Mon premier jour en France…

It took a long while for the reality to settle in that I am in Paris. Perhaps it was due to the very long hours of traveling and the very little sleep. In fact, there is little doubt as to that being the case.

My arrival went fairly smoothly into the Paris airport. All of my bags arrived on the same flight on which I arrived, which is more to say than a couple of my fellow students (more on that to come). I got off the plane, stopped by the border police (who glanced at my passport and visa but didn’t even stamp it … that’s the whole point of going somewhere with your passport!), picked up my luggage, caught a shuttle bus to the other terminal where we were meeting, and eventually met up with the resident director. There was a slight mix up on the meeting place but, I was resourceful and figured it out shortly. Soon enough, we were in a taxi headed for the hotel.

By this point, all that I wanted to do was to take a shower and catch a short nap! I had to wait about an hour in the hotel lobby before my room was ready but I met the other students who are traveling with me. There are a total of 5 of us who arrived today and will be going to my business school. We all had a variety of experiences getting to Paris. One lucky student got randomly upgraded to business class and, in turn, was served champagne, had a fully reclining seat with leg rest, and more cushion than the rest of us combined! (We were quite jealous!) To the other extreme, one student, who knows very little French, got delayed, missed a connection, and now his luggage is lost! I felt really bad for them.

After meeting everyone, I got the long awaited shower and nap, and then we met up for a short meeting and then walked to dinner. Originally, the plan was to take a boat ride on the Seine and then head to dinner at a nearby restaurant. Because of a wrong turn, we walked up to boat dock as it’s pulling away! So, we postponed the boat ride until tomorrow night. Needless to say, the streets here are crazy!!! We shall see how well I fare at navigating them in my free time the next couple of days.

As we were walking down to the Seine and then to dinner, the reality hit me that I really am in Paris. Actually, I think the exact moment was as we came around the bend and I realized that I was walking next to Notre Dame! The architecture is amazing and to just be walking next to century-old buildings was so profound. Dinner at the restaurant was fantastic. It was a little rocky figuring out how to order and what proper etiquette was and still not trying to look like a blatant tourist.

Overall, it was a great day! The Paris airport is huge but ended up not being as intimidating as I feared. Yes, of course, everyone is speaking French around me and I can’t understand it all but, it’s more exciting and challenging than frightening. I’ve even had the chance to practice it a few times!

Now it’s time to go to sleep! My eyes are really heavy and I have a slight headache because I’m tired. It’s been a long but good day! Tomorrow holds going to Notre Dame, the Louvre, some time to explore, and then the boast ride. ….Notre Dame and The Louvre!! So crazy… Goodnight everyone, know that I’m thinking of you all and wishing that you could be experiencing France with me.