Le Fête des Lumières and Lyon!!

So...I lied to you last week when I told you I was done traveling until my family gets here...but I promise it wasn't on purpose!!

As far as I knew last week, my weekends of European travel were over, but then I received a text from my friend Matt, asking if I wanted to head up to Lyon for the weekend for Le Fête des Lumières.

I couldn't say no. Who would I be to pass up on an opportunity to do something like that?!

So I said yes and immediately bought my bus ticket from Aix to Lyon...a 5+ hour trip.

At 4 o'clock on Friday afternoon, our bus left Aix and the weekend had begun.

The bus ride to Lyon was initially boring as we all tried to sleep, zone out, and listen to music, but after we stopped about halfway to Lyon at a rest stop, the ride became more interesting much more fun.

I know it is difficult to imagine a long bus ride being fun, so bear with me here.

Prior to this trip, I was friends with the people I was traveling with, but I hadn't really gotten to know any of them very well. So in a way, I looked at this weekend as an opportunity to fix that.

After our dinner stop, we started to talk more and open up to each other a bit more. After all, we still had two hours left on the bus, so we figured we should make the best of that time!

As soon as we left the rest stop, we started talking about anything and everything.

The topic that we ended up talking about most was why each of us was studying abroad and what we have gotten out of this amazing opportunity and experience.

So what did this bus ride do for all of us? It provided the foundation for an amazing weekend.

Once we got there and got ourselves into the apartment that we rented out, we decided to head out on the town and take a look at some of the light displays that were literally all over the city.

After a little bit of time looking at these displays and a disappointingly futile attempt at finding a good bar to have a few drinks for Chelsea's birthday, we ended up back in the apartment.

All of us were absolutely exhausted, so we immediately fell asleep thinking we would wake up bright and early to see as much of the city as we possibly could...

Boy were we mistaken...we all finally made it out of bed at around 11 and didn't leave the apartment until probably 11:45 to grab lunch.

What we originally had planned as a quick half hour to 45 minute meal turned into a two hour deep conversation about life over a delicious meal of pasta and pizza.

When we realized how much time we had spent at this restaurant, we decided that we needed to see some of the city during the day while the sun was still up.

Once we finally mustered up the courage to leave the restaurant and venture back out into the cold, we decided to head up the hill (more like a cliff) to Notre Dame de Fourvière, a church built right on the edge of the hill looking out over the city.

The last time I was in Lyon, I did get to visit the church, so this was kind of a repeat experience, but I was able to spend more quiet prayer time there this time around. This is one of the most beautiful churches in the world and it is very easy to spend the better part of two hours just sitting in a pew in awe of the artwork on the ceiling and walls.

When we left, we noticed a donkey outside being tended to by a couple of guys so we walked over to take a look.

What happened next was one of those experiences you can really only have while studying abroad.

One of the guys taking care of the donkey started a conversation with us while we were petting the donkey.

At first, we were a bit apprehensive about this stranger randomly talking to us, but we figured that we were enjoying the fact that he brought a donkey to the church for our enjoyment, so we might as well entertain the conversation for a little while.

As the conversation progressed, each of us become more interested in learning about this guy.

There was really nothing all that special about the conversation. He asked us where we were from, what we liked and disliked about France, why we were in Lyon, why we were living in Aix, etc. But what what made this conversation different from the countless others we have had with other French people was that he seemed to be truly interested in what we had to say.

He was actually relating his life experiences to what we were saying and expressed a great deal of empathy when we told him what we really wish we could change about France.

After these initial pleasantries, he decided to educate us on the history of Lyon and its connection to the Virgin Mary. After all, we were wondering why there was a gigantic lit up "Merci Marie" sign right next to Notre Dame de Fourvière on the hill.

Basically Lyon thanks the Virgin Mary for all of its good fortune throughout its history as it was spared from the worst effects of the Plague, it avoided being hit with a severe outbreak of cholera, and it was spared from being invaded by Prussia in 1870. All of these avoided catastrophes are credited to prayers to the Virgin Mary and the town feels that it owes all of its good fortune to her. Not only that, Lyon's mayor makes a trek up the hill to the church make an offering to Mary every year, regardless of his or her religion.

In fact, the reason the church was built in 1872 was to thank Mary for sparing the city from invasion.

After a few missed calls from friends we were intending to meet in another part of town, we decided that we needed to head down the hill and bid this nice man adieu.

Before we left, he told us that he was a seminarian training to become a priest. He asked us to pray for him through the next few years of his training and told us that he would pray for us as we finished up our schooling as well.

On our walk back down the hill, we just could not stop talking about how great of an experience that had turned out to be and how nice that guy turned out to be.

Eventually, we made our way downtown to meet up with our friends and begin another long, futile attempt at finding a restaurant for dinner. Finally, by the time we made it all the way back to Vieux Lyon (where our apartment was), we were extremely hungry (and hangry, for those who know what that term means), so we stopped at one of the many street vendors to get some fairly cheap sandwiches.

After dinner, we went back to the apartment to freshen up and change into some warmer clothes for the evening and to see more light displays.

At around 9 in the evening, we went back outside into the cold to see as many displays as we possibly could.

I will tell you this about these lights: they were like nothing I had ever seen before. There are pictures of them below, but that doesn't capture the true magic of the festival and what they were celebrating.

I can't even try to explain what we saw. The only way I can express it is by telling you that you need to add Le Fête des Lumières to your bucket list. I promise that it is worth every cent you'd pay to get there.

After seeing a few displays outside of the downtown area, we gathered up the guts to try to head into the busiest and most congested part of the city. Unfortunately, we did not have much luck seeing any of the downtown displays simply because it was far to crowded to go anywhere, much less just move.

When I got home to Aix, my host mom told me that there were 3 million people in Lyon just for this festival. After seeing what it was like downtown Saturday night, I think there were more like 4 or 5 million there.

Anyway, after seeing some amazing lights and struggling to make our way through the city, we got pretty tired and decided to head back to the apartment to crash. We did have to wake up really early to catch our bus back to Aix.

However, on our walk back, we thought it was absolutely necessary to stop at a bar to give our weekend one last toast. And we ended up spending another hour there bonding even more over anything and everything.

The next morning, bright and early, we headed back to Aix and our weekend was officially over.

This was by far the best weekend I have had since coming to Europe.

But that wasn't because of the fact that we were in Lyon. It wasn't because of the amazing light displays we got to see. And it wasn't because of the fact that overall, the weather treated us pretty well.

