Culture – August 25, 2019 (Part B)

I forgot a few random things I think are funny about the culture here!

On my walk today, I remembered I wanted to write about Catalonian’s drinking culture. Catalonians will start drinking at very early hours in the day. It is 11:50AM here, and I just walked by a table of friends at a cafe with at least 3 empty beer bottles per person on the table, and half full ones in hand. They have a beer called Estrella Damm and it is very good and very cheap. Pretty much everyone drinks this because it is light and cheap. What’s crazy to me about them drinking this early in the morning is that they will then drink all night (after a siesta of course.) I woke up the other night at 4:30AM, and there was STILL music blasting outside my window. The The Catalonians/Spaniards REALLY know how to party.

Even in a big city, no one is really out before noon. Everyone sleeps in late because they were up so late. I got up early today (9AM) because I was just awake and restless, and I walk out onto a very quiet street. Seems to be the norm here.

Lastly, the beaches. The stereotypes are true, the women frequently go topless here. Patrick was telling me that in Spain, there are no laws about nudity on public beaches, so pretty much anyone can go naked at any time on any beach. Walking around the major beaches in Barcelona, I would say a good 15% of the women were sunbathing topless, and one woman was on the boardwalk, totally naked washing herself at a fountain. I would say that most of the time, people are clothed, but that’s not always the case. Even families with kids; the mom would be sunbathing topless, smoking a cigarette, while their two kids play completely naked in the sand. For people in Spain, it seems that nudity and sexuality are two completely different things; someone can be naked in front of their friends without wanting sex from them. Very different from our views of nudity and sexuality in the US, where we equate nudity and sex.

As most people that have been to Europe know, people love to smoke here. Something I didn’t really notice before, but that has stuck out to me a LOT this trip, is that both here and in Paris, you will see parents walking with their kids on the street while enjoying a cigarette or two. These kids are clearly too young to be around cigarette smoke, but the parents really don’t seem to care. That’s something I really can’t agree with, but is part of the culture for the time being.

Vespas and bikes are super common here. I haven’t seen any major traffic in this city, which is always a huge bonus. The air feels pretty clear, and everyone either takes public transport, bikes, or takes a scooter/vespa. I love that it’s easy to get around here and the air feels cleaner for it.

Traffic lights are terrifying. They will be green for a while, then flash green for about 3-5 seconds, then turn red. Almost immediately, the light will turn green for the cars, and if you are in the street still, you better RUN. I’ve almost gotten hit too many times to count. People also like to drive very fast here. Maybe that’s why there’s no traffic?

Sorry for rambling a bit, just things I have thought were interesting around here.

I’ll be leaving tomorrow for Montpellier, FR. Very excited, but very sad to say goodbye. Now for one last day at the beach! 🙂

Fins la pròxima vegada,

-Presston

Beach Bum – August 25, 2019

Well, here I am at the end of my time in Barcelona. It has been an amazing experience being here, meeting some new people, touring a beautiful city, and, of course, laying on the beach. I have definitely spent more time on the beach here than anything else, which was exactly how I wanted to spend my time here. It was very relaxing, and the beaches here are so incredibly beautiful. On Thursday, I went to Sitges with a friend of a friend from school (named Patrick.) He’s a Brazilian who grew up in the USA, but moved to Paris, then to Barcelona around 7 years ago. He offered to show me around Barcelona, but he said there were much better beaches in Sitges, which sounded great to me. We took the train out there, and then hiked, which all in all took about 2 hours, but it was well worth the trip.

On Friday and Saturday, I did some light touring by myself. Patrick had some more suggestions of places for me to check out, including a place called Bunkers del Carmel, the old Olympic Stadium from the 1992 Olympics, Castell Montjuic, El Poble Sec for tapas, and El Poblenou. I think it’s also important to note, that I have taken the metro twice since I have been here, walked an average of 22,000 steps a day and sweat at least my body weight each day. It is pretty warm here (around 85 degrees), but the humidity really makes it feel warmer. I also enjoy walking, but the metro is a great air conditioned haven… If you come here, use it.

