The first day in France!

Dear blog readers,

I will warn you that I haven't taken many pictures yet so this will be all writing.

I had quite a wild ride into France. Flights delayed then undelayed, missed flights, European street system, subway/"metro" and then my apartment.

First let me address the flights: I was originally scheduled to leave CVG at 5:50pm on January 2nd. Well, I got a notification that my flight had been delayed until 6:20pm due to the snow/ ice around 11:00am. I still arrived to the airport around 4:00pm or so just to make sure everything was in order. I ended up having time to have a last starbucks in the US with my mom, dad and Sam. It was so nice to be able to have that.
We realized that it was getting close to my departure time and that I should probably get through security and to the terminal.
This was a good idea because we didn't know that my flight was switched back to the regular time: 5:50pm.
By the time I got through security, it was about 5:30pm and then, of course, my terminal was at the furthest end of the airport.
So I ran across the airport to make it to my flight, which I did.
However, we didn't board until 5:50 even though the ticker said it was leaving at 5:50pm. Then we had to sit in a line of planes waiting to be deiced before take off. This took yet another 2 hours. We were finally on the way around 8:00pm-8:15pm. I was able to finish a movie before we actually took off. (The Help, it was marvelous btw.) I will comment that Delta had a pretty wide selection of movies and shows on their little TV's. It was really nice to be able to watch new movies. I mean, I had 6 hours and it was dark.

We got into Paris around 9:10am, Paris time, and 3:00am, Cincinnati time.  My connecting flight was at 9:35am... I got off the plane at 9:20am. Again, I ran across the airport like a crazy woman but I had to go through customs and security. By the time I was done with that, it was 9:40am. I still went to the gate but the plane was gone. So, things I have experience with: missing your connecting flights. I know it isn't major but it was my first time experiencing it. I ended up getting on the next flight to Toulouse, at 12:50pm. Luckily, only a 2-3 hour layover. I was exhausted at that point.

I got on the flight to Toulouse and that was the point of no return for me. I know that I can go home if I really want to at any point (with a hefty price tag attached) but what kind of experience would that be? I got into Toulouse and met with Emmanuel who picked me up from the airport. Then he dropped me off at the apartment. I thought that Emmanuel would be more helpful but he just kicked me out of his car and drove off. It was moderately irritating.
I got to my apartment and the woman showed me the apartment. I didn't know it was a lofted apartment...
So that was a big unwelcome surprise. As I was signing papers, checking everything out and bringing my luggage up to my apartment I ended up meeting an Italian student, her name is Lara. She helped me with my bags and that was so kind of her.

After getting my apartment signed for and the keys, it was then just me. Alone in my apartment. It was incredibly overwhelming. Lara and I ended up running into each other again and decided to head to the store to get some necessities for the night. Blankets, sheets, towels, bottles of water etc. So we went down to the nearest store. It ended up not having any of those things, it was more of a grocery store... Or so we thought. We gave up on that place and ended up roaming the streets of Toulouse for about 3 hours to see what else was open. There were "pharmacies," it was a store containing only a pharmacy. In America, a pharmacy is more of a convenient store, so that was a weird moment to have. We also went to a sporting goods store, where I found a beach towel, good enough for one night.

Last night, as any high maintenance white girl would... I had a serious mental breakdown... It was pathetic. I was jet-lagged, exhausted, hungry, confused, alone and frustrated. Not a good mix. I cried for several hours. I finally ended up talking to my best friend, a good friend who just got back from studying abroad, my boyfriend and my mother. I decided to stop being such a baby and realize that this is what I signed up for. I went to bed and got some much needed rest.

The next day, I woke up late but I needed the sleep. I ended up connecting with Lara (my new Italian friend) and she is in the same boat as me. We decided to try out the subway (which is called the "metro" here). I won't lie, I was so terrified of even trying. Lara was the same. We were asking these French people how to get to IKEA and this girl was so nice and tried at English and we were trying at French, "Ou est le plus proche IKEA?" - Where is the closest IKEA? She was like Ohh!! Pointed on a map and just followed her finger on the subway map. That was exactly what we needed. We had to take two subways and the 2nd to the end of the line... Easy enough. We got there and there was no IKEA to be found. We ended up walking around for about an hour or so and then it started raining. So not ideal at all but we ended up just walking into the mall across the metro stop and found a huge super store called, "Achete" - or "Buy." They ended up having everything that we could ever think of. Before proceeding, I had the moment of truth with my debit card: Can I actually pull out Euros...? It did! Yay!!

So we went into the store with these cute little baskets with wheels that you drag around behind you. Used the phrase "Escusez moi" and "Pardon moi" about 300000 times. It was PACKED and there were many sales on linens so thank goodness. On the way back though... It was SO CROWDED!! I'm sure some health code violations were made. Also, the French are cool with just bumping into eachother and not addressing it... For example: I was walking into the subway train and there were about 30 people trying to get into a small set of doors. People were just pushing (more like shoving) you along. The subway was packed and smelled pretty unpleasant. BUT hey, got us from point A to point B without any problems.

Now, I am so much better. I haven't cried yet and my apartment is coming together quite well. This is the most challenging thing that I've ever done.
I'm now going to list the things that I miss about America:
1.) TARGET or even Walmart, I wouldn't have cared
2.) No smartphone (I could have an international data plan but that would be outrageously expensive and cost more than it is worth)
3.) Reliable wifi
4.) BRANDING (Such as, many stores were branded exactly as IKEA, blue and yellow but they were NOT IKEA)
5.) Signs in English (I knew that would happen but it doesn't make it suck any less)

I'm going to list the things that I think are great about France:
1.) Public transportation: it is very efficient and used by nearly everyone
2.) Economical mindset: you actually have to PAY for plastic bags at the store!!
3.) The old/historic buildings: they are so beautiful!!


This was so long but it is good for me to write it out and to update everyone who cares to know that I am NOT dead and I am doing just fine! I have a lot of learning and adjusting ahead of me but I can manage :)

I miss everyone very much but I will be back in... only 110 days.

Au revoir!

Hannah