Let's see London, let's see France!

So, yes, it has been about an entire month since my last blog. I have been so busy enjoying my time and staying busy with school that I just haven't had the time! I know it's better that I've been busy instead of bored.

Get ready for lots of blogs coming today and the next few days!

1) Paris is not more beautiful or romantic in the rain. It just sucks. (Don't listen to Owen Wilson in Midnight in Paris. He's lying.)

2) Everyone in Paris (from businessmen to cab drivers to children) speaks English. Good English. It's really sad how the education system has failed in foreign language in the U.S.

3) The English countryside is stunning. I am in love.

4) Traveling in general is a test of:
    * Patience
    * Self-control
    * Flexibility/willingness and ability to adapt when things go wrong...

Because anything that can go wrong will go wrong.

5) Parisians. LOVE. Nutella. No joke. They buy it by the gallon. Nutella crepes = YUM!!

6) Spaniards love their coffee and siestas.
7) The English love their tea and cider.
8) I love it all.

9) Sometimes you need to take chances. Things often end up working out better than you could have imagined. If it doesn't, it's going to be one of the better stories to tell and the best lessons you learn.

10) Considering how much went wrong on this trip, I was never so content. I also realized that we are very good planners. Everything that went wrong was honestly out of our control, and we couldn't have avoided it (like the plane to Paris being three hours late taking off and then randomly landing in an airport different from the scheduled airport). We adapted very well anyway.

11) My head was a mess of languages. If I bumped into someone, I literally stood there for a few seconds with my mouth open trying to decide if Pardón, Pardon, or Excuse me is correct. "What country am I in again? What language does this person speak?" Three countries in as many days will do that to ya...

12) Purrell is always a good idea to bring when traveling. Don't leave it at home.
13) Same with Pillow Pet. Never leave him in Spain again.

14) Always bring your camera charger. Otherwise, you'll end up with no photos of England except for picture in the train station and your first stop to buy a sausage biscuit.

15) I never realized how much sense of security my cell phone gives me, until now. Especially with finalizing plans, meeting people places, and trying to find them. A lot of the time it works out, but sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes you have to show up and hope the other person shows up too... Just a little taste of the pre-cell phone world about 15 years ago. But look who I managed to find in France!

16) For the first time, when thinking about going "home" after this bittersweet weekend, I pictured Granada and my apartment with my senora. Not that I consider Granada more of a home than the States, but I felt a strange sense of peace in knowing that going back there would bring relief from the stressful weekend, just like my real home does. I think that's a great sign that I'm slowly falling in love and feeling at home in Spain.

A little bit of Paris...

 Louvre

 Notre Dame

 Arc de Triomphe