London Aleigha Style

This blog post is intended for the enjoyment of those you who truyly know me well. If you fall into this category, you would know that I have a knack for making the wrong decision at the worst possible time, run late when I had the best intentions of being on time, I will inevitably lose something, trip, get lost, or some odd combination of all of the above. We all know it could not have truly been an Aleigha Weekend without one of the above occuring.
Let's commence with Friday. I was supposed to leave my house at 6 am, in order to catch a bus at 7, to get to my plane by 9. No problem- I never oversleep, and I responsibley set my alarm for 5:15 am in order to allow plenty of time for me to drag and my feet and double check my baggage. I woke up to the sound of someone using the bathroom, rolled over to check the time, and GASP. It was 5:54! I leapt out of my bed, threw on my clothes (which had been pre-laid out the night before) and dashed our the door. I made it to my tram stop by 6:06, got to the bus with no problems. I could now breathe, everything was under control. I made it through customs, no worries, got on the plane, safely landed in London, and life was good. I was even smart enough to pre-purchase my train ticket at the airport. I located my platform, and hopped on the train. Unfortunately, when arriving in London,I discovered that I took the wrong train, and was forced to purchase a new ticket. So I shelled out another 20 pounds. Which for me, is a small fortune that could have purchsed quite a bit of food and Brittish treats. But no. That went towards my "train ticket". Located my subway to where i stayed, made it to lodging, no problems at all. The rest of the day was just lovely, and I met up with my friend Ali. We went to dinner at a traditional British restaurant, and I had what is called "hunter's chicken." It was a chicken breast covered in bacon with melted cheese on top. Delicious. Saturday rolled around, and went smoothly for the most part- until I realized that I had misplaced my book. It was gone. Saturday managed to go smoothly, went to the National Galleries, Brittish Museum, Buckingham Palace, and St. James Gardens. Lovely afternoon. And I had a nice lunch of Country Vegetable Soup and a Mustard/Chicken sandwich toasted on Ciabetta bread at a tiny restaurant that specializes in serving seasonal food. I spent the afternoon walking around London, taking in the city I have always dreamt of seeing. The city where so much history has happened. I had to leave that night, and took the train back to the airport around midnight. I then had to spend the night in the airport aka. worst night of my life. I basically got no sleep. Made it back safely to Grenoble around 10 am, missed the 10:30 bus back to the city. Waited around, exhausted and hungry, until 1:45. I ate overpriced, horrible airport food, and attempted sleep. Finally the bus came, and I made it back to home sweet home. And that is how an Aleigha style, whirl-wind trip to London is done.

MADAME! THIS is Versailles.....

This blog really is not about Versailles, its just a quote from the movie Marie Antoinette that I found amusing. Life in Grenoble has been pretty quiet the past few days because we are on spring break and everyone is off exploring Europe! I am leaving for London this Friday, and unfortunately, I will only be there for the weekend. But I am very happy that I am going, even if it is for a short time. Its more London than I had before! The last two days I have gone running in the morning, which I think is a great way to start the day! Yesterday I went to the museum of the Resistance and Deportation of Grenoble during WWII, which I found very interesting. I never really realized how divided France was during WWII- the Vichy government wanted to collaborate with Germany, and there were French Gestapo and secret police, much like the Germans. Anti-semitism was present and alive in France. Thousads of French Jews were also sent to the concentration camps. But there was also a group called the Resistance, and these people (as their name clearly alludes) wanted to resist Germany. Thousands more French died rather fighting in battle for France, or were arrested and executed for being Resistors. Ok kids, thats all the history for today! Don't forget to read Ch.5 tonight in your social studies book! Really- I do apologize for my inner history nerd interrupting my blog. Point being, Grenoble had a significant impact on WWII, and was heavily impacted. There is an Italian district here, and it was formed after WWI when Italians wanted to escape the growing Fascism in Italy, and they continued to emigrate after WWII. As a result, Grenoble has an entire street of pizzarias. My host father's father was Italian, and my host mother's mother came to France from Germany after the war. Neither of their parents ever returned to their homelands. After my historic rendez-vous, I met up with Leo, who I am now dating, whatever that may mean, and we strolled around Grenoble. It was super cold yesterday, with horrible winds, but we I still love the company! He and I met at a social for inernational students, and we have been inseparable ever since. I am cooking him and his friends a traditional American meal tonight. I have no idea what, but I will figure something out!! Until next time, xxxxx

