An Ending Followed by a Beginning

Hello everyone! It is Sunday morning and I am trying to write about my week before I have to go say goodbye to a few really close friends. I will get to this part a little later but lets first talk about last Sunday. It was July 14th which is “Prise de la Bastille” Day aka French Independence Day. So I celebrated the day by going to a close town called Annecy to watch some amazing fireworks over the lake that the town is found by. We got to the town pretty early so we had some hours to walk around the city. The first thing that I realized was all the people, tourists. But the second thing I realized was how beautiful the town was. There is a river that runs through it but size wise its not a big town therefore it feels like you are always by the water. I walked around with a friend named Sara who I hadn’t really met yet. The whole day we pretty much talked about our lives and our dreams for the future. After some ice cream and a packed dinner, we found our spot in a huge open grass park to watch the fireworks that lasted about 30 minutes! It was a beautiful show but it sure did make me miss home considering most of the time that I watch fireworks is with family and friends that I grew up with. Of course here are the photos from this day!

The next day was another one of my favorite days and embodied the adventurous side of me has came out this summer. I went rock climbing, “via ferreta”. We went to the mountain that is close to Chambéry and that is on the side of the lake so we got some beautiful views! The hike up to the rock was pretty steep and long but we were all in high spirits so it went fast. When we got to the rock our guide, Thiery, decided that I was going to go first so next thing I was strapped up to the cord and climbing onto the rock. Its not as hard as I thought it was going to be mostly because they have feet and hand things already put out and you don’t have to find any holes to climb. While we were on the rock I felt like I wasn’t actually on a rock that went straight down and really far down. We were able to see lots of mountains and the lake. The best part was there wasn’t any trees in the way and it felt like I could reach out and touch the lake. Here are a few photos of the day.

On Tuesday we had a special dinner on the Lac du Bourget. This was such a bitter-sweet moment because it meant that it was about time to start saying goodbye. But it was such a beautiful ride on the lake being able to see the sunset. We had a great French dinner, wine, and café. This was probably one of my last legit French dinners considering I don’t really know what I will be eating when I get to my mission work. So I was able to do some dancing on the top of the boat with some dear friends of mine. Great conversation with my two Mexican sisters. It was really nice to see everyone dress up and enjoy each others company. My photos of the night follow.

Wednesday. I finally got to have a BBQ for the first time this summer! Okay. I take that back but it was in the park and we played games such as volleyball and ultimate frisbee. We ate chicken and sausage. Its not really different from the food back at home because the BBQ’s I have consist of food the doesn’t cost much at all. We swam in the lake some and then went to wait for the bus. But as we were waiting for the bus, a huge storm came upon us. We got drenched and waited in the storm for about 20 minutes for the bus! But it gave us one more adventure together, so I enjoyed it very much. Thursday I didn’t do much other than hang out with friends and talk about the adventures we had together. This is when I realized how much I am going to miss my friends that have became my family. My wine Wednesday crew: Avery, Erin, Stewart, Adam, Gabby, and Nora. My Barcelona girls: Breanna and Wendy. My French class helper: Madison. My fellow future teachers: Kayla and Scott. My Mexican girls: Nora and Jacky.

In class on Friday we did a scavenger hunt in the town of Chambéry which was a great way to finish up the courses and my time here. Friday night consisted of saying goodbyes, packing, and hanging out with friends. Saturday we went up the mountain in our town and sat in the sun waiting for the Tour de France to come by. It was such a beautiful but hot day in the sun. It was so much fun to hang with friends and exciting to see the cyclists come up the mountain. I am glad that I got to see the 100th Anniversary of the Tour de France. It went by really fast though. From front to end of the cyclists, it only took ten minutes or so to pass. Here are a few photos from the day.

