Friday the 9th to Monday the 12th....

(here are the pictures from saturday. i cant figure out how to move them... haha)

Soo I really should hop on the computer like once a day and joy down some things but you not believe how crazy busy it is here...there is always something going on or I am really tired from all the things that we did the day before...so here is the catch up...

So Friday, the 9th, I went to buy my bus pass because the metro and the bus are the only transportation besides the taxis but they are really expensive. For one month my pass is 38 Euros. Its so worth it because it is like 1,70 euro each way. I probably have used it enough to pay for itself....The Interact group, the welcoming committee took us to a restaurant for dinner, Italian food. What the hell? haha I want French food sillys! But it was good, the weather was still kind of cold so we just went home, plus the busses stop at like midnight so if we went out to a bar we would have to take a taxi home.....

Saturday morning, the 10th, at like 9am we went to the Downtown area because they are having amazing sales right now on the clothing...seeing how I still did not have my baggage I decided to buy some clothes....plus STA travel association is supposed to give me up to $500 US because of my delayed baggage! whoo hoo! So far got 8 sweaters/shirts, a purse, a scarf, gloves and a clip for 75 euros(like $100 USD)!!! We were shopping for like 4 and 1/2 hours, but we were able to see the downtown which was really awesome, but really packed because of the sales. I bought an international cellphone, which has free incoming calls so my mom went and bout a phone card to call me! yeah! We were really tired when we got here, so I laid down for a little bit.  I cleaned my room and unpacked the little that I had because I did not want to see bags anymore! At this point I have been trying to get in touch with the airport about my baggage but still nothing! ughh, then I found a website that would show the tracking information and it said something like the delivery had been completed! So I finally got through to the lost and found and they said that the bags would be delivered between 5 and 10 pm! I didnt believe them! I was sooo happy. So I was taking a shower because we were going out, and I had the feeling that the phone would reing while I was in the shower because things just happen that way...and what do ya know, right as I was beginning to dry off, THE PHONE RINGS! haha. Bonjour? parlez-vous anglais? Said he was outside with my bags! So not having much clothes, I had to scramble to find what I could wear....When I got my bags I could not stop saying MERCI! MERCI! haha 5 days without clothes is forever and no toiletries either! I literally got ready in less that 15 minutes because it was time to leave...That was the happiest moment of my trip so far! We went to this bar down at the port called Baloo Bar. It was fun had like a liter of Heineken and some shots...yum! fun times :) Then we got free tickets to this club...it was like an under ground cave with different music in every tunnel! way fun....I kinda got in trouble for showing the foreign boys we are friends with how American girls dance...haha oops! We were there till like 3am-ish, then some of the people that I live with in the dorms took a cab home...So tired at this point... talked to my mom on the internet for a little while then passed out!!!!

Sunday morning, the 11th, I really didnt feel bad, just super tired!!! At 2pm we went to this place called the Calanques, (kal-unk) it was a beautiful hike threw some trees, then we climbed down some rocks and ended up at these beautiful ponds from the Mediterranean! I went and put my feet in the water! sooo cold! but amazing :) then we climbed up some more rocks and went down to another part that people were jumping in! omg! crazy people hahah....but it was just so beautiful. The hike back up was pretty intense! But hey I dont turn down a good workout, ps. my butt is extra sore....Dinner was the extent what I was able to do after that! Watched a movie and passed out!

Monday the 12th, was the first actual day of school, but I am not supposed to be scheduled for any, but I was so I went to the school to see if I could get some help with my classes but I went during the 2 hour lunch period when no one was there or they were not in their office. I got like one thing done that I was supposed to, but none of the important things that I wanted to get done today. UGH! So now I have to go to school even earlier tomorrow to catch the people that I need to help me.  I think that I am still jet-lagged and not fully adhered to the time change. 9 Hours is pretty intense. Also I have to wait to be able to talk to people because when I am up, Its like the weeeee hours in the morning back home. But all is well.

I am a lot happier here then I was. I just hope that this is a great experience for me that I can grow from. Time is flying by, I just hope that I can do the traveling that I wanted and not regret not being in the States....

Au revoir for now!

The Beginning of My Journey!