It was because of the company.

The people I was there with really opened up my eyes to a number of different things and perspectives regarding study abroad. Sure we all have different reasons as to why we are here, but it was amazing hearing how all of our experiences have affected each of us differently.

It is so easy to get dragged into the mentality that we're all here just to study abroad and check that thing off of our college "bucket list" if you will.

Experiences like the one I had this weekend are what make studying abroad so worth it. This weekend I was exposed to a number of other perspectives about life and what the future may hold for us and it truly was enlightening.

It is only fitting that my last weekend that I was really able to do anything fun (I have finals starting this weekend) was the best weekend that I've had in Europe.

I wouldn't have had it any other way.

So Matt, Chelsea, Cathryn, Jasmine, and Sarah, thank you so much for such an amazing weekend up in Lyon. You have no idea how much everything this weekend means to me and I'm so incredibly grateful that I am now able to call you some of my best friends.

This is one of those weekends that I'm going to remember for my entire life.

Hell, isn't that what study abroad is all about?

Fireworks in downtown Lyon...near a Ferris Wheel...yeah, they take this seriously.

End of a light display on one of the churches.

Another light display. All of them were on buildings in large squares in the city.

Notre Dame de Fourvière from Vieux Lyon.

What you're seeing is not the actual facade of this church...That's all from the light display.

As promised, here is a picture from Aix. Cours Mirabeau looking toward La Rotonde.

Cours Mirabeau looking away from La Rotonde.

Initial Reflections

Well, it's VERY hard to believe, but in two weeks from tomorrow, I'll be heading down to the airport to pick up my parents from the Marseille airport.

Unfortunately, that means my time in Aix is quickly coming to a close. And all of us are struggling with coming to terms with it. None of us really want to leave here, but we all can't wait to get home.

It's not something where we can say we'll be back soon. Really, the soonest any of us will be back here is roughly five years from now. With how much we've learned and grown since we got here, this is a very bittersweet time of the semester.

Since we are rapidly approaching the end, I thought it was appropriate to begin reflecting on my time here since the end of August. Have I really been here that long???

Mind you, these are all initial reflections upon what I have gained since being abroad. What I have done and what my life has been for this semester probably really won't sink in until a month or so after I get back home.

The first and probably most exciting thing that I have gotten out of this experience has to do with the French language.

I am by no means fluent or bilingual, but had you heard my attempt at speaking French the day I got here and heard how I speak now, you would be shocked at how much improvement I have made.

Even Camille, my host mother, has commented to me about my improvement on several occasions.

I'll be honest, if you had told me before I left Colorado that I would ever be able to speak French this well, I would not have believed you one bit. Might have even called you crazy.

Yet here I am, a little over three months later, able to hold coherent conversations in French, not afraid to go to a French family's house for a casual dinner, excited for the next opportunity I have to further perfect my understanding of the language.

When thinking about my experiences, I have also really reflected upon the opportunities I have had to travel. And those are very well documented in my previous blogs below.

But when I sit there and really consider all of the places I can now say that I've visited, I am absolutely astonished at how well-traveled I have become.

Since coming here I have visited Aix (obviously), Marseille, Nice (twice), La Ciotat, Lyon, Roanne, Paris, Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Madrid. Add those locations to London, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Germany, and Liechtenstein from my trip to Europe in the Summer of 2008, I have been all over Europe.

I feel so incredibly fortunate to have the opportunities at my disposal to experience these amazing places.

But beyond the simple and obvious achievements I've made, there is one question that I have struggled with since the day I got here: why am I studying abroad?

It'd be a cop-out answer to say that I'm here because it's required by the Daniels College of Business. I do have to be honest, that is part of the reason why I'm studying abroad.

However, there is a lot more to it than that. And it is a lot more complicated.

Of course, as is the case with all of life's endeavors, the point of study abroad has been to grow as a person. But again, I think that's a cop-out answer too.

So why the hell did I study abroad?

When I boarded my plane on August 30th, I had no idea what I was in for. I knew that I was about to go on an adventure of a lifetime, but I didn't know what to expect.

I had no idea that study abroad would completely change my life and cause my life to make a 180 degree turn.

In the month and a half or so prior to leaving the USA, my life had hit rock-bottom. I will spare you the details, but it seemed like nothing was going right for me and I really didn't like the person I was becoming.

Essentially, study abroad could not have come at a better time for me.

Sure, it took some time for these problems to truly go away, but about a month into my French life, all of the problems that I was previously experiencing just sort of started to solve themselves.

Two months ago, for the first time in probably two and a half years, I started to feel truly happy with my life. I was excited about where I was physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

As time has progressed since then, there have been challenges that I faced and there definitely have been a few let-downs here and there, but my life has truly taken a new meaning since coming to Aix.

To be honest, I had no idea that my goal would be to come home with an entirely new outlook on life, but that's the goal that I achieved and I could not be happier.

For the first time in a very long time, I am actually excited to see what the world has in store for me in the coming days, months, and years.

I know I have my goals and would love nothing more than to surpass them. But if there is one thing this study abroad experience has taught me, it is that most things that life may throw at me really won't matter in the long run. And there is much to be said for being able to discern the difference between what does and does not matter.

I know I still have two weeks (well three and a half if you count my time with my family) left of this amazing adventure and I have no idea what they have in store for me. But I am so excited to experience them.

Study abroad has completely changed my life and it happened at a time when a change was needed more than ever.

Now, I know that I haven't exactly kept you updated on what I have been doing here lately, but the good news is, there still hasn't been much to report.

Since returning from Paris, I haven't left Aix except to go on a day trip to Les Baux de Provence and Les Fontaines du Vaucluse with school. That trip was a lot of fun, but there really wasn't much to write home about.

We got to see a couple of very small Provencale towns and do some walking in an absolutely gorgeous area of Provence.

Outside of that, I have been able to spend some more meaningful time in Aix and experience the greatest Christmas market I have ever seen. I promise to post some pictures of the market and the lights next week.

With study abroad drawing quickly to a close, I have had to start thinking harder about what my life is going to be like when I get home. That being said, I have but one request for those of you who live in Colorado: keep those awesome snow vibes going! I want some amazing skiing waiting for me in January!!

Thanksgiving Week: Time to Give Thanks!

I know what you're all thinking...where was last week's post??? Well, I have a good answer for that. Well, kind of.

