Has it only been five days since I got here?
Wow.
It already feels like it's been two weeks.
The trip over was quite exhausting. Thursday after I taught I went up with my brother and mother to pick up my father in Jacksonville. We went out to dinner that night at The Landing, drove home, frantically did some last minute packing, and went to bed around 2am. We woke up at 7am, I got to Orlando just fine, flew up to Newark and here the fun began.
It was a five-hour layover anyway, I was expecting it, but I had some books to read and Drew's iPod (a.k.a. 2nd Saviour). I was starving (a chicken biscuit at 7am was not doing it for me by 1pm) and so I grab some WAY overly expensive food while watching France get the tar beaten out of them by the Dutch in soccer...er...football (Seriously? The DUTCH? oi).
After that I went to my assigned gate. Then I found out my gate changed...and then it changed again...then it was delayed....then changed gate again...then delayed again...then delayed...then gate change...then delay. FINALLY, we get on board (9 hours after I had arrived in the beautiful city of Newark) and we are 41st in line to leave. Yes, forty-one. There were, somehow, on a beautiful bluebird sky without clouds, forty-one other planes in line to leave the airport. Something tells me there is a management problem....but whatever, I got a free 5$ alcoholic beverage on the plane for my troubles. That makes up for it, right?
So, we get into London at the exact time that my train leaves. Perfect timing! Except now I have to take the 30 minute train ride into downtown London, switch at Paddington onto the Circle line and take it two stations down to St. Pancras/Kings Cross. I navigated the tube fine (even though it was experiencing technical difficulties, of course) and made my way to the station. I had missed my train, the next train, and the one after that. Luckily, the lady I told my story to at the Eurostar office let me not have to buy a full ticket, instead just one for 50£ (100$). The downside? It's a full train so I have to sit in a tip-up seat in the hallway between the traincars...for two and a half hours. I eventually get to Paris, take the two subway rides to my stop, and find the guy who owns my flat. He and his wife are very very nice, invited me in, gave me something to drink, and we had a little chat in their place before he showed me around the area and how to get to my studio. I put my stuff away, said goodbye to the guy and went in search of some food. Found something cheap and crashed. I had to get up early the next morning for orientation though.
The people at the Paris Research Centre (PRC) are very nice and it's a really nice place, too. They have, however, kept us quite busy. There are about 20ish students taking various classes. We've travelled around with them to Montmartre, the Quartier Latin, Montparnasse, the Tour Eiffel, and various other places. We've done quite a bit of walking, lol. Teaching is going well and I haven't had much time to myself until last night when I finally got to go grocery shopping.
I'm just finally settling in here though, the dust of new arrivals has settled and we're getting into a nice rhythm. Friday we are going out to Giverny (where Monet did most of his work) and Saturday out to Versailles with the whole group. It should be interesting. I haven't had any time to go on photo adventures, but I've taken some here and there. Hopefully I'll be able to upload some of them soon.
Anyway, that's my life at the moment. How's yours?
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps.
So, I survived Finals.
Huzzahs all around.
It was a lot of work, I'm not going to lie, a lot of work. I probably could have done a little better than I did. But it was a lot at once. Ah well, it's over for now. After Finals, I was looking forward to the smooth sailing of the summer.
Oh, Matthew. How naïve you are! Life doesn't work like that. Have you not learned from life before? Perhaps you should take a class in history at Matt U.
Perhaps.
After finals I had tons and tons of grading to do. I also had a meeting I had to go to concerning my summer teaching at UF. I was still quite busy for some time, but it wasn't as stressful, which was good. I then went to the meeting and found out my original plans for the summer--which I had stressed about all semester in trying to get perfectly aligned and tried to let everyone know what was going on and not go behind people's backs--were now impossible. The teachers said they don't think it is a good idea and I had to choose between teaching the first half of the summer at UF or teaching the second half of the summer in Paris.
After a lot of debating and discussing with friends and my parents about what the best choice would be, I had not yet come to a decision. There were lots of things to consider: money, time, the ability of each program to replace me, what God might want me to do (if he even has a preference), etc. I was leaning on teaching at UF and then I got a call this morning though, from Paris, telling me that they really would like me to come to Paris and not teach at UF. The director in Paris also tried to talk to the head of the RomLang Dept and ask him to reconsider his decision. Perhaps he might change his mind.
Perhaps.
It turns out we all found a compromise that we could agree upon and I am now able to do both. This is very very good. It's also pretty awesome. I am excited.
So now, I am able to relax much more at home with my family and my friends. I'm going to see Michael, Kathryn, Nicole, & Drew tomorrow. It's going to be pretty sweet. I'm excited to see them. I'll get to see Becca on Friday and hang with Drew (from Gainesville) and Matt Stauffer when they come through too and show them Atlanta. It'll be pretty sweet. I'm excited.
Much less stressful now, which is good. I still have a kink in my back from my crappy chair I sat in way too much during finals week for typing the 50ish pages I wrote for school. But I'm hoping that goes away soon. There are a few things else on my mind, but a lot of them have been eased with the fact that a friend of mine helped me realize that just because you are being patient, does not mean you are not making a decision. Patience is an active decision, it's not laziness. It's something I will hopefully learn to handle well over the summer. That's my goal. God's not finished with me, yet, it seems. Perhaps I'll finally get it. Or, at least I'll be on my way.
