Art of Travel: Imagery vs. Reality

As I was reading the DeBotton chapters I was particularly interested in his discussion of the anticipation of travel versus the reality of travel. Since I have spent far more time anticipating this semester abroad than actually being here I felt like my current mental state is perfectly suited to consider this juxtaposition.

I had never been to Paris before coming here to study abroad and I have really only spent a limited amount of time in Europe (on one trip that I took years and years ago). I felt a huge connection upon reading DeBotton describe how he decided that he must go to Barbados based to the photograph that he saw depicting palm trees, beaches and clear skies. This is almost exactly how I imagined Paris during my months and months of anticipation. In my head, I had the most picturesque images of Paris: wrought iron railings, flower boxes, tree lined, cobblestone streets, and the Eiffel Tower reaching towards the sky.

DeBotton was taken aback when he arrived in Barbados and realized that there are other aspects to a place that you tend to forget about when you are looking at a fancy travel brochure or a travel book, such as normal advertisements, unsightly airports, or even a slum.

“If we are inclined to forget how much there is in the world besides that which we anticipate, then works of art are perhaps a little to blame, for in them we find at work the same process of simplification or selection as in the imagination.”

The more I think about this idea, the more it rings so true for me. Even when traveling to places domestically, or places that you have already been, it is so easy to get wrapped up in the idea of a place. Just as DeBotton was caught off guard when he encountered all the things that are really just necessity and part of day to day life, I was shocked when I got into my cab and headed for Paris. I did not meet my postcard images of quaint streets and Vespas, but actual cars on highways, a lot of graffiti and modern looking buildings as we went through the outskirts of Paris. I realized that this is probably very similar to what people experience when they come to New York City for the first time and they drive through the other boroughs as they come from Laguardia or JFK.

At the same time, I also realized that this is the beauty of getting to live in a new setting. You get to develop a real and accurate notion of that place, to replace those that you previously held. You get to see the “realness” of a place, including the things that are maybe not as nice, but are still essential to life in everywhere. Although I must note that I am living in a building that has wrought iron railings and flower boxes, so it’s not say that it isn’t nice to be able to hold on to some of these preconceived ideas…

La Bonheur des Dames

I feel like this last week was my first REAL week in Paris. When I look back to the week of my arrival, everything is such a blur! And with all of the orientation activities that they had us doing, I hardly had any time for actual Parisian things, not mention the fact that I still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that I am in freaking Paris, France!!!

This past week I had several "cultural experiences" which I feel are worth sharing. By the way... No, classes ST

ILL haven't started, this week commences the last week of our intensive french preliminary course, which FYI is a complete and total bore. Never in my life would I have thought that I would actually WANT classes to start, but let me tell you it's been 4 1/2 months of summer, and I am ready for some routine!!

So Wednesday night we decided to go to a jazz club to shake things up a bit but to still have a somewhat relaxing evening. It was so cute. The club that we chose out of one of the guide book is right around where all the Parisian Universities are. It was a really great way to spend a weeknight. My two new friends, Cassie, Caitlin, and I sat and enjoyed the music and had some nice conversation. The jazz band was composed of all these cute old men and they were really great!

Thursday night was the real treat... A friend of a friend had informed us of a club called La Bonheur des dames. (the happiness of the women) and apparently on Thursday nights, they hold a ladies night where you can make

a reservation and you have a buffet dinner and an open bar... COMPLETELY ON THE HOUSE. Now I am a big fan of the saying, "if it's too good to be true then it probably is" so I was more than hesitant for this excursion, but agreed to go because it was an interesting enough proposition. It ended up being completely true! We got in without any problem whatsoever and had a great night. We got there a little late for the dinner, so there wasn't much left since it was a buffet, but if we had been there on time, it would have been perfect. One of the funniest parts was that after the dinner and dessert, there were male strippers!! This was hysterical... especially when one of the girls I was with got a lap dance! After about 11:30 the club opens to everyone, so it becomes like a normal nightclub... super fun! It's definitely safe to say that this is probably where I will be spending the majority of my Thursday nights!