Week-end of Wine and Dine

This weekend I went on an excursion to the Burgundy region, and visited Dijon and Beaune. Many of you are probably familiar with Dijon mustard- the city is known for their mustard, escargots, and beef burgundy. It was a three hour bus ride from Grenoble to Dijon, and we had a tour once we arrived. Dijon is known as the 18th largest city in France, what an accomplishment. The Notre Dame Dijon was horribly vandalized during the French Revolution because during the Reign of Terror, the Sans Coulettes descecrated anything having to do with the Church. They rampaged against churches and cathedrals, chipping away sculptures of religious symbols, and even cutting away Jesus from the Virgin Mary's arms. The entrance way to this cathedral is completely rid of all its religious sculptures, and Mother Mary is missing her arms on the chapel alter. However,the church has devised a cloak/veil to put on her, and one cannot notice that she does not have arms. As a historical loving person, I think it is sad and unfortunate that so much artwork was lost at the hands of a such a bloody ordeal. On another note- there is a tradition on the side of Notre Dame that involves on owl. One of the corners of the church has an owl; rub the owl with your LEFT hand while making a wish, and the wish will come true! Yes, I made a wish, but I'l never say what ;). For dinner that night, we went to a traditional Dijon restaurant offering Boef Burgundie (beef burgundy). I had an amazingly delicious hamburger, the beef here is just so much better! There were caramelized onions on the bottom of the burger, and topped with cheese, tomatos, and pickles. Not that French- but it was pretty darn delicious, and I think that is all that matters. Sunday morning we left Dijon and headed to Beaune, a small French town really known for their wines. Upon our 11 am arrival, we went to a wine tasting. We were led down to the stone and damp cellar, where we learned how taste wines. This was a really interesting experience to partake in because I got to learn a little about different types of wine and how they taste and are grown. After, we were free to do as we pleased, and my friend Ali and I walked around for a bit. Beune is the most picturesque French possible. Imagine: narrow, cobble stonded streets lined with houses made of stucco or the "old European" wooden beams. We visited a hospice which has been around since 1493, and the last patient left in 1984. I think it is really extraordinary becuase this building is in almost perfect condition and has survived the French Revolution and two world wars, among other disasters in Europe. The hospital was intended for the poor, but the nurses and the care were so renowned, that the middle class and even nobles began coming for care. Theses two classes eventually began giving donations to the hospital, which helped presereve it to what we know today. After another 3 hour bus ride home, I returned to Grenoble with fondue for dinner. Score. Cheese(one of my favorite foods) + bread(another favorite)= one very satisfied Aleigha! Not to mention we had white wine along with. This was a great weekend, and I am super glad I had the chance to get out of Grenoble for a bit. It was really interesting to see another region, and have some food and wine to represent that region.

Home is where the heart is

France is wonderful, and I am having the time of my life here. I will absolutely return here one day. But on the other hand, it is not home. There is only one place that will ever be home- and that is my North Carolina. I love traveling, and I definately plan on seeing more of the world, but at the end of the day, my permanent address will always have an NC postal code (or maybe Va, SC, or GA). I don't want to sound ignorant at all, so readers, please don't interpret this as me saying that NC is the greatest place in the world. Il be the first to say that there are far more interesting places to live. But its home, its the place where all my firsts in life have happened, made friends, everything. Home is different for everyone, and some eventually redefine what "home" is for them. I used to think Id move to New England, and spend my "grown up" life there. But after being away for a while, I realized that I really do love the south. Here my top 10 reasons that this will always be home (no matter where my travels may take me) this list is in no particular order
1. Girls like to wear pretty dresses (to church, football games, wherever suits their fancy)
2. Sweet tea. Say what you like about it, but I love it.
3. Manners
4. Hospitality
5. Southern gentleman- yes, I do like my door held open for me. It doesnt mean Im submissive
6. Biscuits
7. Front porches and actually sitting on them
8. Very traditional based universities- everything from Cornhuskin' at my Meredith college, to drinking from the fountain at UNC, and all the others)
9. Big, old houses with lots of history
10. On Sundays we prais Jesus then watch football.
I may be a little nostalgic since Im so far away, but these are some things about home that when I sit down and think about, I really do love. As much as I love the stylish French woman with her chic and effortless layers of gray and beige, I think I prefer my pink sun dress at the end of the day.

