Caught up in Paris

So what I learned as of this moment, is that Paris has flash rainstorms, much like Oregon. It was drizzling when I first got up today, but after I went into a store, baught 1.5L of Limonade, and came out, it had stopped and the sky above me was clear. Taking this as a good sign, I put my rain cover back at the hostel before journeying off. Now I am sitting in an internet café, waiting for the rain that started literally a minute ago to end. Wait, I think it just did. Salut!

In Genève

So basically, I'm really happy I'm on this trip. I feel like I learn a lot everyday and constantly have a new challenge or adventure coming up. The one thing that I realized so far that is easily written and communicable is that I desperately want to do a year in a foreign country, with a family. After talking to Shirah I feel kinda sorry for not doing it in high school, but I'm confident I can do it in college too.

Somebody behind me is having a conversation, and he has a voice like darek lee weeden, and he's speaking french. Kickin....

After parting ways with Nicolas and his family last Sunday I traveled to Marseille, which is an incredibly beautiful city. It reminded me a lot of Southern California, except everybody spoke french.

I arrived in Genève tuesday night, and have since met 2 girls from philidelphia who I spent most of wednesday with and then did dinner with them thursday night. They're 28 and 27 and are way cool. we went and saw a free concert in a park on wednesday and had a dinner picnic with baguettes and cheese and tomatoes and peppers and wine and chocolate. yum. There is a story to how I met them, so remember to ask me about it when you see me. Anywho, I also met a lot of nice guys staying in my hostel room, and we spend most nights here talking about worldly differences before we go to bed. I'm enjoying myself immensly, but look forward to getting home and seeing off those I can and maybe journeying to see a few people before I go to Boston.

I've also finished shopping for presents. Hurrah!

Love,
Garrett

Nicolas Kovac

In the week since I lastposted, I've basically been with Nicolas. I met him in Paris on Wednesday and then we went to his home town of Troye on Friday. I stayed the weekend there and just came to Marseille last night because Nicolas got a job and has to work 40 hour weeks now. Hanging out with Nicolas is so much fun, and with Jean-Gabrielle (his 17 year old bro) we had so much fun. Jean-Gabrielle was really funny because when Nicolas did his year in America he did a year in Germany, so when he tried to speak English he did it with a German/French accent. Also, the kid is a really good drummer, like, wow. We spent a lot of the weekend playing music in their basement because Troye doesn't have much else (except for a little Napoleon Museum).

In Paris Nicolas and I ascended the Eiffel Tower and ate baguettes and cheese on the Champs-élysée. We also walked from the huge underground shopping mall to Notre-Dame to the Eiffel Tower to the Champs-Elysée in one day. We were so tired. Nicolas also showed me some french ska, apparently its pretty popular here!

Right now I'm taking a break from my walk around Marseille. The town is pretty cool, and reminds me a lot of a southern Californian town. There's beaches and a boardwalk and a shopper area, but its all very relaxed. When I got here late last night and was wandering around lost two different people noticed how lost I was and stopped me to help me out. It was very cool. And I'm actually using my french! As broken and maladjusted it is its helped me out so much, and I'm starting to understand more of what the people are saying, I dare say it's exciting!