Anyone who comes to Barcelona should absolutely go to visit Bunkers del Carmel. It apparently has a new name now, Turó de la Rovira, but still goes by both names. It takes about 20 minutes to hike to the top of this hill from the metro, and is a pretty steep climb in my opinion, but the view is well worth the climb. There is literally a 360 view of the entire city of Barcelona, all the way out to the ocean. At the top is an old military base, which now creates a lot of places to sit and take in the views.

The old olympic stadium was fine to see. Nothing really special about the area. Not worth going out of your way to see. From here, I also walked over to the botanical gardens, which also is not worth the time to go out of your way to see. Both look like there hasn’t been much upkeep.

Little history lesson for the day; Barcelona, and more broadly the Catalan region, has been bullied for many, many years by the Spanish. There is a huge push here to be an independent nation again. My visit to Castell Montjuic really opened my eyes as to why they want independence from the Spanish so badly. Over the last 1,000 years, the Spanish have come in and killed Catalonian’s repeatedly in order to keep them under their rule. Even as recent as the late 1700’s (if I am remembering the dates correctly,) the Spanish military was ordered to go up to Castell Montjuic, which is situated on a hill overlooking the city, and bomb the city of Barcelona. Thousands of people died, thousands were injured, and many were left homeless and without families. Even more recently, in the 1930’s, a head of the Catalan state was again asking for independence. He was taken into custody by Spanish officials, taken up to Castell Montjuic and killed as an example to the Catalonian people. There is a lot more history on this place that I am not remembering, but it makes a lot more sense to me now why these people are so proud and pushing for independence.

Furthermore, even two years ago, the Catalonians privately funded a vote to see if the people of Catalonia wanted to be independent or stay under Spanish rule. The Spanish government responded by sending military troops to stop people from voting, since it is considered illegal to secede from the nation of Spain. There is a lot of information for this online as well.

Other than that, the view from up there is amazing! It’s 5euros to go in, and there isn’t a lot to see, but it’s an interesting story that has shaped Barcelona.

El Poble Sec was cool to see; it is a few streets covered in tapas places. I think it’s pretty touristy, so if that’s not your thing, you can avoid this area. The tapas I had were ok…

My FAVORITE tapas I have had since I was here was on I think Wednesday night at a place called Gasterea, located in the Gràcia neighborhood. The guy behind the counter I think owned the place, and he was very chatty and giving to everyone who walked in. He threw an extra tapa or two on my plate, and made sure everyone had enough to drink. It was a great atmosphere and the tapas were AMAZING. Pictures below. Highly recommend!!

And today, I will go visit El Poblenou, which apparently has some pretty good restaurants and good environment.

I’ve learned a lot here, and am generally just enjoying my time in a new city. I have had multiple people that I have attempted to speak in Spanish with, and all of them have been willing to work with me through sentences. I went into a book store and asked a few people where to find things, and it felt really good to get through it in my broken Spanish. I was even talking with the cleaning lady at our hostel, and I told her I didn’t know much Spanish, but that I speak French and come from the United States, and she was really impressed with how well I understood and spoke, which felt great. The French definitely helps with understanding, it’s just getting vocabulary down that’s tripping me up.

(Random pictures of Barcelona)

It’s hard to be alone all the time like this. I thought I would enjoy running around on my own, but as much as I don’t want to be with one person for this whole trip, it would be nice to have people to do things with here and there. I’ve made a few friends along the way, so it’s not all lonely, but i’m looking forward to seeing other friends at the end of this week and into next. I will absolutely miss this city, and would love to come back in the future when my Spanish is a bit better!