So... it's Sunday night January 4th, im still packing-running out of room before I even know it, mom is hemming some pants-yes I know last minute what can I say I've got the Paghense blood in me! Haha. It winds up that I am bringing waaay too much stuff, but Naunie and I some how make it work. About 12:30am on the 5th and finally get to go to bed! Lay down and tell Naunie how much I love her and how much I am going to miss her. The doze off till 4am and wake up. About now the anxiety begins to build up more and more! I get ready and throw on some clothes- not knowing that I would be wearing them until like Wednesday morning! (Ill get to that in a second). We jump in the car and make the trip to San Diego and when we get out of the car with my bags I again realize the amount of stuff that I brought with me. OMG! Long line-get told that  "my stay was not authorized", get in new line.....next get told-"oh your flight from Chicago to Dusseldorf has been cancelled! you can leave tomorrow or fly to Chicago today, get off plane, have ticket reissued and run to next plane in hour and a half! I decided to attempt it because I wanted to get as far east as possible...then I had to put my backpack in a box and empty out a bag to make room....The first plane ride was not even that bad :) Got to sit right by the door so I high tailed it out of the plane and went to the attendant that was right outside of my gate and he did what I thought was booking me the seat to Dusseldorf. I was happy at this point, things were going as planned. Then I walk like 40 gates at Ohara Airport to the gate for Dusseldorf at Lufthansa Airline. The girl said that I was not booked, nor did I have seat because they were over booked as it was. Freaking out. I told her that I was and here was the ticket, but she told me that I was not in the system and there was nothing that she could do for me and that I needed to go to United because they were the one's that booked me. United said that it was Lufthansa's problem because they overbooked me. So back and forth...not being helped and the people are getting ruder by the minute. I am stuck in Chicago and I have no clue as to what I am supposed to do. I am already freaking out because of the whole trip and now this! After like an hour and a half of walking back and forth between United and Lufthansa, this guy was able to book me a flight to Munich to Marseille. By the way its now about 4pm and I have had not one morsel of food. So then I had to again walk to the other side of Ohara Airport and go to the Customer Service Counter to get my ticket issued. I am starving but I have to stand in another effing long line that is not really moving.  After like an eternity I get to the window and the lady was actually really nice and she let me go sit down because I was about to have a heart attack.  So I took care of all that and now I got to grab a $10 small sandwich and a drink. Ya I inhaled the sandwich to say the least. The plane ride was not bad at first but 8 and a half hours on your ass in a little seat is ridiculous! The girl next to me was German and really sweet. But I definity had a few rum and cokes...mommy's orders due to my hectic day.  The flight never seemed to end! Ugh....It was really cool to see the town of Munich from the air. The little towns looked so cool and it was definitely really cold and tons of snow on the ground! So I get off the plane and get my first European stamp in my passport!! Yeah! I walked through security and began to walk the next journey to my gate. I go to the counter and check in. And what do you know....IM NOT ON THIS FLIGHT EITHER! I mean seriously do your jobs correctly people and treat me with some respect! GURRR! But I was able to get on this plane ride, thank god! So I go and sit down and this girl ends up being a student at Euromed as well...then while talking and beginning to line up to board my plane, I realize that I do not have my laptop! I left it at the security checkpoint! So I tell the lady at the desk and she says that there is only like 15 minutes left till the plane leaves. I RAN LIKE I WAS BEING CHASED DOWN FOR MY LIFE! I got alllll the way back to the security and try to tell them "white computer! this lane!" they looked at me like I was stupid for awhile, then the guard brought me to the office where by the grace of god it was there. He asked if he could start it and I said that my face would appear on the desktop. So then I book it back to the gate on the other side of the airport and see that everyone has already made it down the huge stairwell and on to the bus...so did some more hurrying and got on to the bus. I was so exhausted because it was super cold and my lungs were not okay....got on the bus and was hot so I took off my sweater...then getting on the little ass plane I was freezing because it was starting to snow :( burrrr! then it took forever to board and I was like all the way back in the plane, sitting by the window and the guys were not small. My stuff did not really fit in the over head compartments so I had to put both under the seats. I was no nauseous the entire flight and exhausted from traveling like 24 hours.  The food was ehh and I could have had alcohol but I was already about to vomit so I decided not to. We get off the plane and the girl that is with me gets her baggage and is waiting with me for mine. I already knew that there was a slim to none chance that my stuff would actually have followed me the whole way. The lost and found attendant came out and said that there was no more bags, SHIT! So I went and placed a claim with them. Then we took a bus ride to the train station to be picked up. The ride was intense because people in France really do not abide by the rules of the road. People were cutting each other off and then someone hit the back of the van! The girl that was driving opened the door and began to scream obscenities to the other driver. It was hilarious the way she was acting. But then we grabbed some food and went to our international dorm. It was decent, nothing special.  I couldnt contact them when I arrive in the afternoon on Tuesday the 6th grrr! Then a freak of nature happens the next morning on Wednesday the 7th.....and it effing SNOWS! It has not snowed in 20 years and we got like 6 inches. So we were supposed to have orientation but since the city never sees snow, they pretty much shut it down. So me and some girls walked to the grocery store in the snow when it was coming down the hardest! What an adventure. There were people just throwing snowballs everyone, even at us!  So...seeing how it has snowed the airport is closed still! Ughh. Then Thursday rolls around and still no word on my bags! I gave my mom the bag information and she called and they said that my bags were in Frankfurt! Whoo hoo! but all day Thursday I cant get ahold of anyone at the airport so I have no clue as to where my stuff is now :( I have one pair of pants and some shirts and a jacket and just two pairs of socks! This bites! I cant believe the trouble that I have had on this trip! I pray that this is not a preview of my trip to come :( Now it 5:30am Friday morning and I have been up since 2 am because people were running around outside my door. I cant sleep. I have to be up at 8am and I am wide awake. I tired but my mind is racing at the moment so I just decided that I needed to get on the blog and post the last few days. I need to contact the travel agency because I have travel insurance and it covers delayed baggage. phew! but who knows ill probably have to show receipts for things I bought to get reimbursed. I have no luck. Some times I think why did I even do this. I hope that in the end I am happy with the decision that I have made to come out here to Europe. I just wish I was not doing this alone. I am going to try to lay down now...au revoir for now.