Here it comes...

Bring on the waterworks.




Who knew that you can become so attached to a group of people in a matter of one month. They said we wont. They said it wouldn't happen. But clearly, they were wrong. I told myself," Michael don't turn it into a big scene" and I didnt, until I went up to my room after saying goodbye and when I saw everyone else. Apparently, I became quite attached. They [The Vertes] were absolutely amazing. They all were so much fun and nice and one of the greatest families I've ever met in my entire 17 years of life. Natalie, Didier, Edouard, Gauthier and Romain was and still are the greatest group of people I've ever met. To actually take in a stranger and treat them as their own is the one of the grestest acts of kindness ever. Crying is an interesting action, I believe. It drains every ounce of energy you hage in your body until you have nothing. Which is exactly what happened yesterday. But there was an absolutely flipside to yesterday, Gauthier and I went to La Tour de France on La Champs Elysees, it was fantastic! I'm so glad I was able to experience it! It was also, Gauthier and I's first time seeing La Tour de France in person. I can't wait until nest summer. Here are some photos of the family and La Tour de France.







P.s. to the family: You're welcome to The Lopez Household at anytime!

Cause if dark is one then

bright is two Noone knows where we're heading to..



I don't exactly know when the 16th was. But I do believe my last entry was about the louvre
well, in those days between then and now, or now and then, which is a very good movie! I reccomened it! Watch it, right now.
Back to the subject that I was addressing. Ok, between the 16th and the 26th, we have done alot. I'm also going to go day by day because those are the best!
17th: L'Opera Garnier et Galleries LaFayette.
We went to the opera, it was the nicest of all operas I have ever seen in my entire days of living! I would love to see something there before I die. Shopping was fun too, I bought a new sweater that was on sale because summer sales here are the best thing in the world, and also a pair of acne jeans. I dont know what else we did.

18th: La Coulee Walk et Bastille.
Boring boring boring. I don't care how much history is there, it was boring.

19th: Le Marais, Victor Hugo's House et La Glace de Bertillon on ile Saint Louis
If was nice and fun and I walked by alot of stores that I wanted to go into but did not. The house of Victor Hugo was amazing! and it was also in a prime spot! The ice cream was more than amazing, Chelsea got some Raspberry one with flowers in it and it tasted amazing. It had the taste of what flowers smell like.

20th: Fontainebleu.
A very nice castle some 200 hours on a train from here. Well, only 1.5 hours, but still. It was very very nice and hilarious too. Me and chelsea somewhat memo-well, her more than me-rized part of number 18 on the audio tour. I also could not figure out my audio tour thing so I listened to number 18...while in rooms 1-35 the whole way through. It was nice though, and then...

20th-22nd: Brussels, Belgium.
I love Belgium, I love love love L-O-V-E Belgium, I will go back there someday soon. Nathalies parents were incredibly nice and the bed I slept on was incredibly comfortable and the blankets were as soft as clouds. I had the best ice cream anyone could ever have :Speculoos. It is Cinnamin ice cream with brown sugar, but not just any brown sugar, belgian special brown sugar that is only found in belgium. But the weekend was above all amazing. We also visited the Automonium, you know, the big metal structure in Brussels built for the Worlds Fair!

23rd: Picnic in Lutece's arena and visit of the surrounding area.
That actually turned into lets walk around in the pouring rain and eat in a tunnel, which then ended up into us all, except a few, going to American Apparel and Colette to go shopping..Well, Caroliyn, Gwen and I bought things.

24th: Pere Lachaise Cemetary.
Oscar Wilde and Edith Piaf. enough said.

25th: Versailles!
It was crazy crowded, we got in in like 30 mins because we got in a shorter-less-than-18-years-old-line-and-had-"tickets-line. It was nice. Had lunch in the gardens. Walked to Marie Antoinettes house and farm and animals and stuff. She had a sweet deal with here lot and houses and what not. It was incredibly nice and still is.