Ciao for now,

-Presston

Hotel or Hostel? – August 20, 2019

Made it to Barcelona! Already feeling out of place as compared to my safe Parisian life. Being back in Paris this time was so nice because I knew the language and the city well enough for it to feel familiar and safe. At this point, you could pretty much drop me anywhere in Paris and I could tell you how to get to where you wanted to go. Here in Barcelona, it’s a bit scarier not knowing the city at all, and hardly knowing the language. Even if my Spanish was a bit better than it is, they still commonly use Catalan here, which has been believed to be dialect of Spanish that uses different words and conjugations, but is more on the side of being it’s own language. But Barcelona is similar to Paris in that you hear tons of different languages on the street, so that’s familiar to me, and everyone I have interacted with speaks English as well, so I have had no problems getting around.

Hostels. I’ve never stayed in one, and was really looking forward to staying in one while I was here in Barcelona. Getting here Monday night felt like stepping into a house party. Everyone was drinking and hanging out around the lobby. Got into my room and all I got was a bed and a box to put my things in. I’ve been locking up my whole suitcase at night and when I’m not in the room. The bathroom in our room has products all scattered across the counters and towels and clothes scattered around. It isn’t the most put together scenario, but it has been a good experience so far.

First two people I met in my room were from Serbia. They were pretty nice, but didn’t seem like they wanted to talk much. About 15 minutes after I got in, another girl came in who was from Glasgow! We got along pretty well, so I went out with her (Rachel) and her friend (Melissa) into the city to see what was going on. We stumbled across a concert in the middle of a square. Drinks were so incredibly cheap compared to Paris, so I will be able to budget my money here a bit better. 🙂

I don’t know a whole lot of things to do in Barcelona, but I decided my first day I wanted to hit the beaches, so I walked and explored the city on the way. I laid in the sand pretty much the whole afternoon and it was WONDERFUL. Looking forward to more relaxing days ahead.

That’s really all for now!

Hasta luego,

-Presston

À bientôt Paris – August 19, 2019

Leaving Paris is bitter sweet; I adore this city from the bottom of my heart. From the expensive sandwiches, to the smell of pee in the streets, to the crowded metros and the ridiculous tourists taking 38947908237501923 model photos of them in front of the Eiffel Tower. I LOVE THIS PLACE. The pace of life is unlike anything i’ve experienced elsewhere. The streets are incredibly beautiful at every turn. The coffees are smaller, but the hearts are bigger. I’ve realized during this trip that the French absolutely look out for each other in many ways. If you speak their language, you are invited into their exclusive world. It’s those that don’t assimilate, or even try to understand them that get shut out. You can’t come to France and expect to insert yourself just the way you are into their world. They do not take likely to that.

Today I noticed it most. In the summer, parks are set up with chairs and umbrellas to relax and enjoy the sun. Shop owners will invite you in and ask you to try their dishes if you are curious and authentic with them. They will help each other up and down the stairs if you look like you’re struggling (not always, but I have seen it happen.) I saw café’s close, and the owners invite a friend or two to have a drink with them from midnight to 3, 4 or even 5 am (we had a café across the street from us, and this happened pretty much every night we were in our apartment.) They can just enjoy time spent with one another in a beautiful place.

I also appreciate that (from what I can tell), the French, and more generally Europeans, don’t age. No matter how old you are here, people love to travel and experience what’s happening in the city and all around them. If there is a new exposition in the city, the whole city is sure to check it out. People of all ages take on the metro (a daunting task as far as stairs go) and will walk many miles in a day to do errands. They are active and willing to take on the day full force. Obviously, I have not talked to too many people older than me here, but from what I can tell, that way of life is apparent here.

My French has all come rushing back to me here! It is far from perfect, but every time I apologized to someone for my “mal français,” they said it was absolutely fine and that the point is just to get your message across. It doesn’t have to be perfect, so long as the other person can understand you. So that felt very good to be back in a place I can understand and speak to others.

