

 Well the Loire Valley trip has come and gone. It was on the 9th and 10th. For the most part it was fun. The longer I am here there more disconnected I feel. Like everyone is close and I have to force myself to get an invite or be acknowledged. I will go through this later. The castles were beautiful. We started our day at 5:50! I got my own seat and slept the majority! This trip was different. We had to stay with the tour guide class and walk around the city, which was cool for a bit. But, its tiring and starts to sound the same. Our first stop a place was a place I wanted to visit anyway. I loved it. I saw the castle and Joan of Arc! We had lunch and saw the most magnificent church. I literally took my breathe away! Around 2 we headed to Tours but we stopped at a castle. It was one we learned about in school and was HUGE! The inside of the castle looked liveable. Up to this point the trip was OK. I hung out with Yafei, Jasmine, and Helen. They were hilarious!

The main and only problem is the hostel. It was better than the last one aka not as many stairs. I was in the room with the guides and they were too tired to speak English. They would have a conversation and summarize it in one sentence to me. I left. The nice guide who was in another room asked if it was OK and told me I got placed there because I'm American. FML. What am I supposed to say? I spent as little time as possible in the room. I did experience the French stereotype. When my roomies took her jacket off it smelled so bad! She did use spray deodorant, which did nothing. It just mixes and makes the smell even worse! Once we smelled ok! We headed to the best dinner I've had since I got here!!! There was medieval performers. We got 2 appetizers and a billion of this patty biscuit stuff. There was also wine. Of course, I always kept a full glass,

One thing I noticed was the difference between myself and the Russian girls. Everyone to poured them wine  and served them. The guy next to me continuously got asked to refill their glasses and serve food. I just did it myself.


The Next Day

We went to a castle and a city tour. This one guy guide was fun. He is really nice and actually good at guiding.

Villanary Gardens
It was so pretty even if it hadn't grown in yet. There is a reflection pond. The bushes shapes have meeting! The heart is love and squares are daggers,

Loire Valley is beautiful! If you ever have a chance to go take it! This trip is definitely worth it!

American Boys Take Notes

March 8, 2012

International Women's Day. Every COuntry or majority have heard of this holiday and celebrate except America! This holiday is to celebrate women. Men's is in September. fyi. The buys at school planned a surprise dinner for the girls. American boys take note. They went out and bought everything. It was so precious. First, Olli the greeter gave all of us  a salute and we sat down. Then they had a place setting. They served noodle like we were in a resturant. Followed by graded cheese. They the best pasta sauce ever!! While we were talking about how sweet this was. They were preparing dessert. There was a "women's" playlist with songs like who runs the world and You're so Beautiful Girl. Once everything was done. They had one last surprise. Right what more could they have done! They did all of our dishes! By far the most memorable and best day ever!!!

As far as school-- the classes are getting tougher more classes longer days and more information to remember. My typical school day looks like this. I wake up and have class at 8 or 9:30 am. That would not be so bad if my classes didnt end at 5:00. Regional is tough-- you have to remember the histry, region, and sites, and how is all goes together. French culture is fine we mostly look around Angers and take trips. Managerial Accounting is tough. She gives us problems and after failing for about an hour, she will tell us the answers. Then we repeat with a new type of problem. Tourism Management is ok just boring. Tour guiding is fun but we have to price tours and the information is never clear enough, COmmercial Negotiations is about to become hard. We are getting a case and have to negoiate it with an opposing team. Two classes are already finished. Food culture is boring and we may have a final in it and I have not learned a thing.

Our newest class is wine. This seems fun. Wine tasting who can complain right? Sports Management is just repeating the same lecture again and again. We have a test the day after spring break fml! The last class is French Language. It is terrible! The class has way too many levels so most don't even try and do well. Then there are people like me and fail! I talked to Stephan the instructor today. He said normally there are people at lower levels. Okay and? He said talk to the teacher who speaks no English. Right,

Major Update Coming TONIGHT

I have been very lazy about updating my blog but will be caught up by the end of tonight! I have a lot to say. I will also be staring the 21 reasons I am excited to be coming home and 21 things I will miss. Get excited!

