Again we wake up and drive to the airport. This time not so early but we still arrive with time to spare. My mom and I peoplew watch. We see a cute dad and try to figure out who his wife and brother aor sister are. We watch them until the family says goodbye and my mom start to tear up. She says about the grandmother, "She must be dying" and at first I am confused but then I understnat it - because her kids were leaving. Shortly after she jokes and says "or relieved." I don't feel guiot of bad because I know my mom is excited and this wasn't a comment aimed to hurt or anything of the sort. It was making her sad in the realizaiton and me as well so I try my best to hold back the etaers. I can imagine goingto visit my mom and dad when I am older and having to leave and its a sad realizaiotn, at least for me, that I am not a child anymore and while that day is still a ways a way my life is still moving toward that and everything I am working toward will eventually bring me to it. She walks me to security and I think its evern harder the second time. She wiats until I cna't see her any longer and I tearfully make my way thoguh security and to my gate. I am trying really hard to not cry because my parents have scared me ebnought to believe everyone in an airport is a malicious thied and will pray on my weak will (lol) but its difficult so I read. Ye the book I chose is not only about WWII and the Holocaust but starts with a funeral which only reaffirms again that life is fleeting. So I just sucumb to it and cry mroe. I call everyone before I board the smalled plane on the planet and wheer am I sitting? Window seat right by the wing.
But I don't clsoe the windeow and I don't close my wyes. I make myself watch as we take off and we are finally up. I convince myself that the clous are the ground covered in snow. Every bumb has me scared but after a while it is just life a car ride. Landing is slightly terrifing but we make it safle to JFK. On to the next gate. Its strange now because I am doing it all on my owl. I keep telling myself what I heard at our departure meeting: Just because its different doesn't mean its bad....its just different. My new mantra. I exchange some money for Euros, get food and wait by my next gate.
Time goes by quickly and again I'm calling everyone before I board. The plane is huge but still uncomfortable. I feel like everyone is French of can speak French except me but I get over this quickly. I sit next to a very nice French woman again by the window right by the wing. Joy. Fortunately there are no colonial women to freak me out. But I watch as we take off and New York twinkles like a flickering candle.
Six and a half hours go by quickly. Sleeping is useless and we get gipped out of our inflight move so I read and try my best to understand a French Vogue.
I think there is a satirical article about Lady Gaga pretending to be a God abut there is a language barrier so....We begin our decent and soon I can see the expanse of Paris, shining in the dark. This is real life! We land and wait to get off the plane. I've discovered that as soon as I land I have to pee...maybe something to do with gravity? I brace myself for Charles de Gaule because multiple people have told me it is a terrible airport. As first it doesn't seem to bad but the more I walk I realize that CDG is indeed unattractive. It feels like I am in a really old mall. Nonetheless, I make my way through customs and to the train station in the airport where Shena and I are supposed to meet. Its still dark at 7:30 and even thought I am indoors , the station is freezing. I take my laptop out to email Shena and mom and dad and Bradey. I type my password in 6 times (incorrectly) then realize my number buttons are broken so I can not log into my computer! I would usually panic and cry. I tried taking off the number 1 button and trying to press it manually but still nothing. Shena knows where I am waiting and I will plant roots in this freezing station if I have to. Again I try to repeat things i was told about traveling: "Don't panic, never be afraid to ask questions." So I formulate a plan. I see two men with ipads and a woman with an iPhone. After seeing the movie taken I aim for the woman. I wallow my pride and fears and try my best to make a coherent French sensence asking if I can use her phone to email my friend because my laptop is broken. She don's speak French of English but understand enough and the panicked look on my face and hands her phone over. I email Shena and my dad and then wait. I know I should have bought an iPod touch before I left! Shena arrives and I am so relieved. I email my dad form her phone and then we buy metro ticket. I try to take it all in. I already have two panicked experience to work form. I think from this I'll feel prepared in Italy. Sleep deprivation is coming quickly. Its 9:30 and the sun has just risen, 3:30 in the States...my usual bed time. I would already be asleep but I have to stay awake. We make it to the next station and buy TGV tickets butt have time to kill so we emerge from the Gare du Nord onto the streets of Pairs and the sight is ironically breathtaking. We go for a walk and stop to get coffee. Its not until we do this that I realize, HOLY SHIT...I am here! Me, Gabi, the homebody, flew across the world to Paris by myself!
And where do we go to get coffee? McDonald's of course! Coffee is tiny and expensive. There burgers are on croissants and they sell pastries which cracks me up. We sit and talk and I take it all in. Then we go for a walk around Paris. Rolling my luggage is a pain but it seems every other person is doing the same. We are after all, fight by the station. I relish the fact that I know the entrance to the subways are done in art noveau and that the iconic Parisian boulevards were created because the streets had to be widened form darkness and filth. Three years of art history has finally paid off. Pairs is beautiful and full of smells. I want to take pictures of everything but I'll wait until we come back in a few days. Pairs also has an extraordinary amount of graffiti. some in places I don't now how it even got there. We make out way back to the station to get on the train to Amiens.
I can't help but fall asleep. An hour and a short bus ride alter we are finally at Shena's dorm. I put on Bradey's fleece pj pants and curl up on her bed. She give me my Christmas presents: a bracelet from Barcelona, a key chain from Amsterdam, three postcards, a Van Gosh book mark and my favorite - a red rosary form Rome....THAT SMELLS LIKE ROSES!
Then we sleep finally because she didn't sleep either
Lucky girl!I am proud of you.
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