Disneyland Paris was fun! Good to see Gemma. Good to see my friend Elise. The park was nice. They had a fantastic show playing with drummers hired from India (authentic!) to be a part of a Jungle Book/Lion King mashup. They had someone singing live too, and her voice was possibly one of the most pure, beautiful voices I have ever heard. The music for the show was incredible and worth seeing if you will be visiting Disneyland Paris anytime in the next few months (year?) Other than that, nothing to write home about. 🙂

For our last night in Paris, we went to the café across the street from us. We couldn’t stop gawking at how “trendy” it was. The bathroom even had ACTUAL TOWELS wrapped perfectly. Everything was very chic and well put together. We sat and talked and ate very well our last night. Highly recommend going if you are in the 10e of Paris. 🙂 We googled it and it had 5 star ratings on every website we could find.

Been at the airport for about an hour and a half now, waiting for my flight. I spent the morning dropping Jenna off at the train station, then walking to the Seine to have lunch and a beer with a view of the Eiffel Tower. The weather was PERFECTION and the view was INCREDIBLE. I took a nice little nap, then off to the train station to get to the airport.

I’m feeling overwhelming emotions of joy and gratitude (thanks mom and dad) for being able to do a trip like this. It wouldn’t be possible without their endless support and love. Love you mom and dad and thank you for all the love and support you have given, are giving, and will give. Absolutely blessed to be here.

Well I’m off to Barcelona; time to work on my Spanish!

À bientôt mes amis!

-Presston

August 15, 2019

Hey everyone,

Scotland was an absolute blast! I have to say, out of the few times I have been to London and south England, I think Scottish culture, food and architecture is far more interesting and enjoyable than what you would find in London; England is far more overrated than it should be for Americans. The people in Scotland were nothing but nice to me, and certainly know how to drink. There are signs everywhere trying to curb the alcohol problem there. Even at the airport, there were signs EVERYWHERE saying you would not be allowed on the plane if you were visibly intoxicated. The laws and regulations of alcohol sales and bar and restaurant hours are being made and enforced to try and slow the drinking problem there. But everyone I met was pretty moderate about their consumption of alcohol.

We did one day in Edinburgh, where it literally poured on us the entire day. It was for the Fringe festival, which is the biggest art’s festival in the world. They had performances in dance, theater, musical theater, comedy, performance art, movies, and MANY other categories. The whole city turns into a venue! We saw a Glaswegian give a comedy special and a group from Los Angeles perform a “30 minute musical” spoof on Top Gun. It was actually really good and very well done. The city of Edinburgh itself is incredibly beautiful, and is worth seeing. The city is beautifully laid out, with amazing architecture, and a grand castle on a hill right in the middle. It is more touristy though, which makes me more partial to Glasgow. All in all, it was a great experience. Ditch the London trip and visit Scotland!

We made it to Paris now, back to my old stomping grounds, and I could not be happier to be here! Finally, all the French I have taken since being back in the states is paying off. I am able to talk and understand what people are saying to me about 70% of the time, which is huge, in my opinion, after not being here or using my French in a seriously long time. It feels good to be talking to locals and generally feeling like a local. Me and Jenna are staying up in the 10th arrondissement, which is somewhat far from the city centre and the touristy areas. This is both good and bad because the area is a bit more sketchy than the city centre would be, but good because I am forced to use my French with no help of English. Outside of the touristy areas, even in Paris, it is much harder to find bilingual speakers. Very happy to be where I am at, and honestly feeling like I never left! 🙂

Yesterday, me and Jenna had a whole day planned of sight-seeing, and places to visit. We ended up walking from our airbnb in the 10th, down through the 4th where my study abroad university is, then to get pastries from a bakery and then to get falafel and Jewish food in the Jewish quarter. We ate A LOT, and ended up laying in the park for 2 or 3 hours, just trying not to burst.

After the park, we walked to a wine shop near Bastille. We walked in and looked around for a bit before I ended up asking the guy behind the counter a few questions. I actually felt like I understood everything he said! He spoke very little English, but I was feeling confident and we had a nice chat about the wines I wanted to try and the aromas that were common in them. The practice is good and it makes me confident that I may be able to put French on my resume as something I may use in my career!