Friday night I babysat for one of the families here who I think I am going to babysit for a lot while I am here. I found several families because a woman who I know from Fire Island helped me by sending my resume out to some of her Parisian friends. Great way to make sure I have some extra Euros to support my excessive shopping habit.

Saturday my friend Cassie and I went to the famous market called Les Marchées Puces St. Ouen. Which is the largest flea market in the world. It was written up in all of the guide books and seemed like a awesome way to spend a Saturday afternoon, but getting there was a little tricky. You have to take the 4 metro to the very last stop and then when you get off, it's not in the best area (to say the least) It was sort of like being on Canal street but scarier. So Cass and I were clutching our purses for dear life and tried frantically to get someone to point us in the right direction, as signage was limited. But once we found it, it was amazing... there were just stall after stall of old fur coats, antique furniture, vintage clothes and jewelry, and art. I definitely want to go back to this place again now that I know how to find it. But it was really funny how this quaint market was tucked almost inside this really sketchy street vendor area.

So that was my week! Sorry for the long post, I will try to update more frequently so my posts wont be quite so long!

à bientot!

Hill

Art of Travel: Arrival/ Departure Story

I finished packing up my bags the morning of the day that I was supposed to leave for Paris. Feeling confident that I had done a descent job pacing, or at least keeping my suitcases under the weight limit (a huge feat for me), I packed the bags into the car and headed to the airport with my family.

While many of the people who would be studying abroad in Paris this semester took the group flight from NYC, I had opted to book my own flight. I would be flying by myself on a non-stop, overnight flight from Atlanta, GA to Paris, France. “Perfect,” I had thought to myself, “I will be able to go to sleep on the plane at night and when I wake up in the morning I will be in Paris and it will hardly be jet-lagged.” There was also something about flying by myself to a place that I had never before visited that made me feel somewhat noble. I have always considered myself to be an independent person and to me this trip was just another opportunity to prove that I could do anything on my own.

I really don’t think that I could have been any more wrong. After a tearful goodbye with my mom and dad, I went to my gate and as I sat there, full of nervous excitement and with a million thoughts buzzing around in my head, I realized that I had absolutely no one to share this with. “You’re going to be fine,” I thought to myself, “just get on the plane and you’re going to go to sleep.” Wrong again. Not only did I not go right to sleep, I didn’t go to sleep at all.

After the nearly nine-hour flight and many, many in-flight movies, I landed in the Charles de Gaulle airport exhausted, but so excited that I was finally in Paris. Now all I would have to do is gather my luggage and get a cab to take me to the FIAP, where NYU was housing us for the next few days, until we moved into our apartments. This was also not as easy as I had anticipated, and as I sat in the taxi, not recognizing anything, I thought to myself, “oh my god, what have I done?”

At the FIAP, I still felt very much on edge, and as hard as it is for me to actually admit this, there was even a part of me that wanted nothing more than to get on the next plane back to the States. Over the next few days, I met more and more people and I began to start feeling at ease in my new “home.” Now, nearly two weeks later, I am having the most incredible time and those thoughts upon arrival are nothing more than a blip on my radar; however I have gained a new found respect for people who travel alone.

Art of Travel: An American Girl in Paris (Part Une)

The first thing that everyone asked me when they found out that I would be in Paris for a semester was, “ Why Paris?” to which I of course responded, “because it’s me!

I guess that would make more since if I introduced myself. My name is Hillary and I am Junior at NYU. I came to New York City, from Atlanta, GA, which was a huge move for me in itself. When moving to New York went so well, I knew that I had to study abroad at some point during my collegiate career. And it was pretty obvious, that place would have to be Paris.

I have always been simply fascinated with the French language and culture. Early on in middle school I knew that I would not be taking Spanish, like most of my friends. I had to take French against the advice of my mother, who questioned the practicality of learning French when I would not have many opportunities to practice my speaking. I, of course, knew better. And since my fashionista dreams started early as well, I knew that I would find myself in Paris at some point or another. After taking French, in school since then, I took advantage of the new availability of a minor in Gallatin and decided that I would minor in French. The rest of my concentration is Fashion, Public Relations, and Marketing. So maybe now you can see more clearly how obvious it was to me that Paris was the only place for me to go.