Last week was kind of a weirdly busy week combined with an inordinate amount of laziness. Not a good combo. Needless to say, this blog kind of feel by the wayside as I was trying to figure out my housing situation for next quarter at DU.

Good news is, I think we have finally found a place. So I won't be homeless.

Bad news is, there was no post. But luckily, you really didn't miss much. I haven't left Aix since I returned from Paris and it looks like I won't be leaving again until I head to Nice with my family right before Christmas.

Anyway, onto the subject of this week's post.

It's Thanksgiving Eve and I have to wake up for class tomorrow...WAIT, WHAT? Yeah, it's a very weird feeling and I don't think I like it. The good news is, it's a one-time thing.

Seeing as it is that holiday that causes a lot of people to reflect on the things in their lives for which they are grateful, I thought I'd jump on that bandwagon this week and share my thanks with you. Sit tight. I am thankful for many, many things. Makes sense, though, right?

1. First and foremost, I want to thank you. Yes, you. If you're reading this, I want to let you know that you mean a lot to me.

Some of you have shared with me the joy my blog posts have brought to you and others have told my mom that you read my blog, so thought it is kind of incomplete, I have an idea as to who my audience is.

So why be thankful for you? It's simple. You have given me a reason to chronicle my adventures in Europe. But more importantly, by reading this, you have shown that you care about me and what I am doing.

What more could someone ask for? This blog has been a pretty important part of my life abroad and you all are a part of that. So, thank you for caring.

2. I am thankful for Christmas music. Yes, I realize Thanksgiving hasn't made it yet, but hey, I'm in a country that doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving, so I think I have permission to listen to it this early.

But why am I thankful for it? Well, Christmas music is fun to listen to, no matter what. But beyond that, it has kept me company this past week (it's keeping me company right now) while I've been working on papers and perusing Facebook.

3. I can't talk about what I'm thankful for and fail to mention the city where I currently live. I am Aixtremely (get it?) thankful for this city, especially right now.

Aix is one of the most gorgeous cities I've ever seen during Christmastime and every time I venture downtown, be it for class or for a night on the town, I get to see the GORGEOUS Christmas lights on trees, buildings, strung across roads, and on the big fountain in the center of town. Yes, they have a very elaborate Christmas light display on a fountain. And we all LOVE it.

But more importantly, Aix has been a catalyst for my process of learning to see the world in a different way. As I've explained in previous posts, Aix is a gorgeous, older city. It is like nothing you'll find anywhere in the USA and I don't think my abroad experience would have been the same or as good as it has been if I had gone somewhere else.

So, for that, I am extremely thankful.

4. I would be remiss to not mention the people I have met since coming here.

I cannot begin to tell you how incredible my peers here are. They come from all over the world (not just my classmates) and have given me an entirely new perspective on what being "worldly" is all about.

I have friends from all over Europe and Canada. These are people that have transformed my study abroad experience into a truly international experience. I have been learning about Italian, French, Canadian, German, British, and Swedish cultures since getting here. And that's only scratching the surface as far as my truly international experience goes.

It's hard to believe that a white, upper middle class kid from an extremely conservative small town in the middle of Colorado has had such profound experiences and met such a diverse group of people.

5. I am so thankful for my French teacher and classmates from Junior and Senior years of high school. Madame Capp taught me more about the French language and culture in those two years than my French professor at DU could.

To be completely honest, had it not been for Madame Capp, I know I would not be studying in France, much less be able to get myself around the country.

I cannot even imagine what living here without that foundation would have been like.

Those two years of French class are the reason why I've had such a successful semester. So Madame Capp, if you're reading this, thank you so much for everything you taught us in those classes.

6. I am so thankful and grateful for my host-mother, Camille Jore. She does not speak a word of English and that is by far, the greatest thing about our relationship. Because of that, I have been forced to take chances with the French language.

It has definitely been a bumpy ride with my very limited vocabulary, but because of the closing of the language gap, our relationship has become so great.

She has, in a way, become my French grandmother.

There are times when I wish she spoke English, and it gets very frustrating because of the fact that I'm not fluent, but I could not imagine my experience here being any better because of her.

7. I am so thankful for the University of Denver and its study abroad programs. Study abroad is one of the most appealing things about my school and they make it so easy to spend a semester abroad almost anywhere in the world.

Had I gone to any of the other schools I applied to, I don't think I would be in the south of France right now.

It says a lot about a university when roughly 75% of its undergraduate students study abroad at one point during their time there.

DU encourages all students to study abroad if they can fit it in their schedule and it is even a requirement in the business school (it can be avoided by taking an international business class on campus).

DU has been the best decision I've made in my life. It wasn't my first choice when I was applying, but I can't imagine going to school anywhere else.

8. While I'm on the topic of schools, I should also mention that I am so thankful for Lewis-Palmer District 38 in Monument, CO and its AMAZING teachers.

Throughout my 13 years in the district, I received the best education and the best educators the country could provide, in my opinion.

At the risk of being redundant, I know that I would not be where I am today, literally and figuratively, without that foundation.

The teachers aren't there just to teach a subject and then head home at 3 o'clock. These people invest their personal time in their students. They believe that education goes well-beyond just the classroom. These teachers aren't just teachers, they're mentors.

In my 3 years at Palmer Ridge High School, I didn't have a single teacher who didn't care deeply about me and my peers. Sure, there were some students that were more frustrating than others, but they cared about all of us equally. They wanted us to succeed not just in their classes, but in life. At every sporting event that I either attended or participated in, I always saw multiple teachers in the crowd. The same can be said for all concerts and performing arts shows.

So, Mr. and Mrs. Eversole, Mrs. Raphael, Mrs. Troy, Ms. Howard (I know you're reading this from heaven), Mrs. Mann, Mr. Dall, Mr. Gabel, Mr. Ewig, Madame Capp, Mrs. Johnson, Mr. Gutowski and every other teacher I have had since kindergarten, THANK YOU. You have no idea (OK, well you probably have some kind of idea) how much all of your mentor-ship means to me and my fellow PRHS graduates.

9. Last, and certainly not least, I am extremely grateful and forever indebted to my family. Mom, Dad, and Julia, you guys are the greatest people in the entire world. You are my rock and the most supportive people in my life.

The last 20 years and 11ish months have been full of ups and downs, successes and failures, fights and celebrations, but the bottom line is, I can't imagine a better group of people to grow up with.

As I get older and realize that I'm becoming more independent and our relationship transforms as necessary, I've been able to reflect on my childhood and my entry into adulthood. The more reflecting I do, the clearer it becomes that you have done an amazing job raising me into the man I am becoming.

