October (and congestion) arrives!

I am really bad about taking pictures (hence the lack) but I did manage to take a few while on a random walk the other day. Here they are! It is amazing to me that these are all things I saw while on a random stroll through the city. Cool, huh?

All of my classes have now begun. Fortunately I only have class three days a week, so I still have time for travel and exploring. Unfortunately, each class is three hours long. The majority of my classes in the States are 50 minutes long and meet once a week, though there are a few that are one hour and 20 minutes long and meet twice a week. Three hours once a week is not easy to handle! We get only one break of 15 minutes, 30 minutes if the class covers lunch hours. It is not at all easy to stay focused for that long. Some of my professors have expressed that it is even difficult for them to teach for that long. I am not sure I understand the system, but it is all part of me exploring other cultures, right?

I have planned another trip to Dublin, Ireland. I was looking for another American to travel with but the only American I met was a married girl who is living here with her husband and I didn’t really want to travel with a married couple. Luckily, I met a guy from South Korea who is just as new to Europe as I am and wanted to travel a lot as well. We will be going together to Dublin and have tentatively planned to also take trips to London and Rome. I am looking forward to it!

In other news, I am a bit sick with what I think is a sinus infection. Nothing serious, of course, but it is really not fun to be sick in Paris. I am used to going on with life as usual when I am a little bit sick like this, but it is much harder here. Yesterday I had to go to class on two different campuses and in between I went to my friend’s apartment so I was walking for about 2 hours total, which is really exhausting when you are not at 100%. Getting into my car to drive to class for 50 minutes would be one thing – this is quite another. Yuck!

The weather here is getting ever more gorgeous. Paris has definitely entered fall, which happens to be my favorite season. Everything is crisp and clear and leaves are falling off trees throughout the city. Sometimes I catch a whiff of the fall smell, though in a city this big you rarely smell much other than …well, city. Exhaust or garbage or fish from the market you are walking past. Still, it is so beautiful. Hopefully I will be feeling better soon! I want to be out and about in this weather!