Je suis arivee!!!

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So I have been in Pau for a week now. I don’t think that I will ever come home (sorry mom). I ADORE PAU. It is so small and quaint, but beautiful at the same time. It is a perfect combination of Paris and home. The people are so amazing, the language is beautiful, and there are so many fun things to do. I just love it here. I love love love the family that I am staying with. They are so sweet. They don’t speak any English, which I love. It is hard to live with strangers that don’t even speak the same language but somehow they have made me so comfortable here. The mom, Steph, is super sporty and just so adorable. The Dad, Fred, laughs ALL THE TIME. The kids are 7 and 5 and very energetic. My favorite things so far have been the gorgeous Centre Ville of Pau, camping in the Pays Basque with my family, Aqua gym, and aerobic class that my House Mom teaches. LOVE. I adore the two kids in the family. I barely understand them, but we color together and watch Barbie and dance a lot. All of the other students are nice, and I can’t wait to spend the next month enjoying this perfect situation. Oh and my very VERY favorite thing is the spectacular nights that I have spent with my family. The second night I arrived we went over to the neighbors house to celebrate the fete des voisins (party for neighbors, there are so many fetes here!!). We had the most delicious Brazilian dish with shrimp, then duck, then yummy salad with lots of cheese, then some fruity-cakey-deliciousness. We had 3 bottles of wine and bottle of the best champagne I have ever tasted. I may not have understood every word, but everyone tried to include me in the conversation, and the atmosphere was indescribably perfect. I can’t do it justice, but I will suffice to say that the food is fantastic, the company is wonderful and the moments unforgettable. It rains a lot, but it’s still warm so I don’t mind. My only complaint is that my teachers give WAY too much, boring, homework, yuck. IT’S SUMMER!! Oh and the food is so amazing I think that I will get incredibly fat before I leave (although that really isn't a complaint!) I don't know how the French are so skinny!!!
I almost forgot to mention Paris. It was amazing. I saw so many things so quickly they all blurred together and I honestly can’t remember the name of almost anything that I visited. I saw the Sacre Coeur, the Pantheon, the Latin Quarter, Notre Dame, and a ton of gorgeous parks, bridges, building people ect. My favorites were walking along the Saine the first night, the Sacre Coeur in the morning, Salsa dancing with men wearing purple in a pretty little park, then the awesome dance club Saturday night until 6 am!! I love Paris but it is a little too big for me I think, and the accent too hard for me to understand (boy they speak FAST there).

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