Caught in the Rain

On Thursday morning Mackenzie and I were heading to school on the metro (yes we were being lazy) and we normally get off and transfer at the stop Bastille, but that day we decided that we were going to try and go down to Republique to see if it was faster and less crowded. As soon as we pulled away from the Bastille stop the metro slowed to a stop and the conductor came over the loud speaker announcing, in French, that the metro had stopped running but would be running shortly. First let me just use this as an example of a cultural difference, using what I learned in my global competence class. See, as Americans we are always punctual and if we get off schedule we get flustered and eventually angry...let me just say that when the metro stopped running and was delayed for 20 minutes, not one person so much as said anything. It was funny because Mackenzie and I were getting upset and were freaking out about being late. Eventually the metro pulled into the next stop and Mackenzie and I didn't know if we should stay on the metro or try and get to school (it now being 9:06, class beginning at 9:15). We both looked at one another and bolted out of the cart. We were running through the metro station and through the streets of Paris winding around people, brushing past cafe's as people sipped their coffee's. I'm sure we were quite the spectacle. We finally got to school at 9:20, literally sweating and out of breath. Luckily our professor was pretty chill and understood, it probably helped that Mackenzie and I are both active students in that class.

After class I had to jet over to the Notre Dame for my architecture class (I know, it's a hard life I live). When we were standing outside it began to rain. We went inside, and eventually made our way back to the rainy streets.

After class I started to walk in the direction of what I thought was back to the part of the city I know....I quickly discovered that I was lost. It didn't help when it started to rain on me. I used my scarf to cover my hair and binder and just set off into the unknown part of the city. I walked along the Seine and just breathed in the Parisian air. I stuck in my iPod and enjoyed browsing this city that I now call my home.

Eventually I made my way back to a familiar part of the city and hoped on the metro and went home. That's what I love about living here. You are never REALLY lost because as soon as you find a metro stop you can get yourself anywhere...even home :)