Good Morning!!!

Oh man. Do I have a story for you.

First, update.

So today was my first day of classes. I didn't feel too jet-lagged this morning fortunately, and made it to class only 15 minutes late. Could've been worse.

For some reason they had me signed up for the lowest level beginner class, even though I have taken 1 year of French. After about 15 minutes that teacher said she wanted to move me up a level, but the middle class had too many students in it. I told her I would rather be in the highest level, and so they put me there. I'm glad I'm there, it's going to be hard but I think I'll be able to keep up ok.

I've met some nice people in my group, there's around 19 students from the U and then a big group of american kids from another exchange program. Our group has only 3 boys out of 19, so it's a bit of a girls party I suppose.


So. After class ended and I had run some errands around town with the group (getting a pass for the local trains, buying deodorant because I somehow forgot that, etc.) I got back to my host family's house around 4. I was freaking exhausted, and I went upstairs and fell right asleep. Around dinner time my mom came up and asked me if I wanted to come down, and I groggily said I was too tired.

So I woke up the next morning around 7:45. I was shocked that I had slept for so long, but I felt super refreshed when I woke up. My classes start at 8:30 so I started getting ready. I went downstairs and all the family was there watching TV, and the girls had some friends over as well (they're on summer vacation). BTW I met the daughters they are all very cute and sweet, I always did want little sisters (not that I don't love my brothers of course).  My mom got out some breakfast for me, and it was gnocchi, which I thought was kind of weird cause that is not really a breakfast food, but it was really good.

I grabbed my stuff, said "have a nice day!" to the family, and headed out to school.

The whole town was going absolutely crazy about France winning the match today, as I was walking to the train literally everyone was honking and yelling and hanging flags out their window. It was a party out there.

I made the 15 minute train ride to the university, and went to my classroom, but no one was there yet. I was a little early, so I figured it was probably just one of those kinds of days where no one gets to school on time.

So I sat and did some homework that I hadn't done due to the whole sleeping thing. After a few minutes this security guy comes in says "this place is closed, you can't be here!" and I was like "But why?" and he said "'Cause it's the rules, thats why!" Or something to that effect, he didn't speak English and my french vocabulary is smaller than would be ideal. So he then kicked me out pretty unceremoniously. At this point I'm thinking, ok, I must have missed the memo or something, class must be at a different place today. So I walked back over to the tram station and sent a text to one of the kids in my group, asking what the deal was with classes, wondering if they had changed the location or time.

Then, as I was sitting waiting for the train (even though I didn't know where to go), I noticed that the sky was getting darker.

I had full on gotten ready and gone to school at 8 o'clock at night.

There were so so many things that should have tipped me off, but I guess I'm tired enough that I just didn't even process anything. My host family acted all weirded out when I said "have a nice day; the security guard was telling me that the building closes at 20:30 and I just thought he was giving me irrelevant information; the dinner food for breakfast; the football match being over; I had even checked the weather app on my phone and it had clearly still said "Monday" on it.

So, an hour after I left I get back to my house and the only ones there are the oldest daughter and her friend, to whom I tell the story. They laughed. It is pretty freaking hilarious. Now I'm just sitting up in my bedroom in shame, and it's 11:30 (at night).


So. That's ridiculous story number one, I'm sure there will be more to follow. I'm going to go to bed (again) and hopefully I have as nice of a start to tomorrow as I had for it today.

STUDIES ABROAD PART 2: GRENOBLE, FRANCE

Well ladies and gentlemen, I am fortunate enough to have occasion to re-open this blog. I've just arrived in Grenoble, France for a 5 week study abroad. It's been a long journey, so I'm really tired and will keep this short.

The city is beautiful. It's basically a mini-Paris with the Wasatch front mountains wrapped around it. Except these mountains look more....French. I'll post some pictures.

Nothing too eventful on the way here, one of my connecting trains was running late so I missed the second connection, but I just had to wait an hour to catch the one after it.

So my host mom was on her way back from Turin and couldn't pick me up from the station, so she had her cute 70 year old friend, Nicole, come get me. She was such a nice lady. She took me to her apartment, and after I showered and got rid of that traveling stank she took me down to the little park behind her apartments where all of her neighbors were.

There were a couple of Italians there, and I spoke to them for a bit too. One of them asked me when I said I was from Salt Lake "Are you a Mormon??" I said "Yes, but I'm nice I promise!" They all laughed at that. He said he had worked with some Mormons, and actually had gone to israel on business with a couple of them. So there you go.

Side note- none of these people have spoken english at all. My french has improved like 5x in the past 6 hours I've been here, I'm pretty sure I'll be a freaking boss by the time I leave this place.

So then my host mama came and picked me up after a couple hours. Her name is Heléne, and she is also adorable. Just the nicest lady. Her daughters are on their way back from a weekend up in Paris visiting their dad, so I won't get to meet them until tomorrow. I have my own little loft room, and it's very cozy and comfy and just laying down on this bed is pretty blissful at this point.

Oh and there's Wi-Fi here so we're all going to be ok. Phew.

I'll post pictures and things later.