Well today is the day that mostly everyone is leaving and so am I. I saw off a few people this morning at the train station and then I went to church. Now I am finishing off with my packing and cleaning (and of course, finishing this blog). I am heading to Geneva airport this afternoon and then from there I will be picked up by a lady from the Le Rucher Ministries. Le Rucher is in a small town called Cessy which is close to Gex. It is not far from where I have been for the last seven weeks, only a little bit north. I am not exactly sure what I will be doing but I know that I will be working with another group from Holland so it will for sure be an interesting two weeks. I would just like to ask prayers for my nerves that are going because I am going somewhere new. I will let you guys know more about my time in Le Rucher soon. I am not exactly sure if I will have steady internet but I am hoping so. So goodbye for now and I will post as soon as I am able to. Love you all!

Two Months Done, One More To Go

Every weekend I look at the week that just passed and I continually think about how blessed I am to be here in France. I also have realized recently that I really love the region that I am in, Savoie. I have this feeling that I will come back here someday and maybe even live here for a longer period of time. The people that are from here remind me so much of the people I grew up with. I walk around the town and I see lots of families enjoying life to its fullest by just being with each other. I am really starting to get used to the everyday life here and I would be very much tempted to stay if I had a bigger apartment here and if I didn’t have so many things going for me back in Montana. I just got back from church for the third time since being here in Chambéry and I feel energized spiritually for the near future. God has been really growing some vision for next semester at my university ministries, Chi Alpha. I feel this urgency for the students that I will be meeting and friends that I already have. This feeling comes from a fact that has recently became true; the fact that I won’t be spending Spring semester 2014 at UM. This means that I only have one more semester at my school and I feel like there is so much more to do than what is possible to do in one semester. This is where I let God do His thing and as long as I am obedient, there will be success.

On Tuesday I went to Lyon after class. Lyon is the biggest city in this area of France so I was super excited to see what everyone was talking about. We got there by taking a bus and man was it hot! I was absolutely miserable for the first hour as we were walking around. We climbed up the hill slowly and came upon some Roman ruins. There was a big huge amphitheater that is still used today for musical and theatrical performances. This park overlooked Lyon and the view was just gorgeous! There were tons of little kids outside playing games and goofing off. I was told that it was like a day camp for them in that area. We then made our way up to the church which had the most amazing paintings inside. It was a bummer though for me because it was full of tourists and I wasn’t able to have a quiet time inside. But luckily this church is on top of the hill so we got to see the BEST view of Lyon. Then we ventured down into the town and went through the smallest “streets” of France. Lyon is very well known for these streets. Thankfully, it started to cool down for the day so we just walked around town discovering the feel and daily life of the Lyonnais people. Then we finished off the day with an amazing Lyonnais (Lyon specialty food) dinner. Here are a few photos from the day.

The next day, Wednesday, I had signed up to go to a wine tasting. So a group of us went to “Cave à Vin” and tasted five different wines. Of course I loved everyone of them but I realized that I prefer red over white and rosé. I felt so French when I realized that I was drinking wine, eating cheese and bread, and talking in French. I had such a great night talking to people about their futures and what they want to do with their lives. Here is a photo of the wines that we tried. Don’t worry there were ALOT of us so each of us didn’t drink that much.

The next few days were relaxing because I had gotten a migraine so I needed to sleep to get rid of it. Friday evening I got with my friends and we celebrated two of my friends birthdays. Chambéry put on a “Feu d’Artifice” (fireworks) show so we ventured up the hill and watched the fantastic show. This evening I was able to bound with a few more girls by telling them about my mistakes and faults in my life. After I did this, the girls have been able to open up to me more and more. It really hit me how much it makes a difference when I am vulnerable to my girl friends that they are able to trust me with their own mistakes and lives. God definitely created this aspect of being a human so He can redeem our lives and create beauty out of what we see is ugly. God is so good!