Une mois~ One Month

I have been in France for a month now. It is crazy hard to believe how quickly the time flies. It feels like it was just yesterday that I was in 308 Brewer panicking about whether or not I would get accepted, would I have enough money, how am I going to choose what clothes to bring, what if I chicken out at the airport, etc,etc. If I have learned anything from this experience, its that everything, somehow or another, works out in the end, and it was senseless to panic to the extent that I did. Being abroad has really taught me quite a bit in just the past month. I have really evaluated what I want to do in life, at least the next 10 years or so. Which is that I want to return to France after college graduation for a couple years. Then return to the states for grad school, which will be in historic preservation. From there, who knows. I would like to receive my PhD in a more specific field (undecided at the moment) of history and work for museums. If not museums, I would definitely love to be a professor. I would especially like to be able to facilitate study abroad, and maybe even teach abroad. We will see. It really took getting out of the country for me to see how big the world is, and how short life is. Seizing the day, and really making the most out of each one is really important. This doesnt nescecarily mean going out and being crazy and living like that there is no responsibility. I simply mean that I want to make the most out of my days, whether home or abroad.
So today I experienced my first French strike, or protest. The French are notorious for these strikes. For the particular one today, it managed to shut down the tram system. I went into a store and bought a candy bar- by the time I returned outside, there was a giant group of people marching. They took up the entire street. I think that it was teachers protesting, but Im not sure. I have honestly never seen anything like this. And its normal. When I was at the tramstop, they announced that there is a protest in town, and because of it, the trams would not be going into "centre-ville". The annoucement was just like weather- today we have partly cloudy skies, with a chance of rain, oh and a protest. C'est la vie en France!

Je ne regrete rien- I regret nothing

I just came back from a great, much needed run this run. I know that no matter what continent or timezone I may be on, a good run will always be the best way to end the week. Today was absolutely gorgeous- perfect (Carolina) crisp blue skies, and the mountains were in full view today. It has been cloudy and a little on the dreary side this week, so it was refreshing to have a sunny day. I had a lovely afternoon with Abbie and Ali, two of my API friends. We met up for lunch and went to a panini/sandwich place- I swear, the sandwiches are soo filling here. I had a veggie and chees sandwich on baguette, and it was delicious. My favorite sandwich though is called the Parisien and it is ham and butter on a baguette. Healthy choice of the year, I know. After our satisfying sandwiches, we went in search of dessert. We went to a little place Ali and I found a couple weeks ago. Its called Noir Foret, and it is a little shop of just desserts. It is a teeny slice of heaven here on Earth. I had a chocoalte eclaire this time, the last time was a vanilla eclair. Both I must say are far more delicious than any kiss i have ever had. The cream was light and fluffy, and just spilled out of the pastry when I cut into it. It was chocoately without being overly rich,and the lightness of the cream mixed with the crunchy of the pastry made for fireworks in my mouth. I have always been a lover of food, but that love is just deepening to a whole new level here in Europe. Whenever people ask what is the best part of my experience, food is my first choice reply. I love to eat, and luckily so do my friends. Life is too short to not thoroughly enjoy a pastry on Friday afternoon. There are many uncertainties about study abroad- but one of them is that Italy will be the BEST four days of my life. Those days will be spent consuming pasta, bread, gelato, pizza, wine, repeat. Sure, Il probably put on a couple pounds. But you know what? I have my entire life to count calories and watch carbs. I am only a student in Europe once. I was thinking about this fact while on my run today, and I was a little saddened knowing that I will never experience France the same way again. Even if I do return, it will be different. I will have new experiences between now and then that will shape my mentality, I will be with different people, and be here for a different purpose. So what I experience now can never ever be replicated, and there is something sad and beautiful about this.
Last week, I went to Switzerland, and it was gorgeous. I had a great time there. The lakes and rivers are gorgeous, they are a dark turqouise color. The water in the lake was almost perfectly clear. As for Geneva, it was fun, but probably not somewhere I would want to return. Seeing the UN was really awesome, but otherwise, Geneva was just a city where people work. I felt like it was the equivalent of visting Atlanta- big city, a few things to see, but not overall that interesting. However, I am planning a weekend trip to London in March, and I am super pumped about that! England is definately somewhere I have always wanted to visit, and so while I have the chance to do so fairly cheaply, I might as well!
This weekend I plan to keep it chill and have a low profile by climbing the Bastille with Ali and possibly museum visiting in the afternoon. Tomorrow evening and Sunday I would like to catch up on some reading and journaling, and just relax. Hopefully the weather will be nice, and I can sit in the park for a bit.