I know it hasn't been perfect and it definitely has not been fun 100% of the time, but you guys (well, we) have never tried to be the perfect family, and I think that is what makes us so perfect.

The couple of months leading up to my departure from the states to come here were extremely turbulent and stressful for all of us. I was going through a lot and through it all, you three were there for me at every step of the way.

Sure, you can say that's what family is for, but it goes beyond that. You three are not just my family, but you're my three best friends.

You can't pick your family, but you can pick your friends. I would pick you guys every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

To say that I would not be where I am today without you and your guidance would be the understatement of the year. Simply put, I am here BECAUSE of you and your guidance.

Dad, think back to when we were looking at potential study abroad locations. At first, I was entertaining the idea of going to Sweden, the UK, Australia, or even Canada to study abroad.

Through your help and guidance, we stumbled upon this program in Aix with IAU. We talked about the pros and cons of all of the possible locations and we both decided that Aix was the best location for what I wanted to get out of my study abroad experience.

I miss you guys so much and I absolutely cannot wait until December 19th when you get here. It's right around the corner!

Well, there you have it. There's my list of things I'm thankful for in November of 2013. It is by no means a complete list, but these are the things that immediately came to mind while I was writing this post.

It is a strange feeling being out of the USA for this holiday and having classes this week. That's part of adapting to a new culture, though. I would not have it any other way.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Eat lots and lots of turkey, toss around the pigskin, watch some American football (yeah, I kind of have to call it that now), and enjoy your time with your family.

Paris!!!! And a Little Homesickness...

Well you got rewarded for your loyalty!! I did indeed give you a little hint as to what was to come this week: Homesickness. YAY!!!

However, before I get into that sticky subject, I NEED TO TELL YOU ABOUT PARIS!!!

So, over the weekend, I traveled to Paris with two great friends named Sam and Risa. This was one of the better trips I've taken since being here (I seem to be saying that a lot...).

If you have ever heard me talk about Paris before, you'd know that not only was I there for a few days in the summer of 2008, but that I also HATED the city. I thought the people were rude and that the city was just disgustingly dirty...and we didn't even ride the Metro.

Keep in mind that I was 15 years old...you know, the time of an adolescent's life when it was the cool thing to hate things that everyone else liked.

Well within roughly 15 minutes of arriving on Saturday, my opinion of Paris did a 180. I fell in love with the city almost as soon as I returned to it.

I guess you could say that is a reflection of how my life has been changed since coming abroad, but that's the really cliche and uninteresting stuff better reserved for a personal journal. So instead, I'll tell you all about how I fell in love with the city and what we did this weekend!

When we arrived, we decided to take our belongings to our hostel (which was located roughly 3 or 4 Metro stops from the Eiffel Tower) before going to grab some lunch on the Champs Elysees.

It was raining when we got there, but it stopped on our walk to the Champs Elysees, not that it mattered much because we were already soaked by that time.

As we walked, we passed by some pretty amazing historical landmarks. You know, stuff associated with the French Revolution...if your face is blank reading that, think Les Mis. Better? I thought so.

Anyway, we passed by some landmarks such as L'Hotel des Invalides, Pont Alexandre III (the famous bridge with the gold figurines atop the columns), Grand Palais, and Ecole Militaire. Oh and while we were at it, we really never lost sight of the Eiffel Tower.

When we arrived at the Champs Elysees, we were VERY hungry. None of us had eaten since breakfast thanks to an awkward arrival time in Paris and we decided to find a quick bite to eat before proceeding to L'Arc de Triomphe.

On our way to lunch...well OUR lunch at 4 PM...we passed by a movie theater and decided to see Thor 2 later on in the evening and that turned out to be an absolutely WONDERFUL idea. Yes, we saw it in English, though there were French subtitles. I must say that the movie was really good. I enjoyed every second of it. But you're not reading this to hear my critique of a superhero movie, so I shall move on.

After the movie, we went to Monoprix (a French version of Target) to get some food to cook for dinner at our hostel. We made pasta...for less than 3 euros...total. I'd say that was the "win" of the day. And it was delicious.

On Sunday, we woke up early, got breakfast at the hostel, and got an early start to the day by leaving for Versailles at around 9:30. When we got there we had to wait for roughly 20 minutes...in the pouring rain and cold...to get in. But it was all worth it when we found out that entry was free for students.

After spending a solid 4 or 5 hours touring the amazing architecture and the GIGANTIC gardens behind the castle, we left to head back to Paris.

When we got there, we headed straight for the Eiffel Tower. The last time I was there, I did get to see it, but I didn't go to the top because of how expensive it was. Though the price didn't change since last time, I felt that I had to see it.

We paid to take the stairs up to the second floor and from there we paid again to take the elevator to the top. It was very much worth the cost. The view from there was just amazing...especially because we were up there at sunset.

After that, we went to the store again to buy supplies for another pasta meal. It was a bit more expensive, but adding wine to the mix will do that. ;)

After dinner and friendly conversation with each other, we retired to our room for the night at around 11. Early, I know, but we were exhausted and were planning on waking up at 7:30 again the next day.

Monday morning, we did get up bright and early for breakfast and got another early start to the day. Our first stop: Notre Dame.

In 2008, we went to Notre Dame, but I didn't go inside (worst decision of the entire 2-week Europe trip for me). 5 years later, I finally got a chance to redeem myself for that mistake. And I must say, it was everything I had imagined it to be and more.

The second I set foot inside, I was overcome with awe at how gorgeous it was. Being a Catholic, it was somewhat a pilgrimage for me. I really wanted to stay for Mass, but I didn't want to impose on Risa and Sam.

However, I did take the opportunity to sit down (no pews, surprisingly) and pray. I sat there for a good 10 to 15 minutes in silence appreciating where I was and saying a few prayers for people in my life.

As I was sitting there, I realized who I had been meaning to say a prayer for: my sophomore year AP European History teacher, Ms. Howard, who died just a little over a week ago.

I said a prayer for her and as I did, I shed a few tears remembering the great times I had in her class. She was one of my favorite teachers in high school and being able to say a prayer for her in Notre Dame gave me a little bit of closure to it.