Other than the few sights we’ve already seen, such as Sacré-Cœur and Moulin Rouge, Jenna hasn’t been too interested in seeing the tourist attractions, which is more than fine by me. I have just enjoyed lounging and living life as a Parisian resident. We will still go see the Eiffel Tour today and go to a museum and tomorrow will be Disneyland! We will be meeting up with Gemma and her boyfriend, as well as a few old friends that still work there. Lots of good things ahead!

À Bientôt,

Presston

(PS: Thanks for sticking with me on all this! I feel like I am so rushed to write this time because I will only be in each place a short amount of time. I also feel that my writing style has declined since I lived here. When I lived here, I was reading good books and writing a lot, and I felt like I had my own writing style. Now, I feel a bit rusty. So hopefully these posts get more interesting as we go. 😅)

August 10,2019 – Just Like Home

Well Scotland is simply Magical. Yesterday me and Jenna took Rabbie’s (pronounced Robby’s) tours to see the country side. We went up the A82 (which goes up the West side of Scotland) to see Fort William, Loch Ness (to find Nessie of course), up to Inverness, and back down the A9 back to Glasgow. The countryside is a MUST see for anyone with an appreciation for nature. It is stunning. My friend Jenna slept 80% of the ride because she was so tired from stressing over writing her dissertation. But she enjoyed the stops of course! I, on the other hand, a flat white and an americano in, could not sleep. All I could do was stare out the window in awe of the majesty of the scenery. Here’s some pics!

I’ve talked to some locals about their city and their lingo. Learned some new words that you may need to know if you ever visit Scotland!

Fae = From

Jobby = Bitch

There’s so many more, but I can’t remember them all at the moment. I’ll update you as I learn them/remember them 🙂

My FAVORITE thing I have seen so far, which was explained as just a funny joke with no meaning, is putting cones on statues’s heads. I’ve seen it many times already, and it has no meaning, but looks hilarious. Even businesses with Glasgow logos will print the outline of statues with cones on their heads. It’s actually a sign of the city! You are sure to see it around if you visit. This is the only picture I have gotten so far, but I will update you on more as I find them!

Lastly, I visited the museum today, it is first of all, free! They have a whole section on the history of Scotland and Glasgow, which is extremely rich and long. There have been many archaeological discoveries here that point toward ancient species living in warm humid climates, then a period of glaciation during the last ice age, bringing us to modern times. There was dinosaur bones everywhere and a giant moose species which I thought looked really cool. The antlers must have been AT LEAST 5 feet long. I can’t even imagine how the beast walked! In the wing just next door, there were paintings from many famous artists, which are also worth a visit. I didn’t take too many photos, but check it out if you come!

It is important to come to Scotland knowing that the weather can change in an instant! So be prepared for anything. It was hot and muggy this morning, which gave way to showers and pouring rain, then back to clear, beautiful blue skies. This place reminds me of LA mixed with Paris. The streets are broad with similar architecture to the two cities, but the overall feel is warm and inviting. It really feels like I haven’t left the states.

Today I have been out walking because my friend Jenna is busy for the day. I got up at 12 because i’m still just a wee bit jet lagged, although I feel much better than I did the first day and I can stay up normal hours still. EVERYONE is out today. Every bar and restaurant, bar or café I have walked by is packed with people. The weather is very nice today, so everyone is out enjoying the company of others. And of course, everyone is out drinking! Jenna has been explaining to me that there is a big push to curb the drinking problem in Scotland, such as making everyone go inside at 10PM, and no alcohol is to be sold after 10PM outside of bars and clubs. But it does seem like there isn’t too bad of a problem here, so the measures must be helping! But no matter where you go, tipping is not expected, and no tax is added to the price. I love this because what you see, is what you get! Vivre l’Europe!

CHECK OUT GLASGOW. It is ABSOLUTELY worth the trip!

