Arrival.

Wow. What a trip so far.

I am writing you at the moment from Paris, in the train station Gare d'Austerlitz. So far, everything has gone relatively smoothly... until well, now.

My two flights from Chicago to Philly, Philly to Paris were great. On time, smooth, even my layover went fast. It helped that while waiting for my next flight I made friends with Romain, a Parisian who spent the last two years in Vegas and L.A. working as a web designer and starting up his own fro-yo business, ice cream truck style. We talked all throughout the layover and I even moved halfway through the flight to sit next to him... we didn't sleep much.

Before I switched to sit with Romain, I met Annie. She was sitting next to me and just happened to be another assistant! We of course got talking about our upcoming school years. She's teaching high school as well but at a vocational school that focuses on auto mechanics. And she is the first assistant at her school. Sounds very challenging but exciting!

After we landed, we found our bags and met another assistant Justin. We all bonded and made our ways to the train stations, although I left them at Charles de Gaulle to go my own way.

Annie informed me on the plane that there happened to be a train strike TODAY. Having received no news of this, I wasnt sure how it was going to affect me. But this is France. I must always be flexible. In order to get to the train station, I needed to take two commuter trains into Paris. I was so glad I was able to avoid the busy, overwhelming, and full of pickpocketer metro. Wrong. The train strike caused one of the commuter trains to stop at another train station and what did I have to do? Take the Metro. Of course my bags are ridiculously heavy and it's only stairs and as I wait for my first train a fight breaks out. Sweet. But I stay far away from the action, hop in the train and get to the train station.

Where I discover the next train won't be coming for another 6 hrs. Awesome yet again.

There is one bright side. I have been getting to know other assistants in my academie (school district) via facebook and just happened to know that one was in Paris. The internet is wonderful. I found his number, called him up and I have a new best friend to spend my afternoon with. It all tends to work out.

Surviving in France,
All my love and gros bisous!

Maura