Maybe I should give a little update. I've had about two weeks of classes since my last blog and things are definitely picking up/looking better. I realized that each class is worth more; therefore, I don't have to take as many classes as I had originally anticipated. In fact, I'm only taking 4 classes that will meet my major requirements back at UCI. My comprehension is getting better everyday; however, I've realized that I need to be more proactive in my communication (speaking in French, making French friends, speaking up in class, asking questions, etc.) because although my French is improving, it can improve faster and better if I just take the essential steps :-)
Life in Lyon is really feeling normal and home-like. I go grocery shopping, I wind down after class, make dinner with friends, pack lunch, etc. I feel comfortable here and I'm loving every part of it. There are still some essential things on my to-do list; some of them include going to the open-air market along the river on Sunday morning, exploring the area immediately surrounding my apartment, venturing out to different pockets of town, discovering the music scene and so on and so on. Doesn't that sound fun? I like when I have fun things on my to-do list. The not-so-fun things include reading, studying, touching up on French, reading some more, organizing notes. Needless to say, I'm not as eager to get to those items on my agenda :-P
Here in Lyon, there is a creative arts festival called the Biennale. It showcases hundreds of artists and a lot of times, students get to see these works for free. The festival lasts until January so I have plenty of time to explore it. But a few weeks ago, my friend Emily and I went to the Musée d'art contemporain (the contemporary art museum) and it was a lot of fun! There were 3 floors and the art was really cool...very interactive. In fact, it reminded me of the MOMA in San Francisco. Anyway, here are a few pictures of the museum...
I know these pictures may not do much for those of you who have never been but it really was a fun museum to check out and it was even better that students were free :-) I plan on going to a lot more in the coming weeks. All of my classes are in the evening so I have the entire day to go to museums, run errands, etc. Lyon is a creative city with a lot of culture and just thinking about all the things I need to do before my 2 1/2 months here come to an end exhausts me! I'll try my best though.
As for more exciting news, this upcoming weekend, I'm going to Paris with my friend Jessica to see Phoenix in concert. It's going to be tons of fun- great music and another weekend in the city of lights. Then, the following week, I'm off to Prague and Budapest for my week-long vacation. I guarantee you that there will be a lot of things to blog about and tons of pictures to post.
In November, I have lots of people visiting and lots of birthdays to celebrate (including mine!). Mark is coming to visit during my birthday and my friend Emily is coming to visit the week after. I'll be going to Dublin to visit my old roommate Claire and to London with Emily. Then, 3 of my friends have birthdays in November; not to mention that my 21st birthday is on the 14th :-)
Needless to say, time is flying and I don't have a lot of free weekends left. I need to use every minute I have exploring this beautiful city I can call "home."
Until next time, ciao & bisou <3
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