Cheers,

Presston

August 8, 2019 – Jet Lag

Most people when they go abroad really struggle with jet lag, sometimes the entire time they are abroad. It can really be a drag to lag. Well, I am struggling pretty hard right now with it as well. My strategy has always been to acclimate as quickly as possible, either by staying up as long as possible with minimal sleep and passing out the first evening at the destination, or a day or two leading up to the trip, sleep closer to the hours I will be sleeping in the country I will be visiting.

Well I decided to stay up as long as possible, and it is mostly working for me! I went to sleep at midnight last night and did not wake up until 10am this morning, a solid 10 hours of sleep. I feel a bit groggy today, but I am forcing myself to not nap today and fall asleep again at a regular time. My hope is that by tomorrow I will be acclimated and ready to go!

I have spent less than 15 hours in Glasgow/Scotland so far, but it is absolutely stunning here! The countryside is beautiful and green, full of sheep and rain (very true to all the pictures and stories I have seen/heard about Scotland.) I didn’t get too many pictures due to dirty windows and general grogginess, but it is worth the trip if you get the chance!

This was unfortunately the best picture I got, but it really does not do it justice. It was a beautiful area! There were purple flowers and forests, and the train runs right along the oceanside for part of the journey, which was again, really beautiful.

My friend Jenna is in a meeting for her dissertation with her counselor, so she let me loose on her school, the University of Glasgow. Her school is called Hogwarts by the locals, a familiar reference to the school of witchcraft and wizardry in the famed Harry Potter movies. It really does look like a gigantic castle in the middle of the city, and it sounds like a lot of tourists come here to take pictures and tour the school. It was founded in the 1400’s, so it is very old, yet still in very good standing!

Lastly, I will say, Glaswegians are extremely friendly and talkative. I also appreciate that their culture is somewhat similar to ours, meaning me and Jenna can buy a coffee and a doughnut and walk down the street and no one bats an eye at us (whereas in Paris, I would have gotten strange looks/judgement/disapproval/general looks of unhappiness.) I don’t have to think too hard to talk to anybody or think twice about what I’m doing and how it might be perceived by locals, as opposed to Paris, where I was constantly second guessing myself. My friend Jenna said she hasn’t seen the sun in weeks, but this morning we had some sun and she and her friends have thanked me for bringing the sun along. Glad the sun wanted to come with me!

Until next time,

Presston

Back abroad (August 7, 2019)

Hey everyone!

Well I am back abroad for another 5 weeks of tromping around Europe. I thought about starting this blog back up the last time I was out here 2 years ago, but didn’t really have the time to, as I was spending that trip with my good friend Gemma. But this time around, much of the trip, I will be alone and will have the time to write! So I thought I should start this back up. I don’t know if anyone will even get notified or anything, but I found that the posts I wrote when I was living in Paris were very insightful and memorable to flip back to and read. So I am treating this more as my online journal. Hope you all enjoy! 🙂

SO, for this trip, my plans are:

London (3 hours)

Glasgow (4 days)

Paris (7 days)

Barcelona (7 days)

Marseille (2 days)

Montpellier (3 days)

Beaune/Switzerland (2 days)

Genova (Genoa) (3 days)

Oslo (5 days)

London (2 days)

Home

Very much looking forward to seeing some good friends while I am here. I will be seeing Jenna, a friend from my hometown of Santa Clarita who is studying abroad to get her masters in Human Rights (SO COOL) at a school in Glasgow. Then I will be seeing a friend from school named Ryan (nicknamed Aussie Ryan), who will be introducing me to some of his friends in Switzerland. After that, I will be seeing my roommate from UC Davis in Genoa, which is his hometown (born and raised boogie Italian.) I wrote Genova above because on iMaps in English, it pops up as Genova. But I think in Italian it is pronounced Genoa? Weird why it isn’t the same pronunciation, but different spelling, instead of both different spelling AND pronunciation. And of course I will be seeing Gemma! Jenna and I will be meeting her in Paris for a day at (obviously) Disneyland Paris. Very excited to see her and everyone else along the way!

