New Beginnings - La Vie Français

Do you ever feel like your life is playing out like a movie...?!

So here I am sitting in my very own Parisian apartment. I am here, finally. After years of dreaming, it has finally become a reality. Now what?!

I arrived back in Paris just over a week ago after spending 2 weeks in Bordeaux. I loved it there and feel like I walked away with a new French Mum and Dad, exactly what I was hoping for! When I got back to Paris a feeling of uneasiness initially washed over me. As I arrived at my apartment, I trudged up 4 flights of stairs with my suitcase in tow and let myself into the dark, cold apartment I will be calling home for the next 3 months. After a few minutes of fumbling around in the dark and a few choice swear words, I finally figured out how to connect the power & suddenly my new home had light. It is exactly as I imagined. A tiny room with slanted ceilings & exposed beams waiting for my touch to make it feel like mine for the next little while. The perfect place to start my Parisian adventure.

After spending the first night settling in and unpacking my things, the next day I prepared for my next journey. A long weekend in London. Now when I was back in Australia, it was suggested to me by a friend to catch the bus over to London as it would be the cheapest option. I had done it once before in my early twenties & didn't recall any bad memories, so agreed this would be the best option and booked the trip. It only cost me AUS$50 return so I figured it didn’t matter if the journey was bad, because it was cheap that would make up for it right?! Wrong.

The journey to the bus station itself was uneventful. I picked up a coffee and baguette on the way, stashing the baguette in my bag to snack on during the bus ride. I got a few looks as I mounted the metro with coffee in hand (such a foreigner thing to do, but nothing will ever come between me and my coffee fix!!). Upon arriving to the bus station, I had a chance to bust out some of my new found French, which made me puff out my chest with pride as the lady at the check in desk humoured me by responding back slowly and patiently. I was floating on cloud 9 as I approached the bus to board, this however was when the dream trip quickly became a nightmare.

There was all of about 10 people lined up to get on the 50 or so seater bus and as I was about to get on the bus driver stopped me, said something I didn’t understand in French and gestured to me to put my backpack in the luggage compartment. ‘Pourquoi?!’ I asked and instead of answering me, he just gestured again, this time not so nicely to put my bag under the bus. Annoyed, I walked over to the bench and pulled out some books and my coat to take on the bus. Just as I was about to pull out my baguette, another lady was about to get on the bus with a plastic bag, to which the driver asked - ‘Is that food?!  NO food on the bus!’ At this point, having only had coffee that morning my heart sunk. You have got to be kidding me?! Now just wanting to punch him in the face, I quietly swallowed my anger and got onto the bus bag-less & baguette-less looking around at all the empty seats and counting down the minutes until we were going to stop so I could buy something else to eat.

As the hours passed and my head started to pound due to the lack of hydration and extreme hunger, I was wondering if we were ever in fact going to stop. As we pulled up to the border control in Calais I was filled with a sense of relief. Surely we are going to stop somewhere around here and get something to eat?! After the usual interrogation by the British border control, I made my way through immigration back towards the bus. Just as we were being herded back to the bus by Captain Crankypants I discovered a vending machine! AHHHH!! Bliss!! As I grabbed by bag to find some money, I realised the machine only took coins and as luck would have it I used my last coins to buy the baguette that morning! Close to having a meltdown, all I could do was look longingly at the delicious snacks behind the glass and walk away. I swear it was at this point a single tear rolled down my cheek. Surely this isn’t our only stop?! He can’t expect us to not eat for 8hrs?! Turns out he could and 24hrs after my last meal I arrived in London. When I got off the bus, I pushed passed the driver and almost took a flying leap at my bag. I ripped it open like a child on Christmas day and proceeded to right there and then shove the baguette in my mouth. I must have looked a little crazy as I desperately devoured my baguette, but I can tell you right now. I didn’t care. All I cared about was eating my baguette and figuring out where my next meal was coming from.

It was such a relief to be back in London. Somewhere people understood me and I could easily walk up to a vendor and ask for something to eat & drink without hesitation. An iced coffee and a bottle of water later, I finally felt like I had the energy to find my way to my lodgings for the weekend. I navigated the tube like an old London local and quickly found myself reunited with my beautiful London friends. Recapping my horror bus story to them with champagne in hand, all my troubles began to melt away and it was the beginning of another fabulous weekend in London.

4 days of old & new friends, laughter & a lot of British propaganda was exactly what the doctor ordered and on the Tuesday night I pretty much had to drag myself back kicking and screaming to the bus station for long dreaded bus ride back to Paris. Being an overnight bus and this time going via the ferry, there was no fear of going hungry. 9hrs and no sleep later, I found myself back in Paris and back in my apartment, exhausted but ready to take on my new life in Paris.

Now?!

I am just trying to adjust to my new Parisian life. I have gotten myself into a terrible habit of only visiting Starbucks for my coffee and food as it is the place that I can go and speak the least amount of French. I am scared to speak French again and the perfectionist in me regularly tries to hold me back. I guess you could say over the last few days I have become somewhat of a recluse aside from the one day I met up with a new found twitter friend to have lunch and explore the city. I am not sure how I feel yet. I am incredibly happy to be here, I am just now trying to find my feet and figure out what I am going to do in this wonderful city. I look forward to tomorrow, a new day, the beginning of a new week, where I hope to expand my horizons, recommence my French lessons, explore my creativity and make new friends.