PARISSSSSS

This was stil the best weekend ever besides that minor glitch.

I saw Notre Dame, Louve, Eiffel Tower, the Arch and a world famous garden. Everything was beautiful and crowded. We couldn't go to the top for Notre Dame and Eiffel Tower. The ques for tickets and going in were redic.

The Louve was my favorite. It is massive! We saw the Mona Lisa! I only saw like a 1/3 of it after 2 hours.

Arch We did get to go up and inside the arch. It was so cool! I really enjoyed that. Not many people go inside so the ques were non-existent. THE VIEW IS GREAT!!!!

Eiffel Tower- I took lots of pictures from the ground but next trip I will up to the top. It was magnificent and huge! It is also a pick pocketers heaven. They try to target US and UK people by asking for English speakers. They they want you to give them money for some story.  The tower at night is gorgeous. Definately a must see for pictures.

Notre Dame - It is free to go inside the church but the bell towers cost ya. I will do it eventually but the que was around the block. SO NO THANK YOU! The inside was gorgeous though.

Th garden was pretty and nice place to have a picnic. I wish I could have enjoyed it more but this was right after being pick pocketed. So I thought everyone was a thief and out to get me

Moulin Rouge is a daytime stop. It is in a very dangerous neighborhood. We didn't have a chance to go before the sun set. The train ride back was interesting. We left at 9:09 for a 9:55 train Christy had to be  100% sure we went the right way or we would be screwed. We ran 1/2 the time to the station. Like we literally ran with my huge suitcase! I was failing miserably at keeping up. It was 9:51 when we got on to the platform floor ad I ran to 1 and my trolley. Once I found my section and seat someone was sitting in it AGAIN!!!! This is 4 for 4! The checked tickets and one man was arrested! CRAZY!

Fun Fact: If you sneak on anything in Angers it is a fine. Paris you get jail time.

We saw everything caught up and are planning trips around Europe!

Dear Pick Pocketers, YOU SUCK!!! From, Me

Everyone warned me! Yes, I was careful. But, it still happened. I was a victim of pick pocketrs. Christy and I just came from the Louve. We were on the sub/ bus. This group of kids came on. YES KIDS!!!! I told you the worst. Anyway, this guy pushed me and I gave him a dirty look  then a girl pushed me. I ended up opposite Christy. The girl shoved me and I felt my bag move. In literally one second I look down. Bag open!!!! I see two bright pink object but no wallet!!!!

If you have had something stolen. I am sure it was devastating but this is 100000000000x worse. I am in another country and they have my entire life. My money, my credit cards, and most of all my precious visa/ passport. NO WAY in hell are they ruining my study abroad program. I am full panic mode. We just left the station so I had only a few minutes to get it back. As soon as we get off they will leave with it. So I yell to Christy that they have my wallet! They took it! She speaks French so she could yell at them more effectively then me.

I kept saying it over and over. I looked the girl dead in the eye and said you are thief. She didn't even have the guts to look at me! I am still saying they took it they took my wallet. I don't have it. Then my wallet "fell." I knew it was no accident and looked at the girl again like what the fuck? I picked it up and fumbled through it. My passport, cards, euros, everything was there.

The moment my wallet was in my hands again was like  Christmas morining, Drinking water when you are so thristy, it is the greatest relief and happiness.

What I learned

1) Even if your bag is in front of you. HOLD THE ZIPPER
2) Kids are the worst. They can't be arrested so they doit ALL THE TIME
3) If you fight back. You will be arrested. You just have to take it.


What I can do is say the girl has no soul. She is heartless, ugly both on the inside and outside. She is a little bitch and every other bad word in the dictionary. What goes around comes back around.

