i'm back!!!

hey y'all! no one probably reads this blog anymore, since i haven't updated in so long. my lack of posting simply means that i've been having WAY TOO MUCH FUN here. i also spend time talking on the phone and doing homework. oh yes, the internet has been an issue to. i used to sit outside and use it, but as it turns out, french winters are not very conducive to being outdoors. but enough with the excuses. . .

there are a lot of exciting things coming up in november. for one, i think my mom decided to come visit! yay!! i'm so excited to show off my cute little town. i also have a "fall break". everyone was talking about going different places, and i wasn't sure what i wanted to do, so now i'm looking into booking a wine weekend by myself. however, everything i've found so far has pretty much looked like couples retreats or honeymoon spots. this would probably not be the best idea. . but then again, why wouldn't i want to stay in a luxurious suite with a television and chilled bottle of champagne? i can think of worse things. halloween is next weekend, and suzanne courtney and i are headed to PARIS. we will be doing a tour of the catacombs on halloween night. it's going to be really creepy and wonderful. . .and i'm going to dress up!

i've been fortunate to make a pretty good friend here, and we've been hanging out a lot lately. her name is yupapin, and she is from thailand. . and absolutely adorable! she invited erica and i over to her apartment a couple of weeks ago, and she cooked us some traditional thai food. last night, erica and i cooked a meal for her (chicken fried steak, homemade mashed potatoes, and asparagus. . .oh and cookies). she really enjoyed it, and i think we're going to make it a weekly food exchange. her french is really good, and we pretty much only speak to each other in french, even though she can speak english. however, she was having difficulty explaining something to me the other day, so she broke into english and said "well, i have my law license in thailand. . so i can go fight in court". she's only 23. sometimes i feel really underaccomplished here. but then i have to remind myself that the US requires a lot more years of schooling than other countries.

the radiator finally turned on in my room, so it's not as cold as it was. however, it's been raining a lot, and my hair just isn't looking very good. haha.

i feel like i'm having more and more french breakthroughs. . .and they are SO exciting!! i am picking up a lot more street conversations, and i'm beginning to understand some of the slang. every day i learn something new about the language and the culture!

i've been missing things from home lately, like mexican food and my dogs. i'm pretty excited to be coming home for christmas! i did find a mexican food restaurant here, and guess what?. . it was delicious!!! i have just decided that all french food is amazing. i have become quite used to a spectacular level of gastronomy, and i am very worried that texas will no longer satisfy me. i guess i will just have to learn how to cook like the french!

i'm developing business ideas while i'm here. i think the french have a ton of things that would go over well in the states. i will propose them to you all when i'm back. .

i promise i won't wait this long to post again!! miss you all!!!