Denial

Well I'm done with my classes and my final projects. So that's good I guess. I don't have any work. But I still can't get over the fact that in 48 hours from now I'll be on a plane to JFK.

The last couple of days have been filled with ups and downs. The downs, of course, are the absurd amount of work I had (thankfully it's done). The ups: spending time with my friends. All of them.

Yesterday was such a wonderfully day. After working for most of the afternoon, I had dinner with Sai and Gabby in the Buttes Chaumant. I wish I had found this place earlier. Ils sont vraiment l'endroit le plus beau à Paris (well out of the places I've been to). Here are various pictures:

Gabby looking off into the yonders

Sai's turn to look into the yonders

Yes I'm wearing a scarf and gray skinny jeans. C'est très français!

It was wonderful having an ELHS reunion. I wish we could have done something all together earlier, not just during my last days, but I really shouldn't be complaining. Anyways, Gabby had to go watch a movie with her friends (I hope it was good!), so Sai and I (update starts here:) chilled in the park for a little bit when some random black dude grabbed my empty Orangina can and pretended to steal it before putting it back down and shaking our hands (I'm still confused. Also, the update more or less ends here; I just forgot that I told Sai that the random encounter was "totally going in my blog"). After that, we decided to go climb la Tour Montparnasse, which, according to Wikipedia, is the third tallest building in Paris. But it has the best view, especially at night. Now I haven't climbed la Tour Eiffel yet (hopefully it'll happen later tonight), and while that seems absurd, I'll show you why I gave higher priority to la Tour Montparnasse:

I'm so glad I did this. Most beautiful view of Paris I've seen (not the best view I've seen in France though (le Pont du Gard will always win that contest)

It was so surreal being up there. So high up, above everything else. A beautiful picture of la Tour Eiffel (while I want to climb it, I can't take a picture of the Eiffel Tower when I'm on it, so yeah). I really have no reason to complain (except for the fact that, since I stayed out so "late" (read as 23h27ish), I ended up staying awake until 2 in order to finish one of my final projects).

Today was our last day of classes. Except they honestly weren't real (so no complaints there). I just refuse to believe that we're done with them. After class, we all had lunch at Le Train Bleu, a fancy restaurant in la Gare de Lyon. Here's a shot of the ceiling:

This picture doesn't do this place justice

Very fancy. The food was quite solid. I definitely enjoyed myself during the meal. This thing (I forget the name) was delicious:

Some type of duck I think. With a gratin on the side. And something called a  "sasquatch"?

After lunch, our teachers bode us farewell...for the last time in Paris. That was one of the saddest moments I've experienced in recent times (I'm bitter that they left without hugs and such). At the beginning of the trip, they were our lifelines; we were pretty much incapable of surviving in Paris without them (ok so this was really only for the first few days). And now we may never see them within Paris again. Wow that makes me so sad.

Anyways, after I returned home, I just finished my last project and now I'm writing this.

Here's a list of things that I want to try and do tonight/tomorrow while I can:

• Climb la Tour Eiffel
• Conquer the metro (there are only two lines that I haven't taken yet. This is definitely happening)
• Visit le Chateau des Vincennes (probably won't happen)
• Explore the abandoned railroad (likely won't happen either since it'll just take so much time)
• Spend time with my friends (this had better happen...)
• Visit the museum at l'Institut Pasteur
• See Lauren Paylor while we're in the same international city...

That list was really just so I remember what things I really need to do tomorrow.

Oy vey I can't believe this is almost over. Veronica had told me that I would love being in Paris, and while I wanted to believe her, I thought I'd only be content with the trip due to my emotionless nature. Well, let's just say Veronica couldn't express how much I would love it here (I can't either). This has been, without a doubt, the best experience of my life. I'm strongly considering majoring in French right now (note that I was ready to never speak French ever again after high school), I want to try and get an internship here (like Sai) next summer, and scratch that last one; I want to try and get a job here (or at least spend and extended period of time in Paris/France/Europe). I will never be the same person again (this is clichéd but true). I hate to say this (mainly because it makes me sound like a female teenager), but it's true: Paris, je t'aimes.

Au revoir tout le monde.
Au revoir Paris.

PS: I don't know why I make it seem like I'm at the airport right now about to leave Paris; I still have another day here. Just gotta make the most of my time.