every day, every night, every time - lepetiteprof

ive got dreams to remember

lepetiteprof — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

carolyn, jess, and i looking pretty for the gala

everyone at pirates celebrating myles' birthday

everyone enjoying a drink in the grand place

view down an alley of the chamber of commerce and bell tower

i had my first dream of home last night. it was summer and i was at the lake. the blue sky seamlessly blended with the smooth water while the sun shimmered down in waves of blistering heat. i could feel the wind and the waves and the warmth. i woke up alone in my cold room an ocean away and in those first waking moments, for the first time, i wished i wasn't there. the feeling fading as the day went on and was replaced with the daily happenings of my european life. but i still can't help but let my mind drift there every so often. long french lectures leave for endless daydreaming.

my family comes tomorrow. europe and de pere will clash in Paris. more dreams of home are sure to be result.

birthday girl

lepetiteprof — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT

me and the girls during our "babies of the eighties" party

my favorite aussie and i on my actual birthday

the novelty of europe has worn off and the homesickness is starting to settle in. it drifts into the creases of your thoughts, fine like dust and easily shooed away.

my birthday has come and gone. in the states there would have been streamers and flowers and iced cakes. here i clung to cards, messages, and a midterm exam. it was a day that most college kids count down to, eagerly anticipated and overly celebrated. in France it was just another day. bartenders laughed at our feeble american attempts and contributed the only thing they could, stronger drinks. to be honest, i just wanted to be home with my friends and family. however, i'd give up one hundred 21st birthdays so that i could be here. it's funny. im slowing realizing how much i am giving up. win and lose. give and take. it's all a game.

we're going on break soon. it will be nice to get out of Lille for a bit.

a bien tot,
stephanie

wish you were here

lepetiteprof — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT

la tour eiffel

father and son in the tulleries

the louvre

us girls under the eiffel tower

the moulin rouge

arc de triomphe

there’s routine but no boredom. theres surprises but not anxiety. life in europe is different than at home where the monotony drains you and leaves you mind as weak as your smile. some say the french are lazy. it is their appreciation of life that we have trouble comprehending. wine and conversation seems like such frivolous things to place an importance on. especially when ones bank account is dwindling. but its all they know and all they care to know.

went to the Lille vs Nantes professional soccer game this weekend. reminded me of packer games with its drunken revelers and high school when i dated the captain of the soccer team.

best part of the weekend was going to Paris for the day. blue skies and temps in the 50s made it an even more enjoyable time. the eiffel tower was everything that they said it would be: large, brash, and cold. the french say it isn’t truly french but i couldn’t have picked a better symbol

by the end of the day it was nice to escape the filth of tourism that blankets the city and return home to Lille.

a bien tot
stephanie

better days

lepetiteprof — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT

one side of my room.

my attic

ive spent two weeks here and i believe its safe to say although terribly cliché, that the worst is over. the first days are over and its difficult to recreate those emotions felt over again. needless to say life in Lille moved on and we had no choice but to follow.

the last two weeks were full of new friends, places and experiences. at times it seems as though the frustration is all youre capable of feeling. but ive come to realize that feeling helpless isn’t so bad. problems arise because the french aren’t willing to help. but thats the french and who am i to make them change?

we walk for miles and miles everyday. around every corner is something new to try to understand and master.

the people here dress in dark, somber colors and it matches their attitudes at times. perhaps that’s why most can figure out im american before i speak. i just ooze midwestern optimism.

we go bar hopping, grocery shopping and tango dancing. the young men shout vulgar comments once the sun goes down and i wonder how many of them i sit next to in class.

some days are easy. some are hard. but in the end, its all worth it and that’s important. best cure for homesickness i found? a big mac.