Now, after month of careful preparations, here I am in beautiful Paris and I can’t wait to see where this new experience is going to take me. I want to return to New York fluent in the language more than anything and I want to take advantage of as many cultural opportunities as possible, including the impeccable fashion, maybe even getting to experience Paris Fashion Week. I am hoping that I will be able to make some French friends as well, as I don’t want to fall into the habit of only hanging out with my American friends at school.

I had never been to Paris before I landed on Tuesday, so for now, I am just taking my time and taking it all in. Like any new place, I am a bit overwhelmed, but I know that I will adapt once again, just as I had to do when I moved to NYC.

Bonjour from Paris!

So here I sit in my new Parisian apartment!! I have been here for almost a week and I have to say that I am settling in quite nicely! They had us really busy with orientation stuff this past week, so it wasn't until this weekend that I actually got the chance to go out and experience Paris a little. This weekend I have just been focusing on trying to make friends. I am living by myself and I don't know anyone else in the program really so it will be a little lonely until I can get a group of friends together. But I am absolutely loving it none the less! My apartment is in the 16 arrondisement (neighborhood) (very comparable to the upper east in NYC) It's a tiny little studio with a bathroom and kitchen. My window overlooks Rue de Passy and I can see the Seine from the window as well! It's simply beautiful and the building is exactly what comes to mind when you think of a paris building... wrought iron railings, flower boxes, ornate architecture. simply stunning! I am going to get some pictures up soon, I promise! My apartment is also just across the Seine from the Eiffel tower... like a 10-15 min walk and even more importantly, I live on the same street as the NYU school, so I only have a 5 min walk to class. Bonjour sleeping in!!!

I also signed up for a 2 credit class through Gallatin (my school at NYU) where I have to do blog entries so I will be posting those on here as well. I thought that they might help give a little more structure to my blog!! I will title all of these posts with the name of the class, "The Art of Travel."

Missing everyone from home and wishing ya'll could see this beauty that is surrounding me!

à bientot!

Hill

2 Suitcases< 100 lbs+ 1 carry on = ?? WTF

I am in the middle of packing for this whirlwind adventure upon which I am about to embark. Of course, now I have become too frustrated so I am writing a post instead of continuing.

Now really, I have to rant for a little bit because I have become so frustrated with the whole flying scenario. Since when should I have to pay to check baggage? I mean really. Who travels without checking a bag? If people are flying somewhere, they're probably going for a long time and there for need a sufficient amount of clothes. Regardless of my personal overpacking issues, even normal travelers need a large bag if they're going somewhere for even a week. Why can't they just go ahead and include my bag in the price of my flight and stop hassling me at the airport when I am most likely already stressed/worrying about other nonsense? ANDD leave me alone about how much my bag weighs, for crying out loud!!! If I, a meagre girl, can lift my bag then everyone else should be able to deal with it. And now don't even get me started about the international thing... I mean they act like their doing you a favor by letting you check one bag for free and then charging you $50 for the second one. Guess what, I already paid $1000 for the ticket, so just put my damn bags on the plane so that I can get to Paris with enough to survive for four months. If anyone gives me any trouble when I go to the airport on Monday, they are going to be mighty sorry, because they picked the wrong girl.

What kills me the most about the whole thing is how frugal and practical I have to be with what I am choosing to bring. I mean, here I am going to PARIS- mega fashion capitol/ one of the most fabulous places that I can think of and all I want to do is go and prance around in impossibly chic outfits. But I can't even bring my most beautiful things because I won't have room or "use" (Sheri's term- not mine) for them. I mean as of this moment, I have only one pair of simple black heels packed. huh? that's not me at all... but when you can only check two bags without selling your soul, who has room for yellow python heels or royal blue, metallic pumps?