After Notre Dame, we decided to head to the Louvre...you know, the museum with Mona Lisa in it. And again, we were shocked to find out that it was free entry for students, but we weren't complaining one bit. We spent a solid two and a half hours there looking at the Egyptian and Grecian exhibits and then finding Mona Lisa. Risa and I had already seen it, so we stayed back while Sam got a little bit closer to it to take a picture of the disappointingly small painting.

After the Louvre, we went to grab lunch and head to Montmartre and Sacre Coeur where there was another awe-inspiring view of Paris. By this time, we were pretty worn-out, so we didn't stay long before heading back to our hostel to take a nap.

Prior to heading back to the hostel, we were planning on splurging a little bit for dinner Monday night and then seeing the night life, but when we woke up, we decided to nix that plan and order pizza and ice cream and have dinner at the hostel. It was a wonderful idea because we had to wake up even earlier to catch our train back to Aix.

That is a run-down of my trip to Paris. I must say that Paris is an amazing city that is actually quite easy to get around as long as you know where you're going. And there is no reason to dislike it. I can't imagine why I ever disliked it. There was nothing about the city that could make me hate it.

Anyway, onto homesickness...yes, I have a case of it. I wouldn't say that it is a bad case, but it's definitely there.

And it's not really about America as a whole, because honestly, the way of life here is way more appealing than that of the USA. Please don't take that to mean I don't love the USA with all of my heart or that I'm no longer a true American. I do love my country. But there are things that I have realized since being here that I don't really appreciate about the States.

However, I miss home a lot. What do I miss? Well, for starters, my family. More than anything, I miss them and the joy they bring to my life. Since moving to Europe, I've realized how much my family really means to me. I wouldn't be here without them and their support has been absolutely amazing throughout my life.

Basically, I'm getting REALLY excited for them to get here on December 19th.

But what else do I miss? MOUNTAINS. I miss my Rocky Mountains so much. Mostly because ski season is starting and I won't be able to ski until 2014 (don't worry Kenchels and Hendersons, I'm not missing Vail this year!!), but also I just miss the views Colorado has to offer. The mountains are home for me and they always will be. I can't wait to see them again.

I miss DU too. I knew I needed a break from it at the end of sophomore year, but I really can't wait to get back to campus and watch some DU hockey and lacrosse again.

But I also miss my friends. A lot. Coming abroad has really made me think about who I truly value as good friends in my life and who I've made an effort to keep in contact with on a regular basis (if you're reading this, obviously you're important enough to me to keep in touch with through this blog!).

More than any of my friends, though, I miss one of my best friends in the whole world: Lexi Smith. I don't think there has been more than a day or two that has gone by without us talking. We have bounced ideas and advice off of each other for the past few months and I really can't wait to get back to Denver and eat at Tocabe and go to DU hockey games with her again.

In essence, I miss Colorado. Regardless of where I am in the world, I will always be a Coloradan and the Rocky Mountains will always be home.

They always say that home is where your heart is, and while I'm loving my time here immensely and I can't wait to see what the next month or so has to offer, my heart is in Colorado and always will be.

I'll be home soon.

Here you go, Mom!! Heading into Notre Dame!

Casual windy picture atop the Eiffel Tower at sunset.

The three of us atop the Eiffel Tower.

Self-explanatory, I would hope.

Sunset from the Eiffel Tower.

View of the park at the bottom of the Eiffel Tower.

For those of you who are friends with me on Facebook, in the coming days (maybe weeks), I will be posting more pictures from this trip there. If you're on Facebook and wish to see these pictures, don't be shy and add me as a friend!! Only if you don't mind seeing somewhat frequent posts about sports and other abroad musings.

Fall Break...Wait, That's a Thing???

Well, here we are again...another two week break. This time, I'm not very sorry for it only because I was in Spain all of last week.

Barcelona from Saturday through Tuesday and Madrid from Tuesday night through Sunday afternoon. If I could have spent the last three or so days sleeping, I would have. It was a very very busy week of travelling.

I should warn you now, though. If you were looking for one of my typical deep and thought-provoking posts worthy only for the eyes of New York Times subscribers (HA!), you should probably just stop now and look for some other DU junior's most recent blog post.

This is going to be simply a recap of my week in Spain. Ok, maybe not simply, but I'm not planning on coming up with any earth-shattering revelations about life this time.

Anyways. Spain. It was fun.

Does that suffice?

I didn't think so. So I should probably go chronologically. It's the only way to go, I suppose.

Well, on the first Saturday of break, I had to wake up at 5 AM to catch the bus from Aix to Barcelona. I could sugar-coat it and tell you that it was one of the absolute hardest things to do after a Friday night abroad, but....actually we'll just leave it at that.

But the bright side of that whole situation was that we had a 6 hour bus ride ahead of us during which we could sleep. And you can bet your you-know-what that I did just that. The second the bus started moving, I was out.

Six hours later, we found ourselves in Barcelona and sure enough, we were dressed very poorly for the weather. Why? It was a casual 80 degrees Fahrenheit. As soon as we could, we all changed out of our pants and jackets and into shorts and tee-shirts.

After a lunch of some questionable paella, we began to wander around the touristy part of Barcelona, which turned out to be somewhat boring. Shocker.

So after this, we received the AMAZING news that Real Madrid was in town to play Barcelona in El Clasico. You know, just the biggest rivalry in all of sports. There is a reason why it's called "The Classic."

As soon as we found this out, we decided to head over to the stadium and find a bar with a TV so we could watch the game like a real fan, you know, with a beer in hand.

After we all bought scarves at a table vendor outside of the stadium, we started the search for a bar...which probably took ENTIRELY too long.

Once we finally found a bar about 10 minutes into the game, none of us left our seats until the game was over.

Barcelona ended up winning the game 2-1 and it was an amazing experience to be among such amazing fans of the game in the bar. For a sports fan like myself, being around people who actually know what they're watching was such a breath of fresh air. I was able to actually enjoy the game instead of spend most of the game explaining what was going on to someone who hasn't watched the sport before.

After the game, we went out to experience the legendary night-life of Barcelona...and it didn't disappoint.

The next day, we had a bus tour of the major parts of Barcelona and that was pretty darn breath-taking. We got to see some amazing views of the city from a hill above it and we saw Sagrada di Familia, a church designed by the famous Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi. It is actually currently being constructed in the center of Barcelona.

That night a lot of us went to the beach to hang out and listen to the waves and it was probably one of the highlights of my time in Barcelona.

The next day, we all woke up in the early afternoon, which was probably for the best. We were all extremely tired from the day before and we needed our sleep. During the day on Monday, we stayed in the area around our hostel, which was the touristy part of the city and spent some quality time with each other.