Travel

Travel is one of my favorite words in the entire English language. And the French word for travel, voyager, is even better. "Travel" for me conjures images of passports, foreign lands, the monuments, post cards, good food and wine, and meeting cool people. But Im sure travel means a little something different to everyone: perhaps to someone in business, travel is another word for work, or for a family constantly on the move, it could mean uprooting yet again. Point being, we can all attach our own meaning to the word.
But back to my meaning of travel. To me, stepping on an airplane is like stepping into a magical space ship that can transplant me to a whole new world. This may sound a little dramatic, and even outright cheesy, but it is the truth for me. I am not well traveled, I am only in my third ever visited country. However, I am slowly but surely changing that fact of my life. Each of my three experiences have been extremely different: everything from the purpose of the trip all the way up to how I passed my time. My first international expedition was to the Bahamas on a day cruise with my two best friends from high school. We were in Florida to celebrate high school graduation, and more importantly- celebrating our upcoming lives as college students. The day at the Bahamas was passed being a total tropics tourist and spending some quality time with mother nature's aqua blue Caribeean. The day was a blast- and I certainly made great memories!
My second international excursion was a mission trip to Jamaica. I went with my home church, First Baptist of Morganton. This trip was right before I departed for college, and it was a wonderful way to align my priorites before heading out on my own. We were not allowed to bring cell phones, ipods, electronics, etc. That week was truly one of the best in my life. There was no air conditioning, I took cold showers, drank syrupy juice, and was under the hot sun all day. Yet these circumstances came together to give me one of the most gratifying experiences I have yet to experience in my short 20 years. It was euphoric to take a week out of my mundane life, and really see and live among another culutre. Looking back on the journal entries from that trip is one of my favorite pass times.
Finally, I am here on my third international trip, studying abroad in France. Which is basically one of my top life dreams. Its really surreal to finally be living one of my life dreams, which I thought would never come true because of money. Travel is not cheap,but it does not have to be catastrophically expensive either. Like anything in life- its a matter of priority. Would I rather go shopping and have stuff, eat good food, have a cafe everyday, or have weekend trips? I would like to check yes to all of the above, but thats an option. I do a little of all, but my emphasis is to be able to travel to other cities and countries. I want to make the most of my time here in Europe, because who knows when I will return? The reality is that if I am fortunate enough to return, it will probably be a. for work or b. with a troop of my own, complaining about their nerd of a mom needing to make every stop. The point of a and b is to point out that I intend to travel during a time in my life where I can be selfish, and indulge in what I want to. If I want to pass the day sitting in a plaza, eating a baguette or gealto, I can do that. If I want to spend the day exploring castles or museums at my own pace, I can do that.
Further, Im not sure how this experience will shape me. It will affect me, because both my other trips have affected me in some form. Next week I am planning on a trip to switzerland, and later in the semster, Greece! I really look forward to seeing these places, smelling the food, and meeting the people. It is my promise to myself to keep traveling and exploring after this semester. I may be a dreamer, but I know that I have to continue my travels. I would really like to go to South America, particularly Brazil, sooner than later :).
But, for right now, I have a fresh salad, glass of wine, trench of bread, and hot dinner to enjoy in Grenoble.