Perhaps.
Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps.
Huzzahs all around.
It was a lot of work, I'm not going to lie, a lot of work. I probably could have done a little better than I did. But it was a lot at once. Ah well, it's over for now. After Finals, I was looking forward to the smooth sailing of the summer.
Oh, Matthew. How naïve you are! Life doesn't work like that. Have you not learned from life before? Perhaps you should take a class in history at Matt U.
Perhaps.
After finals I had tons and tons of grading to do. I also had a meeting I had to go to concerning my summer teaching at UF. I was still quite busy for some time, but it wasn't as stressful, which was good. I then went to the meeting and found out my original plans for the summer--which I had stressed about all semester in trying to get perfectly aligned and tried to let everyone know what was going on and not go behind people's backs--were now impossible. The teachers said they don't think it is a good idea and I had to choose between teaching the first half of the summer at UF or teaching the second half of the summer in Paris.
After a lot of debating and discussing with friends and my parents about what the best choice would be, I had not yet come to a decision. There were lots of things to consider: money, time, the ability of each program to replace me, what God might want me to do (if he even has a preference), etc. I was leaning on teaching at UF and then I got a call this morning though, from Paris, telling me that they really would like me to come to Paris and not teach at UF. The director in Paris also tried to talk to the head of the RomLang Dept and ask him to reconsider his decision. Perhaps he might change his mind.
Perhaps.
It turns out we all found a compromise that we could agree upon and I am now able to do both. This is very very good. It's also pretty awesome. I am excited.
So now, I am able to relax much more at home with my family and my friends. I'm going to see Michael, Kathryn, Nicole, & Drew tomorrow. It's going to be pretty sweet. I'm excited to see them. I'll get to see Becca on Friday and hang with Drew (from Gainesville) and Matt Stauffer when they come through too and show them Atlanta. It'll be pretty sweet. I'm excited.
Much less stressful now, which is good. I still have a kink in my back from my crappy chair I sat in way too much during finals week for typing the 50ish pages I wrote for school. But I'm hoping that goes away soon. There are a few things else on my mind, but a lot of them have been eased with the fact that a friend of mine helped me realize that just because you are being patient, does not mean you are not making a decision. Patience is an active decision, it's not laziness. It's something I will hopefully learn to handle well over the summer. That's my goal. God's not finished with me, yet, it seems. Perhaps I'll finally get it. Or, at least I'll be on my way.
Perhaps.
Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Titles are dumb.
I need to get out of here.
I'm thinking that Friday after I teach or Saturday I might just get in the car, pick a road, and go somewhere, maybe pick a beach or something. I haven't been to a beach in over ten years.....
It's not very fun to travel by yourself, but I really just need to get out.
I'm thinking that Friday after I teach or Saturday I might just get in the car, pick a road, and go somewhere, maybe pick a beach or something. I haven't been to a beach in over ten years.....
It's not very fun to travel by yourself, but I really just need to get out.
I made soup today. It was good.
Unfortunately, it's not soup weather. I miss soup weather. What happened to the cold?
Friday, August 24, 2007
Ma raison d'être
Wangaratta. Warrnambool. Traralgon. Euroa. Geelong. Werribee. Healesville. Castlemaine. Echuca. Essendon. Cranbourne.
These words may mean very little to you. But to me, they are words that remind me of a different world. A world that I once was a part of and that from time to time I am reminded of my life there over four years ago. Every once in a while I'll see a picture or hear something that sparks a nostalgic longing for my travels down under.
Villefranche-sur-Mer. Reims. Versailles. Quimper. Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. Bordeaux. Besançon. Argenteuil. Bagnolet.
These words provoke similar feelings that often are accompanied with souvenirs of certain smells and feelings stemming from my time in the land of wine and cheese. Those nights walking the streets of Paris and beautiful fall evenings along the Seine.
As different as those two experiences were, they remind me of one of my greatest desires in life: travelling.
I love to travel. I don't know what it is about it. Meeting new people. Seeing a world defined by a different language, culture, and mindset. A world that is full of amazing similarities and incredible differences. Realizing there are people in this world that have not grown up the same way I have, that have a different lifestyle based on different ideas of what is important. Examining these differences and realizing some of the core things that link us all together. Being in a new place and learning about what people are like there. It thrills me. It excites me. It is amazing.
These words may mean very little to you. But to me, they are words that remind me of a different world. A world that I once was a part of and that from time to time I am reminded of my life there over four years ago. Every once in a while I'll see a picture or hear something that sparks a nostalgic longing for my travels down under.
Villefranche-sur-Mer. Reims. Versailles. Quimper. Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. Bordeaux. Besançon. Argenteuil. Bagnolet.
These words provoke similar feelings that often are accompanied with souvenirs of certain smells and feelings stemming from my time in the land of wine and cheese. Those nights walking the streets of Paris and beautiful fall evenings along the Seine.
As different as those two experiences were, they remind me of one of my greatest desires in life: travelling.
I love to travel. I don't know what it is about it. Meeting new people. Seeing a world defined by a different language, culture, and mindset. A world that is full of amazing similarities and incredible differences. Realizing there are people in this world that have not grown up the same way I have, that have a different lifestyle based on different ideas of what is important. Examining these differences and realizing some of the core things that link us all together. Being in a new place and learning about what people are like there. It thrills me. It excites me. It is amazing.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)