26th: L'Arc de Triomphe et Champs-Elysees.
We couldnt go to the top of the Arc de Triomphe so we just say under it and the outside. We walked down the champ and went into like 3 stores. We then walked to American Apparel so I could buy a carry on bag. I also bought a new shirt. It's nice. We then went to La Grande Episcene, I think that is how you spell it. The food there is amazing. Its the best food mart in the world I believe. I've spent so much money there so far but its worth it. Im going back tomorrow or saturday for pretzels[fresh doughy ones] and stuff. They also have the grestest assortment of chocolate and juices.

Photos: maybe afew. you can decide which which and when is where.

By the double you tea.

This is the amazing family that I am living with. I love them.


Not pictured: Gauthier et Romain.

Down in the green hay, where monkey and bear usually lay.

Today was fun. Hot and then cold. Weather here was being bi-polar. No fun. I went to La Louvre, THE MONA LISA IS NOT WORTH IT. I'm stupid for going to see it. I sawit yeah, but I didn't like being in the same room with 100000 million people. It was stupid. Parents were holding up there like newborn 2 day old child to see the painting like it was the pope and he was going to babtize the child or whatever. Completely stupid. Look at the photo!

But, that museum is absolutely extraordinary and amazingly nice. I loved it! I loved the Pyramid. I loved the statues. I loved the painting, some more than others. After that we ate lunch on a bridge and Anais showed us [well, pointed out] that the next bridge over from us was the oldest bridge in Paris, France. That was nice. Then we walked to Le Centre Pompidou. We did not go in. I'm going to it on Weds, I'm not going to go to the AFS activity. Anyways, then Gwen, Tiarra, Caroline and I took the Metro to Palais Royale (back at La Louvre) and Walked to the Marc Jacobs store and took a million cool photos :]. We bought some stuff there. Then we walked around the quartier. After that we took the metro again to Solferino to go to Colette and American Apparel. Gwen and Tiarra let Caroline and I so it was just us 2. We had fun. We shopped. She is my shopping buddy. God love her. She is hilarious!!!! I feel that this group of AFS kids we are. We're going to friends for a very very long time. I'll buy a plane ticket to see them again.

Photos:
Gwen and Carolina though they were Egyptian.




Rembrant. vv





L-R. Tiarra, Caroline and Gwen.

That's his way of life, please dont bring him down.

Last night was alot of fun! Considering that it was Bastille Day AKA France Independance Day. Well, Natalies sister and his husband came over and we had a lovely dinner. It was very very good. Afterwards Didier drove us to the Juvisy Station and we caught a train to Paris, But the station that we intended on getting off at was closed so we had to get off 3 or 2 stations before.
We walked JUST as the fireworks were beginning, it was absolutely extraordinary! 500,000 Euros worth of fireworks. It lasted about 31 mins exactly, or 30, radio said it would last 31 mins. Who knows, I don't. Anyways, afterwards we were supposed to meet Molina but her parents wanted her to come home so me and Edouard walked trying to find a station that was either:

A. Open.
or B. Not incredibly crowded with an insane amount of people.
We walked a while until we found one, and we did. We took it and then had to transfer to another one and then Didier picked us up and drove us home. Got home at about 2am. It was nice. Tomorrow is Le Louvre and shopping. Grace also comes into Paris tomorrow! Im incredibly excited for that!
Here are some photos

There were so many boats on the Seine last night!

Let your honesty shine shine shine.

Wow, all I can say about tonight is Wow. Edouard is probably one of the greatest boys I've ever met. I don't really think I can go into what it is what we talked about. But, lets just say it was a tough subject, and for him to tell me all about it was amazing. It's amazing when one minute you have someone and the next they're gone forever. It's truely astonishing actually. Now, I may be just going into just one long shpeel, who knows. I don't think I am. Today was amazing though. I went to Montmartre with Claire, Gwen, Liz, Tiara, and Tiara's 2 friends and Liz's host sister. Sacre-Coeur was amazing nice!