Paris Weekend With Christy

Christy Dump it is my long lost friend from middle school. We were inseparable. We drifted apart in high school. I could never figure out why? There was no fight and  no drama. We went from every afternoon to once a week to once a month to once a semester to never. I was not sad. I mean I missed but was so consumed with things I only noticed when I hear thousand miles, see a golden retriever, spongebob suarepants, okso alot of things remind me of her. She is someone you just can't forget. So when I do reminisce on old memories and end up creeping on her Facebook. So after 4 and half years, I was going to Paris to hang out with her. I slightly nervous. What if we have nothing to talk about? What if something did happen and she leaves me at the station ( I highly doubted that but it did cross my mind)? What if had nothing in common?

Either way were finally doing the onle thing we could never do in our youth and that is have a sleepover. I did homeowrk and slept most of the train ride. Finally arrived, Christy had trouble finding the station because of all the construction but one worry disappeared. Soon I realized I had nothing to worry about. Chisty is one of those people you can spend years away from but as soon as you are together it feels like no time has passed. I mean that is what happened lol

We walked to the train station and bought 12 vouchers for 12.70 euro and headed to her place. She lives in a school that is famous. Havard and Oxford are based off of her university. Once we got settled in we went out. Probally not the best idea since we went to sleep at 4 or 5 in the morning. Christy is the most legit host ever. She kept offering food. I tried all sorts of Frenchy things and even borrowed a sleeping bag from her French mom (A older Parisian  woman who basically adopted her and is open about everything!).

What I Learned From Christy
1) Most Parisians wear black with one thing that pops
2) Don't talk to anyone. Just say no and keep walking!
3) Parisians are aggressive. You say Pardon and then Excuse-moi or Allay Allay.
4) People yell baby and bonjour at you ALL THE TIME. Ignore them. At least in America I am worthy of some stupid pick up line.
5) WATCH YOUR SHIT. Kids are the worst! I will go through pickpocketing later!
6) Parians DO NOT smile. You look down on the bus and as miserable as possible.


This was the best weekend ever! I absolutely love it! The city and company. Au Voir!

Brittany and Normady Trip!!!

This was an optional trip for school. So glad I went. It was perfect! I felt a little rushed 90% of the time but you are seeing two regions in two days it has to be that way. Our adventure started at 7 am. The bus ride was forever! I hardly noticed though due to sleeping.

ANYONE THINKING OF TRAVELING SHOULD INVEST IN A NECK PILLOW. I had such a sore neck by the end of the trip. I really regret not having one.

First Stop
WWII American Memorial. After all the contribution and sacrifice we made to help Europe. France gave the US land to bury out soldiers. There were 9000 at this site alone. Yes, sadly there is more then one! It really puts into perscpective all the sacrifice our troops and the world's put into protecting people and defeating the Nazis.Everything about it was so calm, it is hard to imagine this was where D-Day took place. Each sign was in English and French, which was cool. A Fun Fact I learned was the beaches in the area are name after the missions names from D-DAY , which were random cities in the respective country.


The reason I know so much about this is the trip had guides. They are in a tour guiding class and this is their project so they research and present us a tour in English. I was excited at first but soon it became information overload. For anyone that looks down on the hospitality field -- you will eat your words with what I am about to tell you. Before they can pass the prerec class for this class. They have to have mastered 3 languages! Not just bubble in a test beable to give a tour and answer questions in that language. Crazy!

My other favorite place was Le Mont Saint Michel! It is the 8th wonder of the world and I saw it! Back in the day a man had a dream of a abbey on a mountain and then built it. I wish someone had a dream I had a mansion and build me one. =) This place was huge!! It was practically untouched case monks and nuns live in an abbey. Who attacks them? NOONE! I did find out that the monks prayed 8 hours day! I barely have time for an hour at the gym! I made it all the way to the top and if you are ever in France this is a MUST-SEE!




There was so much to see on this trip that I could go on and on about but I figured telling you my top two places would be better. This trip is definitely worth going on!