Hey there! Long time no see… again! I’ve been doing a poor job of blogging regularly, but I’m determined to keep up with posting! I create these blog posts to not only share some highlights from my travels and update my friends & family back at home, but also I write them just for myself! It’s so important for me to have a space where I can reflect on my experiences abroad. Time is seriously passing by too quickly! So, if you would, travel back in time with me a bit and enjoy my recap of studying abroad, weeks 5 and 6!

This post is being dedicated to all things French! It seems like I’ve been traveling out of  France every weekend, but I usually only have class 3 days a week, so I’ve definitely been using my free time during the week to become familiarize myself with Paris as well! It’s crazy how quickly a brand new city (and country for the matter) can feel like home. 

MONTMARTRE

A few weeks ago, I spent a day off wandering around the hilly neighborhood of Montmartre with some of my friends from school! Berfin is from Istanbul and was one of my first friends in Paris, and Isabele is a total sweetheart from Brazil! Her and her boyfriend have been together for practically forever, so of course I made them pose for a few couple shots 😉

Palace of Versailles

Another highlight from these past few weeks was visiting the gorgeous Palace of Versailles! I spent hours and hours wandering around the vast gardens and exploring the interior of the château. My favorite part was definitely the beautiful Hall of Mirrors! I’m hoping to visit again this spring when the gardens are in full bloom, so look forward to seeing pictures of the acres of greenery then!

Château de Chenonceau

You can’t study abroad and have a weekend without plans. You just feel so guilty!!! I had a free weekend, so my new Norwegian friend, Isabel, and I got dinner on a Friday night, and early Saturday morning we were on a bus to spend to 2 days in the Loire Valley! The main reason for the trip was to see the beautiful Château de Chenonceau. The château was designed by women, housed Catherine de Medici among other French royalty, and was built upon a river! We also had some time to explore the quaint town of Tours. It was so nice to get out of the city for the weekend and out into the countryside!

Paris Fashion Week

I can’t write about being in Paris in February without talking about Paris Fashion Week! So, here’s the lowdown. It’s pretty difficult to get into a fashion show without an invitation, and they typically don’t disclose the locations to the public. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t try to scope them out on your own! It’s so fun to just walk around and see the paparazzi outside of hotels and super tall models going from show to show. The entire city seems to be even more fashionable than it usually is! My friend Brendan (he’s from Chicago!) accompanied me one afternoon on a hunt for fashion shows and was nice enough to model for a few shots for me 😛 We even saw a photo shoot happening on the Pont Alexandre III! I had to sneak in a quick shot as we walked by, so check out the photos below!

iPhone Pictures

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Thoughts of the Week:

What I’m loving right now: All of the flowers that are starting to bloom around Paris <3

What I’m not loving right now: Paris pigeons… they are seriously fearless!

What I’m surprised about: How quickly time is passing here! I can’t believe that I only have a little more than two months left 🙁

Favorite moment: visiting Musee D’Orsay! I got to see a ton of amazing pieces by Degas, Monet, Renoir, Manet, and so many other incredible impressionist artists!

Favorite travel item: Lo & Sons Crossbody Camera Bag. Before leaving for Paris, I spent months on the hunt for a bag that would be stylish, but also practical for carrying my camera around during the day. Well, I really hit the jackpot with this one! Definitely recommend for photographers traveling abroad! 

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