It's the Little Things

It's the little things during this trip that I have to take pride in. I have had to immerse myself into a culture where I know no one, don't speak the language, and am in a city that I have never been before. At first it was extremely overwhelming, and I felt so helpless without the aid of my french speaking roommates. However, after just two weeks in the country I have had some pretty monumental experiences:

- I can order my own food: croissants, coffee, crepes, sandwiches, etc.
- I can pay for my own groceries: I know how to count now!
- I rode the metro by myself
- I can navigate myself through the various metros making transfers from one train to the next
- I navigated myself home from Notre Dame without anyone's help, and I didn't have a map
- I now say "Bonjour" and "merci" instead of "hello" and "thank you"
- I know major streets in France, and can tell my classmates where I live and how to get to my house
- I dress like a Parisian wearing dark colors, no flip-flops (I KNOW! Me not wearing flipflops is crazy) and leggings or tights
- I never use my cell phone in a public place

Everyday I try to find something else to accomplish, even if it's small, I'm trying really hard to be immersed into this culture and while it's easy to get overwhelmed and frustrated at times, I'm trying to be optimistic and realize that I am in fact the foreigner in this country and I have to try and adapt myself to these people.