"Paris holds the key to your heart..."

Dear loyal readers (aka Mom and Anna),

I arrived safely in Paris today. Today was hectic-- walking through the Frankfurt airport was like playing a sinister game of Chutes and Ladders. I went through security twice, was subjected to passport checks several times, and walked up and down more stairs than necessary. Finding my hotel in Paris was also a trial. I took the RoissyBus to l'Opera Garnier and then took the 7 and 1 metro lines to Saint Mande, and it was smooth sailing. But once I was up on the street, it was not clear where I should go. I asked several individuals "Connaissez-vous l'avenue Leon Gaumont?" I received the most assistance from one grandmotherly figure, who was eager to help.

My hotel room is comical. I love it. It smells like smoke, the shower is in the closet, and the bathroom has no lock. My roommate and I are sleeping in bunk beds. Honestly, this room has quirky charm.

My roommate and I received our host family assignments today. She and I are really the only students living in the actual city. We're staying in the 16th arrondisement (a wealthy area) with a "modern and dynamic lady of 67 who is involved in a lot of humanitarian activities." Living so close to the Arc de Triomphe is going to be fabulous.

Today, our study abroad group went on a boat ride on the Seine. I snapped this picture of the Eiffel Tower:

Then, my roommate Ashley, and our new friends Kylie and Angela, went to eat pizza in the Latin Quarter. It was a charming little restaurant, mostly lit by candle and Christmas lights, with tables spilling out onto the sidewalk. And the pizza was to die for. Here, we're clinking our glasses and saying, "Bon appetit! We're in Paris!"