Second Day on my own

Today was very very chouette. I got up early and ate breakfast at the hostel before taking my presents for Shirah and the family to them. It was a confusing process involving me taking a bus the wrong direction before figuring out which way to go and then getting directions from a nice old lady and a bank teller and then seeing Shirah on a street corner. Yay (I still dont know how to use an exclamation point on this freaking dutch keyboard). Im trying to sort through my pictures and get them in the right folders; but its proving difficult. That and my camera seems to like to go through a set of batteris in a single day, yeesh. Thats ok though, Ive got a secret plan to work around that. Anywho, after I saw shirah I went back to the hostel and met 3 girls: a 22 year old painter from England; a 25 year old teacher from france; and a 21 year old Psychology major from France. They were very nice, and I hoped to spend the day in Brussels with them, but I had to go check on when Nicolas wanted me in Paris, and by the time I got back they were gone. Ill see them tonight though, thatll be fun. I also met a proffessional long jumper (cool huh?) who runs for Asics and is competing in brussels next week. Ill see her tonight too.
Anywho, after leaving the hostel I went and walked around Brussels, through the Botanique Gardens and all around le Grande Place. I got 3 different Gaufre de leges, and they were all incredible. I need to find a recipe for those. Lets see, what else... oh ya, I stopped in a used book store that was way cool and picked up a recipe book and some french fables qnd then went looking through some belgian chocolate shops. I also went into a couple of cool churches today; and took something like 115 pictures (for anyone keeping tally). oh, and I also went exploring through the brussels justice building today, which is one of the biggest places Ive ever been in. I literally spent like 3 hours exploring in that place, it was so cool. I think I ended up in a lot of places I wasnt supposed to be, but no signs said not to, and a lot of doors were open if you pushed them. The place was so cool....dang. I was trying to find my way to the top, and I got pretty close, but never quite made it. I also saw a street fair sort of thing going on, and a lady told me it was for an organization named ATD that promotes awareness about poverty, especially for kids. The fair was for underpriviliged kids, and I signed my name to their list of supporters (no money pledges, just a promise to try and help out if theyre ever in my area).

Anywho, great day. Tomorrow I leave for Paris and I dont know when I will get the chance to write again, but I promise Ill try.

Bon Nuit,

Garrett

ok, heres the jist

Today Im on my own at long last. I parted with shirah this afternoon and checked into a hostel in brussels where ill stay today and maybe tomorrow. I had a lot of fun with shirah, and will miss her dearly even though i only got 3 days with her (tear). but more on that later. The point is that I finally got a little free time to let everyone know Im still somewhat alive and let my mom know I havent been mugged yet, though thats probably around the next corner or so. Ive been keeping a travel journal, one entry for everday, and if I find myself with a large extent of free time Ill try and put down as much as i can, though it is rather large, so the majority may have to wait till I get home. In a nutshell though, the trip is amazing. I spent several days in Madrid and then several in Lisbon with dad and debra and ate several times with the frierson clan from texas. I saw really cool stuff in both cities; from Guernica and picasso to drunken football fans to fado and flamenco music (which rock my world), they were great. I then parted from all other frierson and took a flight to brussels, where I met shirah(exclamation point here). It was really good to have an old friend to talk to and her host family was incredibly nice. She and they showed me around brussels and Shirah and i went out to dessert with some of her friends and yesterday we went camping with the scouts (where 2 of her host sisters were). Today we took a train back to belgium, and parted ways because shirah has to go back to the u.S. on wed, and needs time with her family. So here i am, uploading all my photos so far for 1.25 euros an hour and trying to get some sort of update in for everyone I care for back home. I think I am going to go get a turkish pizza when im done here, before going to look for a present to leave on the leboufs doorstep as a thank you putting me up. Im also thinking about going with a couple of americans i met at the hostel to go beertasting in le grande place tonight; We will see. its 6 11 pm by the way, for anyone whos wondering.

Some personal notes


Mom= I havent gotten drunk or tried any drugs yet, though I have discovered that i like rouge, blanc, et rossette wines. The only good beers so far have been on tap, except for the kriek i tried a couple nights ago, which is made with cherries. Yum. Love you(exc.point)
Brandon= your tips on spanish restraunts were great, thanks(exc.point) but i found out you can drink the tap water in europe, so good news on that front.

Mckenzy= Your travel gift was amazing. Thank you so much(exc.point) I use the eye cover on every plane and Ive done 4 coloring pictures and will probably start jurrassic park soon. Oh, and you are sneaky(exc.point) I didnt even realize the bookmarks were in there until later that night. Im gonna find you something special.

Brandon= your tips on spanish restraunts were great, thanks (exc.point) Though I found out you can drink the tap water in europe, so hooray(exc.point)

I will try and connect this and the photos so i can explain what theyre all about, but not yet. hopefully soon.

Ok, I love you all, and will try to stay in as much touch as possible(exc.point)


love,
Garrett

Europe

is exciting, more to come soon.