That night, our last one in Barcelona, we went to karaoke night at an Irish pub near the beach. That was an absolute blast! In fact, I sang Hakuna Matata with a girl from New Zealand and we nearly won first prize at the end of the night for it!

After karaoke, we all went to one of the hottest clubs in Barcelona called Opium. We got in for free and a number of us were able to get into the VIP area for no cost as well. It was the best club experience I've had since being in Europe, by far.

That night was hands-down the best night I've had since coming to Europe.

The next day, Diego, Jared, Peter, and I left Barcelona for Madrid on a high-speed train. It took us less than 3 hours to get to Madrid, which is actually a considerable distance from Barcelona.

That night, we all went to the center of town to meet up with some friends of Peter and Jared. To start the night, we went to a restaurant and had some really good paella.

After dinner, we went to another Irish pub to have a few drinks, further our new friendships, finalize plans for going to the Real Madrid-Sevilla futbol game the next night.

The next day, the only thing worth noting was the game. AND MY GOD IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!!!!!!

I have never been in such an amazing sports atmosphere in my life. Let me just recap the game...

We saw 10 goals scored total (7-3 in favor of Real Madrid), which in itself was amazing, 3 penalty kicks (2 went in), Cristiano Ronaldo (yes, that Cristiano Ronaldo) had a hat trick, and we saw a red card given to a Sevilla player. WE SAW EVERYTHING!!!

The next day was Halloween...I will leave that one open to your imagination...we didn't really do anything special...except go to Museo Prado during the day. That was definitely amazing to see such amazing Renaissance artwork. We all were taken aback by the sheer detail so many of these artists were able to capture in their paintings.

On Friday, we woke up extremely late in the day. But instead of letting the day go to waste, we went to a nearby park called Parque del Retiro and rented bikes for about an hour. We biked all over the park and had an absolute blast doing this. It was an awesome workout and we got to see a gorgeous park at the same time. This was one of the major highlights of the entire trip to Spain, no doubt.

That night, I was feeling kind of under the weather, so I stayed in while the other three went to a 7-story club called Kapital. I definitely wish I had sucked it up and gone with them that night...I heard amazing things about it. I'll just have to go the next time I'm in Madrid!

The next day, we woke up fairly late again, but again, we didn't waste the day. While Diego went to go spend the afternoon with his cousin who lives in the Madrid area, Jared, Peter, and I went to Reina Sophia, one of the most famous modern art museums in the world.

We spent a solid 3 hours there and were absolutely overwhelmed by the sheer amount of art in one building. The best part was probably the surrealism room...you know, Dali. Salvadore Dali is probably one of my favorite artists. His surrealist paintings capture so many different prevalent themes that it is difficult to dislike any of his work.

After the museum, we went back to the hostel, paid 2 euros and got to eat some AMAZING homemade (well, hostel-made) paella. This was by far my favorite meal of the entire week.

After dinner, we went on a bar-crawl that took us to four different bars and finished at a local club. It was definitely a great way to finish our trip to Spain.

As you might have guessed, we woke up the next day and headed straight to the airport to head back to Aix.

One thing I did notice while I was in Spain was how much I missed the French language. It was a very odd and scary feeling not being able to understand what anyone has to say.  Thank goodness Diego is fluent in Spanish, otherwise our trip would not have been nearly as successful.

When I got back to Aix, I realized how much French I actually knew. It was as if this trip to Spain was a tipping point in my competence with the French language.

As soon as I returned to my host-mother's house, I was able to form fluid and concrete sentences. Since getting back, I have not stumbled over my words nearly as often. It is definitely something that I've been very pleasantly surprised about.

But there ya have it! That is about as brief a synopsis of my Fall Break as I can give you. Look below the text for some pictures from break. I know there aren't many, but many pictures I have are somewhat repetitive.

Next week, I'll try to have a deeper, more thought-provoking post. I promise. Maybe it will be about homesickness...or maybe it won't. There's only one way to find out!!

So, until next week, au revoir!

Statue of Christopher Columbus pretty close to our hostel in Barcelona. 

Picture of FC Barcelona's stadium from afar.

View from above Barcelona. 

View of the Mediterranean from above Barcelona.

Sagrada di Familia

Barcelona beach at night.

Real Madrid v. Sevilla. 3rd deck. 20 euros. SO FUN.

Casual selfie at the game.

4 of the 10ish of us after the game.

Parque del Retiro in Madrid.

Not quite Colorado Fall colors, but this will suffice for now.

Gorgeous random structure near Parque del Retiro.

An Apology and Wait....I'm Here to STUDY???

Ok, yes, I know. I didn't write an update last week and I'm late this week by a day. I have had midterms for the past two weeks and I wanted to focus on them...

Yeah, you're right, that's a pretty lame excuse...I'll level with you: I got lazy and I apologize to those of you who wait on the edges of your seats to hear about ma vie en France.

But in all seriousness, I did have 4 midterms over the past two weeks and studying for them did take up a significant amount of my time, much to my chagrin.

BUT FALL BREAK IS NEXT WEEK!!!!!!

No, I'm not excited. At all.

As I finished my final midterm today, I realized that I haven't filled you in on the part of my life in Aix that just so happens to be the reason I'm here: school.

So without further ado...here's what many of you might be curious about! I promise that I am indeed going to class everyday. I've only missed two classes total...for Amsterdam, so it was worth it.

First, school is going really well. I love all of my classes and professors. Yes, my grades are up where they should be and I'm learning a lot in all of them.

I think I'm beginning to regain a love for learning that I had kind of lost a few years ago. Sure, I loved getting good grades and seeing the effort (well the little bit of effort I put into my classes), but I didn't enjoy the act of gaining new knowledge.

To you intellectual types (AKA Dad) reading this, I promise you that it's changing as I'm typing this.

Now, I'll give a nice, in-depth rundown of all four of my classes that I am taking this semester.

French

I'll start with my French class. It's called French 102 --> 201. If that sounds pretty basic to you, that's because it is quite basic. I hadn't taken French in over a year before I came here, so I figured that I would take an easier French class....That turned out to be somewhat a mistake.

This class is probably too easy for my level of French, but hey, who doesn't love an easy A?

So far, we've just reviewed a lot of the stuff I learned Junior and Senior year of high school. I will say that it has helped me navigate around Aix, though. And that is what matters most about my French class, as far as I'm concerned.