Yesterday, Saturday, I went to Chamonix which is a town that at the base of Mont Blanc which is the highest mountain in Europe. Mont Blanc is where the three countries of France, Switzerland, and Italy meet (but the tip is in France!). This town was very small but had such an amazing feeling to it. It felt like I was in a small town in Yellowstone but much more richy. We walked around the market for an hour or so and then got some lunch. Then we caught a train to the “Mer de Glace” which is a glacier. The view from the train was just gorgeous because we were climbing up a mountain! When we got to the top and to the glacier, I was amazed of the creation in front of me. Then we walked down ALOT of stairs and got to the glacier and walked in the caves that were made in the glacier. The ice was blue and it was cold. After spending over an hour we headed back to town and got some ice cream and just relaxed on a bridge. Again I was able to just enjoy the company of my friends around me. Here are a few photos from the day.

Well its officially one month from today until I arrive back in Montana with my mom. I cannot believe I have been out of the United States for two months already. This is my last week of classes here in Chambéry and then I must say goodbye to my friends that I had made the last 7 weeks. After that I will be heading to do my missionary work at Le Rucher in Cessy, France. I am so excited to do this work and its making it easier to say goodbye to Chambéry and my friends. I hope you enjoyed the photos and my stories. Until the next time! I love you all, my family and friends.

Weekend Trip to Barcelona!

Hello everyone! I can’t wait to tell you all about my long weekend in Barcelona. We left Chambéry on Thursday after class which was the Fourth of July. First we took a bus to the Lyon Airport and then after waiting in the airport for a while we jumped on an hour flight to Barcelona. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when heading to Barcelona. Spain seemed so mysterious to me because I hadn’t learned much about its history and I hadn’t heard much about the country. Little did I know that I would love Spain so much and specifically the Catalonia region which is where Barcelona is located. Here are a few small facts that I learned about Spain, Catalonia, and Barcelona over the last few days. The primary languages is not Spanish but Catalan which is a mix between Spanish and French. It is legal to be completely naked anywhere as long as you have shoes one. Catalonia wants to separate from Spain and become its own country. Having bull fights is hated in the area and the last time they had a bull fight in Barcelona was two years ago which 95% of the attendees were tourists. The region is very accepting of the gay community. The people of Catalonia are very independent thinkers and are very accepting of tourism. The sand of the beach in Barcelona was imported from Egypt. Lots of interesting facts that I learned and I was only there for three days.

I went with two other girlfriends and we stayed in a hostel that was very close to some of the tourist sites. We decided to buy a three day metro pass so it was very easy to get around the city. On the first day we went to the Church of the Sacred Family and that is where I got my first look at the work of the great Gaudi. The church was just absolutely beautiful and its not done yet and won’t be done till 2024, I believe. Gaudi had died while building it and all of his plans of the church got destroyed. So since Gaudi, there have been artists who have came up with some mock plans of the building. One face of the churcj portrays the Nativity scene, another tells the story of the Passion of Christ. Inside was very beautiful. Gaudi was inspired mostly by nature and you could tell. After the church we ate at a buffet and then headed to Gaudi’s Casa Batlló. What a beautiful house. Its so hard for me to even explain the house because it was like nothing I had ever seen. While I was in the house, I felt like I was under the sea. The outside was inspired by a dragon that was taking over a castle but had a sword in it. Then we walked down to the beach to check it out. This is where we got our first glimpse of the neudity that Barcelona is so famous for. Then we made it to the park and saw a beautiful fountain that was also created by Gaudi. This fountain reminded me a lot of Italy for some reason. Here are a few photos of the day of Friday.

So the next day we took a free bike tour around Barcelona. Man was this an amazing way to explore the city especially because it was free! I learned lots of fun facts and was able to ride a bike around. After this we went to Gaudi’s other house called Casa Mila, nicknamed La Padrera. This house is not seen as big of a beauty as the other but it definitely had its own charm to it. The roof was the best part of it. It was not like any roof I had seen because it has lots of different shapes and it was HUGE! Again the house was influenced by nature and more specifically the sea. After the visit we stopped at Zara, a clothing store, real quick and I got a dress because we were going to go see Carmen. This was absolutely amazing and I am so thankful that the girls I went with didn’t mind going to this Ballet Flamenco. I had never seen a full performance of Flamenco so it was a great treat for me. Probably one of my favorites and we ended up sitting in amazing seats because there weren’t very many people in the theatre. Here are a few photos of this day.

