yay...we're all together now

I never thought that I’d be looking forward to a new experience while in Paris, but I proved myself wrong. The night before last I was working for a few hours on an application when I was interrupted by my program director, Alexis. We went out to dinner, and I was lucky to get the chance to know him one-on-one before the whole group arrived. I offered to help at the airport the next morning—at 6am. We ended up sleeping in a bit (oops), but got there in time for everything to run smoothly. We split up around CDG and welcomed wide-eyed students with our EUS signs. I saw the surprise in everyone’s faces when after the nervous “Bonjour” I replied in English. A lot of us girls walked around killing time before the whole group arrived. The rest of the afternoon was spent avoiding the inevitable effects of jetlag, which I felt after having woken up at 5:45.

Everyone is really friendly in the 15-person group, and I’m really happy that we’re getting the opportunity to know each other in Paris, though I’m ready to move on to Grenoble. Three of us are from USC, and others are scattered all around the US. Last night we enjoyed a nice dinner close to the hostel and towards the end meal, most had succumbed to the temptation of bedtime. Four of us remained strong, and we went to that jazz club I went to a few weeks ago about 20 minutes away for some digestifs. It was a ridiculous concert with highlights from the likes of Ray Charles and some composed pieces. The company was great and the drinks were as well.

In a group as large as 14, it’s rare that everyone will get their belongings safely and on time. Naturally, a snowboard was a few hours late and as of this morning, two girls still didn’t have anything. Alexis accompanied one of the girls to the airport and put yours truly in charge of showing the whole group Paris. It was stressful for a bit there, we almost lost a group member on the metro, but we ended up catering to everyone’s needs and everyone is now accounted for at 7pm. Much news later…tomorrow we’ll head to Grenoble and I’ll be sure to update everyone on the living situation. Life is great now, and it’s sure to get better.

By the way, emails are fabulous. I love getting them from my mom, and I’d love some from everyone else! kouchacj@mailbox.sc.edu and I’ll be sure to respond!