Philosophy

This one is definitely my most reading-intensive class. Philosophy a reading intensive class? SHOCKER.

The class is called Ethics: From the Ancients to the Moderns. So far, we have analyzed the Gospel of John and read "An Apology for Raymond Sebond" from The Complete Essays by Michel de Montaigne.

This class has proven to be extremely interesting. We haven't really gotten into the ethics part of things yet, but analyzing such classic literature on a high level with an extremely intelligent professor and a very interested group of students has almost made me dread going back to certain classes at DU.

Of course the material in this class has been absolutely amazing and extremely interesting, but beyond that, my critical thinking skills are getting a major work out. Entirely too many of the classes that I have taken at DU do not require much critical thinking or analysis (that's the nature of the beast with a lot of business classes, I suppose).

In many ways, I have desperately missed classes that required critical thinking and high-level analysis. At the beginning of the semester, this class was a major struggle. I was getting lost in a lot of the conversations and the rhetoric my professor was throwing at us.

After a couple of weeks, I started to gain a foothold in the class and started engaging in the conversations and in-class debates.

The one part of this class that sucks is the fact that it's my third class of the day on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3:30. Most days, to keep myself awake and alert, I have to do things like this:

Yeah, yeah, yeah...I know...I'm in class, I should be focused and all that jazz, but honestly, if it wasn't for my sharpies and empty notebook, I wouldn't be able to stay awake in class.

Plus, I've actually been able to pay full attention while creating such amazing masterpieces (HA, right. I create artistic masterpieces...).

International Intercultural Management

I'll admit, I signed up for this class just to keep the business part of my brain up-to-date. But the amazing part of that is this has turned out to be an AWESOME class.

First, there are five students in this class. Yes, FIVE. And that's only where the awesomeness begins.

My professor is literally one of the coolest people I've ever met. He is of Middle Eastern descent, but he has somewhat of an Irish accent combined with a Middle Eastern accent. Until I got here, I didn't even know that was possible.

But the class itself is amazing too. Professor Mobed realizes that we are here for study abroad and that we do have pretty active lives outside of the classroom, so he tries to keep the work in this class in the classroom.

The only homework we have is a case study every couple of weeks. In fact, for the midterm last week, he let all five of us work together on it. In fact, he was very enthusiastic about us coming up with that idea.

On top of that, the course itself has some great material. Of course, it is rooted in your basic management class. You know, stuff like MGMT 2000 (DU Business Students will know exactly what I'm talking about).

But there is a very international slant to it. So far, we have discussed issues such as how can a multi-national corporation make as little splash as possible in a country while maintaining profitability and how a given multi-national company should operate in a third-world country.

This isn't stuff they teach you in a basic management class. And that's why I love it. This class is teaching me things that I would not have learned without going abroad. Classes like this one make this whole experience very much worth it.

Muslim Presence in Europe

Now, here is my favorite class by far. Yes, just looking at the title, I know you're interested in this class. And I could talk for DAYS about how awesome this class is and about how much I'm learning in it. But I'll try to keep this section as short as possible.

To start, my professor is my favorite professor here. She is from the Middle East and speaks almost perfect English. On top of that, she knows more about Islam than many of us Americans knows about any given popular religion.

I have learned more in this class than I have in any other one since being here. Coming into this class, I knew next to nothing about Islam except that it is the fastest-growing religion in the world.

I promise I won't go into a lesson about Islam here. But I will say this: Islam is a religion VERY much worth researching. Its history and the turbulence Muslims have experienced throughout history is absolutely fascinating.

I am so glad that I'm taking this class in France though because this issue is so prevalent even now. There are about 15 million Muslims living in the EU currently and about 5 million of them live in France. That's 1/3 of the ENTIRE European Muslim population.

It is no secret that I didn't come here to earn any Accounting credits or any business credits at all. If anything, I came here to get a 4 month break from business classes before I get back and my life becomes 100% Accounting.

Classes like this one are why I am so incredibly glad I came here. There is no way I would have taken this class even if it was offered at DU. Essentially, after freshman year, if the class wasn't part of PLP or if it didn't take place in DCB (Daniels College of Business), I wasn't going to take it.

So there you have it! This adds up to 15 credits here and 22.5 at DU. Because I'm here for a semester instead of a quarter, I receive credit-and-a-half for the courses I take here.

I am really pleased with how my academic part of Study Abroad has turned out. I enjoy every single one of my classes and professors immensely. I can't say that I've experienced something like this since junior and senior years of high school.

Not that DU doesn't have the capability of that, it's just that I haven't liked ALL of my classes AND professors during any given quarter at DU.

Now, I guess since I haven't written a post in two weeks, I should let you know what I've been up to the past two weeks.

Well outside of midterms, I didn't do a lot. Though, last weekend I did travel up to Roanne to visit a couple of family friends who live on a barge and travel throughout France via canals, Debby and Randy Komisarek.

Debby worked with my mom at KPMG when she worked there before moving to Colorado Springs and before I was born. So when I found out that they were one short hour and a half TGV train ride away from Aix, I knew I had to go visit them.

It was actually a fairly relaxed weekend and we didn't do a lot except sit, talk, drink wine, and eat. But that is why it was one of the most amazing weekends since I've been here. Yes, it was on the same level as Amsterdam. Not quite life-changing, but definitely as far as fun goes, it was equal.

It was really nice to be able to have true intellectual conversations with people who have some life experience under their belts. I have my own conceptions about the world and I love hearing what other people think about certain things.

That was what this weekend was. Every conversation we had was on a level that I could not really have with any of my peers. And that's the way it is supposed to be. My peers and I have a very idealistic and perhaps unrealistic way of seeing the world.

I think that is why I found this weekend to be so refreshing and so much fun. Talking to Debby and Randy about things that I really can't talk to my peers about on such a high level was absolutely amazing.

But beyond that, it was an awesome change of pace from what I've been doing in France. I was finally able to slow down and really enjoy the company of other people instead of always asking what we're doing next.

To be honest, I really wish I could have been able to have more than just one weekend in Roanne. But I was definitely happy with what I was able to have!

Thanks again, Debby and Randy for such an amazing weekend!!

Before I say au revoir, I must give you a quick disclaimer about next week: it's Fall Break. I'll be in Spain all week. Barcelona and then Madrid.

What does this mean for you? This means there won't be a post again next week. I'm not going to bring my computer with me and I won't be near a computer at all next week.

But I promise to give you a nice long update in two weeks about how amazing break was (err will be).