Our last day in Barcelona was filled with shopping, eating, walking, and the beach. We didn’t have a lot of plans and it was mostly a day of relaxation. It was on Sunday night that we realized that we did not have enough time in the city to see every thing that we wanted to. We were so bummed about our last night but we spent it on the street of Las Ramblas sipping on sangrias and laughing and just enjoying life. This weekend was definitely one of my biggest highlights of my summer. I can not wait till I go back to Barcelona some day and explore other parts of Spain.

I have been in Europe for a little over seven weeks and I have around five weeks left before I head back to Montana. I only have two more weeks of classes and then I will have to say goodbye to friends that I have met here. I am not looking forward to this because I have met a lot of new people that I love as friends greatly. I know that it won’t be goodbye forever to the friends that I am closest to but I refuse to think about this too much. I’m not exactly sure what is to come this week but I know that I will try to spend as much time as possible with the people that are around me. I hope that everyone is enjoying their July. Till the next time!

Making the Most of Living in Europe

Today I have been thinking a lot about friends and family back at home and wondering what everyone has been up to. I am especially starting to miss my closest friends but only a month and a half till I go home. Don’t get me wrong...I am definitely not home sick and not wanting to go home! I am just appreciating what I have in Montana more and more. I can’t wait to tell everyone more stories of my summer in person. This weekend was full of even more adventures that I will never forget.

Friday, I and four other friends jumped on the TGV (train) and got off in Milano, Italy! We got to our apartment easily and it was like luxury staying there compared to my apartment here in Chambéry. We had a full kitchen, very comfortable beds, and plenty of room...I really wanted to stay there for the rest of my time in Europe. So for dinner we decided to go and get pizza at a recommended restaurant that wasn’t too pricey. OH MY! Was the pizza so good and the service was just amazing. It was weird not being able to speak the language and I kept on wanting to speak to everyone in French. After the first night, I knew that this mini vacation was going to turn out very well. The next few days we discovered Milano by taking the metro everywhere. I was very impressed with the metro because it was extremely clean and easy to get around everywhere. We saw the Duomo of course and other churches; we also tried to go and see the Last Supper but we should have bought tickets weeks in advance. We also went to the Castello (castle) and walked around the park behind it. I almost forget to say but we ate ALOT, I mean I think within the two full days being there I had gelato four times! On Saturday night we find ourselves in a relatively expensive restaurant that specializes in Risotto! The food was so good; totally worth the 40 euros. My trip to Milano was amazing and I am so glad that I decided to go at the last minute. Here are a few photos.

Monday was sort of a relaxing day. I took a lot of time to prepare for my trip to Barcelona this coming up weekend. Today, Tuesday, was a very exciting day! I got to go on another adventure called canyoning, finally. It had been cancelled twice but today was a beautiful day so we were off. I really had no idea to expect other than that I would get wet and I needed good tennis shoes. We arrive to the beginning point with full wet suit, helmet, and harness. Within the first ten minutes we went down a few “slides” that were made out of rocks and jumped off a boulder into water 8 meters down. What we pretty much did was walk done a stream and overcame the obstacles of boulders and rocks by either jumping, rappelling down, or sliding down the rocks. I have never done something so epic in my life! I also was able to translate a lot for the other students because I was able to understand the instructor when he spoke in French. I have one photo of the event because we couldn’t take our cameras with us.

Well I probably won’t write until the beginning of next week because I will be in Barcelona all weekend. I just want to wish everyone a Happy Fourth of July and I hope everyone stays safe! Love you all!