Anyways, after that I left them to go fabric shopping. I went to the last place I went to but I passed by another place that I will check out next time because they had some fabrics I wanted! After that I came home and slept for 2 hours. We had dinner and then we went to the Corbeil-Essonnes Bastille Day Fireworks Celebration, that was fun! Then we all came back and had some dessert and talked and what not. My french is getting better, well, my comprehension and what not. Speaking, I don't know. Then Didier [father] showed me some cd's and I found some cd's that I have wanted like: Carla Bruni, Simon & Garfunkel, Jane Birkin, etc. After that Edouard and I had a 2 hour long conversation about some good things and some bad things. But they all had a light at the end of each tunnel. Tonight has been the best. Tomorrow we're going to Paris for the fireworks. I promised him I'd make it alot of fun. He deserves it.

BTW. I love this girls also.
L-R. Liz, Claire and Gwen


Also, Tiara who is not picured.
and all of the other kids on this AFS extravaganza who didn't some with us today! Tiara did :]

On the second floor over-looking the city.

As I was walking through Paris today by myself after shopping at Colette and American Apparel I finally came to the realization that I'm in god damn Paris, France. On the other side of the world. After being here I do believe I'm going to enjoy doing things on my own. It is opening my eyes to the fact that being with other people is just ok after a while. Being alone shopping, walking etc.etc. is alot of fun also. Well today started out with waking up late at 11:00am. I had to be at Trocadero metro station at 1230pm. Well ok Anais, it that is what you said. Anyways, I didn't shower today so that was nice. It actually felt..good? Anyways, I caught the RER to Juvisiy and transfered onto RER C to Musee d'Orsay, Why we didn't meet at RER Musee? I dont know. Anyways, I walked to Trocadero, it was nice. Only like 2 blocks. We all went ot the museum, I loved it. I saw:
Degas.
Monet.
Renoir.
Cezanne.
Matisse.
Picasso.




and all of the others
The impressionist's were my favorites!
After the Museum we went to Jardin des (les?) Tuileres(SP?) It was nice. After that we went o the area where The Ritz is, They ahd all of the Jewlery stores there. Chanel. Dior. Mikimoto. Bulgari, etc.etc. We went into the Chanel one, it was extremely nice jewlery. After that they all left and I walked to Colette and bought the Colette cd. A compilation and what not and Bumble & Bumble shampoo, the Seaweed one. After that I walked to American Apparel and bought a new jacket and some of their wonderful underwear haha! After that is when I realized that I'm in Paris. Walking alone. Shopping alone. Being alone. I loved it! But I still love and enjoy the company of my family here. At the moment right now it is 57 degrees and it is raining. I love this! But it is just a little cold in the house. But I still love it here. I need to buy pants. the last 2 photos are photos from the park. It was amazingly nice and sunny! For only a while though.

9 Juillet 2007.

Those darks clouds pretty much describe the weather I had to deal with today for the most part. Today's weather started out fantastic and blue skies with a few clouds. As I was riding the Metro to Juvisiy, well, that is where it all changed. It started pouring and I thought to myself, "I hope this doesnt stay like this for a while" and it did not. When I arrived at the Tour Eiffel stop I walked to the Trocadero Metro Station and the sky was Amazing.
Exhibit A:

Only a few clouds and what not, just perfect I saw. As I was walking to the station the weather grew even more amazing! :] But when I met up with all of the other kids
Number 2:

^^^ Left to Right: Tiara, Gwen and Julie.
Anyways, We then left the Metro station and took photos at some place. Trocadero place? Who knows.

Isn't it pretty?


THATS US! Missing a few kids though. :D
Anyways, we left that place and we walked to the Eiffel Tower and it started Pouirng so we took shelter and what not for about 30 mins, haha! When we got to the Tower we had to find 2 or 3 people who loooked as if they were under 18 so we could skip the 3 hour waiting line and go up to it instantly, and we did. A couple from...Norway? Denmark? I don't know, some Northern Europe Blonde-hair-Blue-eyed country. It was beautiful up there, and cold very very very cold. Did I mention it was cold? We almost froze, well, Me, Liz and Julie that is hahhaa. When we were done at the very top we took the elavator down..There were lines for that, and we all got some food and hung out. Then went to Chatelet-Les Halles for shopping. I bought nothing. I'm going to tomorrow! I also called Mother. All is well with everyone :] Dad is in Montana. Good day to all of you.

Here are some photos.