So until then, have an awesome two weeks! And I'm off to Spain!!!

The Weekend That Changed My Life

As you know from last week's blog, I traveled to Amsterdam with some friends over this past weekend. To say I had fun would be the understatement of the year.

Those of you who actually read what I post on Facebook know that I desperately want to move there in the very near future.

Now, I realize EVERYONE says something similar to that when they visit a city they particularly enjoy and then the novelty wears off in a few days.

It does not truly capture the emotion I felt walking around the city when I say I fell in love with Amsterdam. I fell harder for this city than I ever have for a person, city, or a sport...yes, I fell harder for Amsterdam than I ever did for baseball or hockey...

As many of you know, I am an Accounting major at the University of Denver (I have so much pride in one of the top 10 accounting programs in the country!!!). I plan on spending a few years after I graduate working for one of the Big Four accounting firms.

Why does this matter, you ask?

As soon as I returned to Aix, I started looking at the Big Four to find out if they have offices in Amsterdam. What did I find? I found that the firm that has been at the top of my list for a few months now (you're welcome, Mom and Dad) has a major branch located in Amsterdam and its headquarters are located in Amstelveen...just south of Amsterdam.

That is what I mean when I say this past weekend changed my life.

So, fine, I had a life-altering experience while abroad? Who doesn't?

I have been thinking about that fact nonstop since returning to Aix on Sunday.

I've been asking myself this question for the past 72 hours: WHAT MADE AMSTERDAM SO DAMN SPECIAL?!

One answer I came up with is that it 100% changed my study abroad experience. I'll be totally honest, before this weekend, I was starting to question the value of study abroad. I was thinking, "Great, so I'm going to school in a city that is different from Denver. Had I gotten in to Notre Dame, I would be doing the same thing there..."

However, I don't know what happened, but while in Amsterdam, something clicked and I thought to myself, "Oh! THIS is what study abroad is all about! Learning to get along on your own, traveling alone/with others, and finding out truly how independent you are; this is what it's all meant to be!"

I was satisfied with that answer for about 5 minutes. Then I realized that it didn't answer my yearning question as to why Amsterdam was so great.

I don't know that I have found the real answer as to why I fell so hard for the city yet, but I will walk through everything that I thought made it so great and maybe it will help me come to a real answer to that question.

I'll start by giving you a quick rundown of everything we (there were 12 of us in two different hostels) did while in Amsterdam.

To begin our trip, we spent Thursday night in Eindhoven, a city about an hour train ride outside of Amsterdam. This night gave us a nice preview to what was in store as far as a Dutch city goes. Eindhoven was very clean and VERY well-kept.

That night, we went out and went to a street with 58 bars on it. Yes, 58 bars. I promise I'm not exaggerating. That night was fun, but we all knew that it was no Amsterdam.

The next day, we boarded our train and headed to the greatest city on Earth.

As soon as we got out of the Amsterdam Centraal station, we were struck with just how great this city is. Huge, gorgeous buildings lined the main streets and very northern European buildings lined the smaller side streets.

Yes, everywhere we went, we smelled it. What is "it" you ask? It's Amsterdam. Do you really need to ask that question?

The first thing we did was find our hostel, which was 2 miles south of Centraal Station (yes, that's Dutch for Central Station. It's a really difficult language...).

After we found our hostel, we decided to indulge in the local legal delicacies that Amsterdam had to offer.

We got pretty tired after that...traveling to Amsterdam that day really took it out of us. So we went back to our hostel to take a nap before heading out for the night.

Because we didn't know exactly where to go, the nightlife was nothing to write home about. I am sure it is much better than I'm giving it credit for, but we just didn't experience it.

The next day, Saturday, was when I really fell in love with Amsterdam. On Friday, I stepped up to be my group's navigator of the city, so by lunchtime on Saturday, I knew the layout of Amsterdam just as well as I know the layout of downtown Denver and remember, I was a delivery driver in Denver this summer.

After lunch, we went to the Anne Frank House which moved all of us to tears. If I had to choose one highlight of the trip, I think I would have to say this is it. I have never before felt as though I was hit by a bus when reading something until I read a few of the select quotes from The Diary of Anne Frank on the walls of the museum.

The one quote that hit me the hardest was this: "The English radio says they're being gassed. I feel terrible."

In the moment I read that, I realized that words cannot really capture emotion.

After the Anne Frank House, we wandered aimlessly all over the southern part of the city trying to get a grip on the sadness we all felt. Finally we decided to add a direction to our wandering. We went to Vondelpark, a GIGANTIC park on the southwest side of the city.

It was a gorgeous park and it was well worth the time we spent there. It is a park that anyone could spend HOURS during day just walking and thinking about life (just another reason why I want to go back) while never seeing the same part of the park.

After that, we went to another coffee shop (yes, a coffee shop in Amsterdam is different than a cafe) and indulged again in Amsterdam's delicacies before heading to dinner.

After dinner, we went back to the girls' hostel and played a drinking game before heading back to our hostel to turn in early...after all, we did have to wake up early to head back to Aix.

Now, onto figuring out why I fell so hard for Amsterdam:

In a sense, I think the emotions I felt while in the Anne Frank House helped me to realize the emotions I was feeling for Amsterdam as a whole.

Obviously the emotions I felt in the Anne Frank House were different than the ones I experienced while just walking and leading my group around Amsterdam, but the degree of emotion I felt was quite comparable.

BUT WHY??

The answer that I keep coming back to is far more simple than I thought it would be: I simply adapted more quickly to Amsterdam than I have to any other city. The way the canals and the streets are situated just clicks with my brain, I suppose.

I wish I could give you a deeper, more philosophical answer than that, but I can't. I fell in love with Amsterdam because it just clicked.

As far as I'm concerned, that's definitely a good enough reason to want to move to a new city.

If there is one thing I can promise you now because of my study abroad experience, it is this: within the next 5-8 years, I will be living in Amsterdam, if it is only for a few years.

This weekend changed my life. This weekend changed my study abroad experience. In fact, this weekend changed what I am looking to get out of life as a whole.

Experiences like these just don't come around very often. I am not taking this one for granted.

AMSTERDAM, HERE I COME!!!

Rijksmuseum: the museum we had to walk through to get to Downtown Amsterdam.

The "I AMsterdam" sign in front of Rijksmuseum.

Rijksmuseum and the park in front of it at night.

Amsterdam canal at night...See why I want to live here???