experience: the first letter i sent home

[WARNING: THIS IS A HOT MESS!]

HELLO, FAMILY!

I'M ALIVE. SOOOOOO ALIVE, IN FACT!

a messy summary of what i did when i got here:

>>>>--showed up at 9am sunday.
>>>>--figured out the airport and train system really well, even without speaking french.
>>>> --took the train to the university i'm staying at, which was
>>>> surprisingly easy
>>>> --got here and realized that NONE of the secretaries were working
>>>> [it was
>>>> sunday...]
>>>> --walked all over the university trying to find the one
>>>> secretary who
>>>> the yale people said would be on shift [the secretary who would
>>>> have my room
>>>> key...]
>>>> --took a three of four hour nap in a random patch of grass on campus
>>>> --woke up to a hilarious little french boy [maybe four years
>>>> old?] throwing pine
>>>> cones at me
>>>> --decided to try to find a secretary ONE LAST TIME, this time
>>>> with the help of a
>>>> few americans i ran into [one from florida, one from north
>>>> carolina, one from
>>>> bboston]
>>>> --failed
>>>> --met a really rad slavakian girl who offered me her floor to
>>>> sleep on, but who
>>>> then remembered she'd promised some other guy from brussells her floor for the night
>>>> --she was super awesome and let me use her computer to tell you i'm alive
>>>> --hopped on the tram and decided to go find a hotel
>>>> --walked into about three or four that wanted to charge me 120
>>>> euro for one
>>>> night, obviously because i'm american and they think i'm rich
>>>> --finally found one that i talked down to 66 euro
>>>> --went upstairs to my adorable little french hotel room and CRASHED
>>>> --by crashed i mean, fell asleep at five in the evening and woke
>>>> up around ten
>>>> the next day [though i did wake up around one or two in the
>>>> morning to walk
>>>> downstairs and look at a clock... there was no clock in my room
>>>> and none of my
>>>> electronics were functioning...]
>>>> --woke up and left my room by eleven
>>>> --realized i hadn't eaten a single bit of food in the last 24 hours
>>>> --went to subway, of all places [the meatball marinara sandwich sounded
>>>> DIVIIIIINE in the moment]
>>>> --spent WAY TOO MUCH... like 8 euro for one sandwich...
>>>> --made my way back to the university, got my room key, moved in
>>>> [it's GREAT!]
>>>> --fell asleep again
>>>> --woke up determined to find internet and esther, my mixed co friend
>>>> --ran into random slavakian girl again, who happens to live in my
>>>> building.. she's going to be a good friend, i think
>>>> --met up with esther and a few of the yalies! they're great.

my first class was today. it was lovely. we meet downtown paris in this wonderful little french school. our professor is pretty young, but totally passionate about the material. i'm pretty excited myself! [we're studying french history... the revolution, specifically, among other things...]

we got an UNLIMITED FIVE WEEK PASS TO THE LOUVRE. [the largest and most famous museum IN THE WORLD!!!] we can go there anytime we like for as long as we like. my professor said it will take at least five weeks to get through the whole thing thoroughly. i'm SOOOOO EXCITED.

this afternoon i went shopping with some friends downtown paris... trying to find electronic adapters, etc. EVERYTHING IS SO EXPENSIVE HERE. it is unbelievable! [my friend had a seven dollar coke at one cafe!]

tonight was wonderful. some friends and i went to see the eifel tower. we ate at this fun, outdoor cafe right near the tower... i had a ham sandwich, the cheapest item on the menu. it was definitely not was i was expecting... it came on a long, thin loaf of french bread. VERY SIMPLE. the cafe was selling american hamburgers for a whoooole lot of money. i laughed.

after dinner, we grabbed dessert at a random bistro and sat in front of the eifel tower all night talking and getting to know each other. the tower is definitely the best at night. it is fine during the day [though sort of underwhelming], but STUNNING at night!

oh man.

everything's great.

i'm in my room now. i live at the cite universitaire right in paris. i live in the "centre international de courts sejours fondation victor lyon" building... see if you can find it on google earth!

i'll tell you more later. let me know what questions you have.

HOPE YOU ARE ALL WELL.

sorry this letter is a MESS. i do not recommend that you forward this one to anyone... wait till i compose a more coherent message to do that.

=]

loooove,

mckay!