Host Mom = Host Grandma = Best Cook In France. Yes!

The last two days have been a whirlwind of activity!



Saturday morning my host mom, Lucienne Aubrey, picked me up at my hotel. She took one look at me and took a step back. Uh oh. So I’m thinking, “Oh, crap. I’ve offended her already and I haven’t even opened my American mouth yet!” But then she smiled her 72 year old smile and exclaimed (in French) “You have the biggest and bluest eyes that I’ve ever seen!” At least, it was something along those lines. So we got off to a good start 


My two suitcases barely fit into her adorable, tres petite, car – it’s blue and can go very fast…I found this out on our drive home and when we ran errands. She might be older, but she still has a lead foot! When we arrived at her home we were greeted with stairs. There’s a big set of stairs leading from where we parked and where her apartment is, but I lugged those bags up here and made it in one piece! We live in a comfortable little apartment. It’s just the two of us, but it’s quaint and I love Lucienne. I’ve taken to calling her Mama Lucienne. I think she really likes that. We don’t always understand each other, but we do a lot of smiling, rewording, and if it’s not too important we switch subjects. When we eat dinner together we don’t talk the whole time. But she has a beautiful view from where we sit to eat, so we munch, chat some and look out the window at the birds and the trees. There’s a really nice breeze that comes through here, so it’s nice and cool despite there not being ac. A HUGE step up from the hotel!


Food: the food here is awesome! First off, it’s very healthy (Nicole – you would love it!). Everything is freshly picked, bought or grown. I think my body is in shock because I haven’t had processed food in 2 days. How great is that? Momma Lucienne (ML from now on) feeds me very well. She’s a great cook! She’s a golf instructor for senior citizens, and has a lot of friends, but she also has some free time and she loves to use that time cooking for me (also, I might’ve accidently told her I love to golf when I was really trying to tell her that my dad loves to golf…and we have a golfing date next weekend! Uh oh! When I explained that I’m bad she said it’s okay because she’s old, love her)! Even if I didn’t speak any French we’d still have a great relationship - I love anyone who feeds me like this! We’ve had Le Poulet au Citron avec du Riz (Lemon chicken with rice), Pizza de Lucienne (her own homemade pizza !), and for breakfast this morning she bought be a chocolate croissant, a baguette with jam (2 different kinds!), yogurt with granola mixed in, an apple, orange juice & coffee! Sure the coffee will tar your insides as it goes down because it’s so strong, but that’s ok! I’ve learned it’s 2/3rds milk to every 1/3rd coffee if you want a mug of coffee like in America. I’m so thankful to have a host like ML, what if my host made awful food?! Thank goodness for ML. She eats as much as me! We’re kindred spirits.


Today was our first day at the IAU campus with the students there. It was a meet and greet kind of event. And guess who I met there? A kid walked in wearing a High Tide jersey from this year and I instantly was like, “Hey, you! What’s your name? Let’s toss!” I’m so excited to have made a friend here who can throw a disc with me. And we’re both in the art program so we’ll have 3 classes together. And I met up with Meghan Quirk. It was the best feeling seeing a friendly face I recognize! We live on the same street, so I’m meeting her and her housemate (Lizzie, I’m pretty sure that’s her name) to walk to campus together tomorrow. Orientation starts at 9am. I REALLY need to buy an alarm clock. But I have a watch I can set until I get an one and burner cell phone. Waking up at 7:30am is going to be difficult though. My body isn’t on American time, but it’s not on French time yet either. I’m on mid-Atlantic ocean time I think!

I was dissappointed with how small the IAU campus is, two buildings, but I'll see more of it tomorrow and form a better opinion then.
 My room here is very cute. It’s a very good size, I think GBurg students would fight over this single. ML saw my crayons and princess coloring book (love you Tina!) today and that gave her a good laugh. I told her I’d color her a picture, I’m not sure she knew how to react to a 20 year old coloring…but I’m an art student, we get away with a lot of things…blame it on the art stereotype! I also showed her my small photo album of friends and family from home and school and she loved that up until she got to the Frisbee pictures, then she was just confused. How do you explain to a 72 year old French woman of Swiss decent the concept of playing Ultimate Frisbee? Especially when you don’t know many French words that describes sports! I showed her my jersey, and she recognized Lincoln, but asking why he was laying down holding a plate. Well, at least she liked our pictures  Even if she doesn’t understand why we chase around a Frisbee…but really – I don’t even understand it sometimes.


I mailed some more letters today, and the mail boxes here are bright yellow, and much smaller than ours at home. Also, I bought a bunch of stamps (les timbres) the other day, and I’m fairly certain the woman at the post office took advantage of me…that or the cost of mailing letters is astronomical. But now I have 7 more really pretty color-sticker stamps with pictures of France on them. But after that I’m investing in the .87 euro stamps – try to fool me again!


When I explained to ML today that not all the students here have internet she was very surprised! I’m soooo thankful that I have a host with the internet. I think the adjustment to being over here would be much more difficult without being able to talk with the people I’m close with on an easy and daily basis. I’m very excited to embrace life here completely, but I don’t want to be in complete isolation from the US. Hooray internet, and aim & skype once it’s happy with me (Mom – ask dad to help with that please? I love you!).


This morning, after my HUGE breakfast, ML and I went for a walk in the park that’s right next to our apartment complex. And it’s so beautiful! I have a safe place to run now, and my art studio is just a short walk through the park too. How great is that? ML pointed out the ducks to me and said that next time we’ll bring any old baguettes with us for them to eat. I’m not going to lie; I’m pretty excited about that!


Orientation tomorrow – I’m so excited to get back into the studio this week!