One Adventure Ends and a New One Begins!

So I wasn't as good at keeping up with this over the summer as I thought that I would be. I guess I just didn't have as much free time as I thought! Well here's a little re-cap of the best summer EVER. My prediction of a nomadic sumer surely didn't disappoint!

I arrived in Point O' Woods on Fire Island around the end of June for another summer working as the Rice family's live-in babysitter. Point O' Woods is simply a place that you can't describe. First of all, there are NO cars... you wanna go somewhere? grab a bike. All the houses, with the weathered, grey shingles, are dispersed throughout the trees and dunes with winding bike paths to take you through the community. There are many different communities on Fire Island and each has its own little niche, if you will. Point O' Woods, however, is the only private (gated) one. It has its own ferry boat that brings you over from Bay Shore, Long Island. If you ever spend time there, its easy to see why the community would want to keep it a secret! The best term I can use is like a summer camp for entire families! The kids shuffle out the door bright and early at 8:30 am to go to Sports Camp, where they get to play tennis, do arts and crafts, go sailing, swim in the bay, and explore the nature of the island. While the kids are at camp the parents play tennis at the huge tennis facility-- fully equipped with hottie tennis pros ;)

The kids typically start camp at age 5 but there is a little "playgroup" for the kids who are 3-4 and I got to be the head counselor of that this summer.

Let me tell you- that was SOO fun. I was a little apprehensive at first, because lord knows that kids can be hard to deal with and 20 of them??? but it was hysterical!! They kept the counselors laughing all morning with the stuff that comes out of their mouths.... anti-american sentiment? underwear contests to win the boy? and little girl/girl action? budding relationships? we had it alll! Anyways, every morning I took Cokie with me to Playgroup while Lila went off to Sports and by lunchtime, everyone was back home and ready for an afternoon of BEACH time!

Night around POW is super fun too!

$1 beer- Monday, Karaoke- Tuesday, Gay Bingo- Wednesday, Margarita Madness- Thursday, and Friday and Saturday there inevitably will be a beach-keg party or some community wide event such as the infamous Lobster party. Take your pick. There is certainly never an excuse to be bored. I already knew all this from last summer, but I was even more excited for this year, seeing as I had already made a bunch of friends out there and my friend and roommate Liz was joining me, nannying for another family, this summer!

I spent the next 5 weeks living on this glorious island, playing with Lila and Cokie and taking in tons of sun! After that I went with the Rice's for another week to Martha's Vineyard, which was really cool because I had never been there before. It was really beautiful and we had so much fun!

After Martha's Vineyard, was my time to depart and go back to Atlanta for the remainder of the summer, but it was ok because I had made plans to head to the lake with Suzanne the weekend that after I got back. We had a fabulous long weekend! skiing, jet skiing, rope jumping, tubing ect... I was so happy that I got to spend some time with Suzy (seeing as she had been gone all summer too, working at a ski camp in NC) While I was there I got an email and the Rices' wanted me to come back to the beach so of course- I got on another plane and took my but back to NYC and enjoyed another amazing week in Point O' Woods! The first weekend that I was back in POW, the Rice's had a cocktail party, so we had the idea to recruit Whitney of Nosh and Tell to come help cook. I was really glad that she got to come out and experience POW too, seeing as she as had to hear me talk about it incessantly for like the past two years! We had such a good time and I think I may have even added another accomplice for next summer's fun!

When I came back to Atlanta the next time, my friend Joe came with me to spend a long weekend. He had never been to ATL before and much less experienced the south so we had really a good time! I took him to Athens for one night to see all my friends at UGA and Joe and I both found in refreshing to be in a college town. We also went to the GA aquarium and tubed on the Chattahoochee River (which ended in slight disaster- since there was NO current that day) It was a good visit and I was really glad that Joe got to come!

Now I am just hanging out at home for another week or so while I get ready for my next adventure... and full semester in Paris!! I cannot wait and I have a lot to do before I leave, so I am sure that the time will pass by quickly.

à bientot!

Hill