Loving it!

Quick update because I don't have a whole lot of time:

I'm loving every minute of Paris. I've been sleeping late and then meeting up with friends around noon or 1 pm to explore different areas. So far I've been to Montmartre, the Bastille, the Latin Quarter, Opera area, and the Marais. I've also walked a lot along the Seine, experienced a wide range of temperatures (12-25 degrees C), and gotten a feel for many of the major streets of Paris.

I have yet to go into a museum, but I will definitely do that soon. It's nice to know that there will be plenty of time to visit different museums and things, so I don't need to cram everything in to the first week. I haven't even been to the Tour Eiffel yet! I have been something of a bad tourist. The only "touristy" areas I've been to are Sacre Coeur, Champs Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, and some gardens. So I have some catching up to do. There are just so many museums and sights, it's hard to know where to start.

Today, Tara and I decided to explore some Parisian "hidden gems" AKA vintage clothing stores selling high-name brands at low prices (of course the clothing is already used). This experience proved to be a bit too intense/eclectic for us, and even the Dior or D & G items we saw just looked weird to us...haha. We didn't end up buying anything from these vintage boutiques, but it was cool to see what they looked like. At one store, they also had probably a few hundred pairs of Levi's, Wranglers, and Lees on sale, which we just thought was funny. They also had a lot of retro Adidas/Nike sneakers, which I actually really like and had to hold myself back from buying.

After that, we went to St. Placide, which is a more "normal" shopping area. Many of the stores were too expensive for us, but I did manage to find a few birthday presents for myself (thanks grandma!): a gray bag and a matching pair of ballet flats. :) My first French purchases! (well, aside from a scarf) Needless to say, I was very happy and felt quite Parisian on the metro with my Naf-Naf bag. Haha.

Yesterday, I walked down the Champs-Elysees, saw the Arc de Triomphe (though I didn't go to the top yet), ate at a French McDonald's (so so so much better than in the US)....and saw Julie & Julia which was just adorable and the perfect thing to see in a theater on the Champs-Elysees. I loved the movie...especially the parts in which Meryl Streep tried to speak French! Meryl Streep is amazing, but she can't speak French! And it made me feel really good about my French-speaking abilities. :)

Anyway, so I'm having a great time and am planning to go out tonight with a group of friends to celebrate my 20th. I hope everyone at home is doing well. Love!