the tuscan hills

angela, me, and mallory eating some italian

all of us eating gelato. again.

the leaning tower of pisa

covered bridge in florence

the duomo, largest church in italy

i have no doubt that i could live in europe one day. if it didn't break my family's hearts id probably move here and travel forever. no matter what you always feel as though you're missing something. one more country. one more city. one more language. our world is so rich and my life experiences seem so poor.

Florence is a beautiful city. with it's small alleys jammed with buzzing mopeds, it felt as if i were stuck in a bee hive. but once you're above the city in the tuscan hills, you can't help but give into it. we ate pasta and gelato and shopped for junk. the italian language fell upon our french ears and suddenly we were transformed into tourists once again. famous works of art stood silently and unassuming scattered around the city, waiting to be discovered. it is a place that i never wanted to leave for the sole fact that i wasn't finished with it yet.

rome is next. let's see how it compares to the classic italian town tucked in the hills.

written by  lepetiteprof on April 16, 2007 from Florence, Italy
from the travel blog: all glory comes from daring to begin
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rob and i at the bar

westminster abbey

eiffel tower twinkling at night

la cathedrale de notre dame

the family in front of the louvre

my family does vacations well. we've been on so many that we can fall effortlessly into our own predetermined patterns. i showed them my home, my life as best i could. it's hard to sum up three months of life in a few parks and pizza places. what could i possible show them that would explain how i felt on my very first day in Lille? how could i tell them about all the interesting people that i've met and then said goodbye to?

i was sad to see them leave but being alone again doesn't bother me. life is supposed to go on back home. family won't change but im supposed to.

written by  lepetiteprof on March 19, 2007 from Lille, France
from the travel blog: all glory comes from daring to begin
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carolyn, jess, and i looking pretty for the gala

everyone at pirates celebrating myles' birthday

everyone enjoying a drink in the grand place

view down an alley of the chamber of commerce and bell tower

my family comes tomorrow. europe and de pere will clash in Paris. more dreams of home are sure to be result.

written by  lepetiteprof on March 9, 2007 from Lille, France
from the travel blog: every day, every night, every time
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there are 6 bridges through there.

heineken factory.

nick and i

view of the canals from our boat tour.

canal houses and a boat.

just got back from a few days trip to Amsterdam. carolyn and i, free from our feeble responsibilities in Lille, took a train north to the Netherlands to meet up with nick and kristi. to be honest, it was bizarre to see a familiar face in europe. there was no explaining what my house looked like back home or how our college library worked. it was easy and painless, so unlike most things in europe. needless to say, the weather didn't cooperate with us. it seemed as though god scooped up all the water from the canals and dropped it on our heads.

Amsterdam was a dirty town. the rain and the mud made everything just melt together, the buildings, the people. sightseeing seemed like so much work, it was much more pleasant to sit in cafes, sip coffee, and watch the umbrellas and bikes outside. the red light district was all they make it out to be. i was impressed with the amount of security. Amsterdam might have it's prostitutes, but it has it's policemen too. we left feeling dirty and tired. there were warm beds and fresh baguettes in Lille. the train ride never seemed longer.

enjoying the rest of break in Lille. the family comes in a week!

a bien tot,
stephanie

written by  lepetiteprof on February 25, 2007 from Amsterdam, Netherlands
from the travel blog: all glory comes from daring to begin
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me and the girls during our "babies of the eighties" party

my favorite aussie and i on my actual birthday

my birthday has come and gone. in the states there would have been streamers and flowers and iced cakes. here i clung to cards, messages, and a midterm exam. it was a day that most college kids count down to, eagerly anticipated and overly celebrated. in France it was just another day. bartenders laughed at our feeble american attempts and contributed the only thing they could, stronger drinks. to be honest, i just wanted to be home with my friends and family. however, i'd give up one hundred 21st birthdays so that i could be here. it's funny. im slowing realizing how much i am giving up. win and lose. give and take. it's all a game.

we're going on break soon. it will be nice to get out of Lille for a bit.

a bien tot,
stephanie

written by  lepetiteprof on February 23, 2007 from Lille, France
from the travel blog: every day, every night, every time
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us girls in kensington park.

gates outside buckingham.

enjoying a pint or two.

parliament.

view from trefalgar square

big ben.

