A month in a heartbeat

Hello once again to the world of blogs!!

Friends and family: I am so sorry I have not been keeping you up to date with all of my French happenings. Since the beginning of December, I hit the ground running and haven't been able to stop until... well, now!

Here's some of the things that have happened in life since my last blog post, officially published exactly a month before today:

1. I had my first experience with French health care. As first semester came to an end and vacation started (yay vacation!), my body decided that I was not allowed to have any fun at all and thus gave me Christmas gift I wanted most in the world: strep throat. ("Merry Christmas, Dani. Now GET YOUR ASS TO THE HOSPITAL RIGHT NOW!"). It just so happened that I was traveling in Strasbourg and Colmar at the exact moment when my throat decided to crap out, so I not only had to navigate the French health care system alone, but I had to navigate a foreign city at the same time. Now, I can safely say that the French health care system is entirely more functional than our system in America (hooray socialistic societies!) and that the Alsace region of France  definitely fulfills its self-proclaimed title as "World Capital of Christmas." I basically felt like I fell into a fairy-tale montage of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas and Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer.

Walking along the river in Colmar, admiring the traditional houses en colombage. 

One of the five christmas markets in Colmar, where I enjoyed a bowl of sauerkraut and hot wine -- two of the few things I could eat with my massively swollen tonsils.  

This guy knows how to do Christmas.  

Strasbourg from the top of the Cathédrale de Notre Dame (which, ironically, is extremely similar to Notre Dame de Paris). 

The famed Christmas Tree in Place Kléber, the tallest in the world! 

Every building was basically on twinkle-light and ribbon steroids. It was an explosion of wrapping paper and sheer happiness.

The Cathédrale de Notre Dame de Strasbourg!  

2. I had the amazing opportunity to celebrate Christmas à la française with my Science Po friend Philippe and his wonderful family in Caen. Honestly I could write a whole blog post about Christmas, but unfortunately I don't have enough time! 

At grandma's house next to the beaches of Normandie for Christmas lunch! 

Trying to take a family photo is a universal fiasco. 

Bûche de Noël!! 

Escargot and chapon baking in the oven together for Christmas eve dinner.  

Champagne: French necessity to celebrate the birth of baby Jesus. 

The beautiful dining room where we ate Christmas eve dinner... for three hours. 

Dessert, courtesy of myself and cousin Caroline! 

3. I brought in the New Year with my Frenchie in Paris! It was his first time in the capital, so we played tourist and visited a variety of museums like the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay, the Gallery of Evolution in the Musée d'Histoire Naturelle and the Jardin des Plantes, the Palais du Tokyo; we climbed the Eiffel Tower at night; we ate galettes and crêpes next to the Seine; we explored the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont; we took a tour of the Opéra-Garnier; we strolled through the original Galéries Lafayette; we discovered the Grande Mosquée de Paris; and we waited for the start of the New Year on the Champs-Élysées surrounded by thousands of drunk people. I could write an entire blog post just on New Year's too!

We were lucky enough to be on the tower when the hour changed and it got all sparkly!! 

On top of the tower!

Visiting the Palais de Tokyo, a contemporary art museum that succeeded at emotionally scarring me for life. 

In the room that we assumed was supposed to be a representation of Heaven, because everything was white. Including us. 

The Grande Mosquée de Paris. 

The Opéra Garnier, one of our favorite parts of the entire trip. 

DOWN ONCE MORE TO THE DUNGEON OF MY BLACK DESPAIR!!! (kudos if you get that reference) 

Dad, you would have been jealous!!!  

I had to include this photo because it was such an epic fail on my part. 

SO MANY PEOPLE EVERYWHERE.  

Happy New Year's from Paris!!!

Other things that happened in the past month: 

4. My best friend Jessica and adorable roommate Abreana returned to the States right before Christmas, as did many other individuals from DU that were studying abroad first semester. It's weird to no longer be sharing the "abroad" experience with them :(

5. I carshared (twice!) for the first time using BlaBlacar. I also successfully CouchSurfed for the first time while in Strasbourg, which I plan to do as much as possible when I travel in the future!!

6. I just finished my first semester finals: four of them to be exact. Although that is NOTHING compared to the number of exams my fellow French students had to take (between 8-10 usually), these past two weeks was easily one of the most stressful finals periods I have ever had. 

Law + Foreign Language =  Unhappy Dani. 

So... in other words, I am SUPER happy it's over!!!

On Monday, my new set of classes start. I will once again be taking six: French, French History from 1914 onward, our conference  class for History, Histoire des Idées Politiques (History of Political Ideas), Sociologie du Conflit Israélo-Palistinien (Sociology of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict), and the last class I have not yet decided upon. 

With the new semester came lots of new exchange students. After a crazy busy month, I am excited to start the second half of my study abroad experience.

And yes, mom and dad, I promise to write more often than once a month. :-)

Bisous,

D