For now, I am SUPER tired. As I went from my 12 hour flight from LAX to London, straight to catch my 6 hour train ride to Glasgow, I grabbed a latte. But of course, the second I sit down on the train, after getting all of 90 minutes of sleep on the plane, I pass out mid coffee sipping. Ready to be in my inflatable bed in Glasgow right now, but have 4 more hours to go. Send sleep or 5 hour energy or SOMETHING.

Well stick around for more updates! Hope everyone is having a great summer!

Bisous,

Presston

January 18, 2015 (Finished)

I’ve been home a week now. I was so excited to be back in America, I was running through the airport with the biggest smile on my face. I was loving seeing all familiar brands and people and hearing English everywhere. It was exciting to be home. While I was driving home, it almost felt as if I had never left. Everything seems just as familiar as the day I left. I missed it but I didn’t. I got home and went straight over to a friend’s house to say goodbye before she left for Arizona the next day. I got in my car and didn’t even think twice about how to drive or how to get to my friend’s house. Everything came so naturally to me and it feels as if I hardly forgot what everything looks like. I think I was just expecting much more of a shock when I got home.

Alright, so good points since i’ve been home:

I missed being able to talk to everyone. I say hi to literally every person I pass by now, just sooo excited to be able to speak to them and smile at them. It’s great to go into a store and have no problem at all to explain what i’m looking for. People are kind and courteous and generally happy. It’s good to not feel lost walking around or out of place. I’m in my home town, my place of birth. Everything comes naturally and everything makes sense to me.

I missed Mexican food and being able to read labels at stores.

Everything is cheap here, which is also nice on my wallet.

Thing’s I miss about Paris:

Everything.

To be honest, I love the food and the culture there, I love the people, I love the buildings and the way of life. Everything is much more slowed down there and they appreciate life for so much more than American’s do.

I feel as though I have two homes now. Two homes that I really love and feel comfortable in both. I could speak both languages (French only to an extent, but enough to get by with) so I could communicate relatively clearly. I feel caught between two places, in which I love both to a great extent, but I can’t choose between the two of them. It’s a 12 hour flight to Paris on the quickest flight, it’s expensive and I just want to take good things from both places and be able to make my perfect home. I will be back to Paris one day, but right now, i’m feeling really homesick. I am so happy to have had this experience and I can’t even imagine my life before it. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. But I don’t know how long I can be tied down here. I want to know what my next adventure is going to be and to have something to look forward to. But I don’t know right now. This year flashed by in the blink of an eye, and I only wish I could live it all over again.

January 1, 2015 (Day 346)

So I know I owe you all two things: pictures from Amsterdam and a brief history lesson on Ireland. You will get both! They’re both on my list. Just writing a short blog tonight.

So it’s finally January! I didn’t think a whole lot about actually leaving up until today. Up until today, I had something to look forward to that wasn’t going home: parents coming, going to Ireland, Christmas, New Years, etc. But now, it’s just going home. I am excited to go home, but I’m not ready to be slumming it in SCV again. I love my life in France. I have almost everything I could ever want here. The only things I really miss from home are my family and being able to have a life outside of Disney. I miss being able to take classes and join clubs and meeting people so easily. If I was here long enough, I could have those things here as well, and maybe one day I will. But for now, I am excited to go home. I just know that after a few months, I will be restless again. I’m starting to close things up like the bank and my gym membership. It is fairly easy for the most part, just a bit stressful. I can’t believe it has been almost a year since I have lived in California. It feels like just last week. This last year has flown by in the blink of an eye and it’s amazing how much France feels like home now. And more specifically Paris. It’s home. I have stories from almost every inch of that city and I can get you anywhere on the metro if you just tell me where you want to go. It’s becoming a reality. I’m going home soon. Mixed feelings.

Bisous!

-Presston