we took a ferry across the english channel. as we sat and drank strong coffee to avoid sea [channel] sickness, i thought of people trying to swim across it, trains chugging along underneath it, and us floating through it. in the churning water is all of europe. every country is mixed together in a foamy froth that pounded against our ship as if to say, where do you belong.

the tube took us everyone. the calm british voice reminded us to mind the gap at every stop and play posters yelled at us to buy tickets. we had 5 dollar cokes and 20 dollar fish and chips. the pound and the dollar need to make up. quick.

im going back. theres more to london than what the tube can take me to. and i aim to find that out.

written by  lepetiteprof on February 11, 2007 from London, United Kingdom
from the travel blog: all glory comes from daring to begin
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la tour eiffel

father and son in the tulleries

the louvre

us girls under the eiffel tower

the moulin rouge

arc de triomphe

went to the Lille vs Nantes professional soccer game this weekend. reminded me of packer games with its drunken revelers and high school when i dated the captain of the soccer team.

best part of the weekend was going to Paris for the day. blue skies and temps in the 50s made it an even more enjoyable time. the eiffel tower was everything that they said it would be: large, brash, and cold. the french say it isn’t truly french but i couldn’t have picked a better symbol

by the end of the day it was nice to escape the filth of tourism that blankets the city and return home to Lille.

a bien tot
stephanie

written by  lepetiteprof on February 6, 2007 from Paris, France
from the travel blog: every day, every night, every time
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one side of my room.

my attic

the last two weeks were full of new friends, places and experiences. at times it seems as though the frustration is all youre capable of feeling. but ive come to realize that feeling helpless isn’t so bad. problems arise because the french aren’t willing to help. but thats the french and who am i to make them change?

we walk for miles and miles everyday. around every corner is something new to try to understand and master.

the people here dress in dark, somber colors and it matches their attitudes at times. perhaps that’s why most can figure out im american before i speak. i just ooze midwestern optimism.

we go bar hopping, grocery shopping and tango dancing. the young men shout vulgar comments once the sun goes down and i wonder how many of them i sit next to in class.

some days are easy. some are hard. but in the end, its all worth it and that’s important. best cure for homesickness i found? a big mac.

written by  lepetiteprof on February 2, 2007 from Lille, France
from the travel blog: every day, every night, every time
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palais des beaux arts in lille

a street in vieux lille

view out of my window

la catho, my school

the classes are not too frightening. understanding the professors isn’t too difficult and most are very understanding when it comes to helping us erasmus students. i have a lot of literature classes, all at 8am. but I love getting up early, eating my jam and toast, drink my bowl of café au lait, and walk in the dark to the catho. grab a 20 minute and your morning is set.

i notice certain things about the people that im bound to forget once i leave. little things that they probably don’t even know they’re doing. like how no french person will ever meet your eye when you walk past them or how hugging a friend hello is not acceptable. their fashion confounds me. browns and blacks and grays all mingle together and against the city would seem to most drab and boring. But theres something that is just so…i guess the term is je ne sais quoi. i never believed in its existence but its there. theyre so chic it hurts.

i do what I want now. no more feeling guilty and wondering if ill hurt peoples feelings or create drama. im more quiet. more slow. i think more and talk less. its nice. however i still have my booming american laugh that i can't seem to shake.

the drama continues at home. glad that couldn’t follow me across the ocean.

Lille football game and Paris next weekend

a bien tot
stephanie

written by  lepetiteprof on February 2, 2007 from Lille, France
from the travel blog: all glory comes from daring to begin
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as we sat on the steps of foyer international in the pouring rain ringing the doorbell, i felt the hilarity of the moment but couldn't even pretend to laugh. what could we do but ring that bell. it was our lifeline. someone, somewhere inside that building knew who we were.

it's now late at night. im alone in my room with my new scratchy sheets and lumpy pillow. i have no electrical plugs, no food, and no patience for my new life in Lille. i want my house, a burrito, and the 24 hour festival foods.

i'm imagining that eventually living here you reach a point where you give up. you give up all the ties that bound you to your comfort zone and begin to latch onto new things. except currently i have nothing to latch onto. i think i'll go find carolyn. maybe she can't sleep either.

a bien tot
stephanie

written by  lepetiteprof on January 10, 2007 from Lille, France
from the travel blog: all glory comes from daring to begin
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