Paris: Day Three

Hello again!

So today was a very VERY relaxing day for my parents and I. My mom didn't even wake me up this morning (which is usually how the day goes). I woke up naturally at 11 a.m. and walked out of my room to find my dad still asleep in his room and my mom drinking coffee on the couch. I was all "hey" and she was like "hey" and I was like "... it's 11" and she was like "yeah... it is..." so apparently it wasn't some sort of mistake. We just decided to take it easy today. Its always nice to get a full night's sleep. So we had a big breakfast meal at like noon and then we headed off to the Louvre museum. I can't even begin to describe to you how big it is. Its like really freaking humungous. And it is soooo easy to get lost. Which we did. Many times. The sad part about it was that all of the exhibits were in French so we didn't really learn a whole bunch about what the museum had to offer. However we did get to see some beautiful exhibits that we were familiar with such as the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo.

   

The Mona Lisa is not as small as it looks. It was in a glass case and there was a huge crowd around it (which was to be expected since it is the museum's most popular exhibit) so sadly the picture did not turn out so well. I actually got to learn quite a bit about the Venus de Milo though which is the second picture if you are not familiar. My mom had a Paris guide book that talked about it and it said it is a Greek statue that was built to represent Aphrodite, the goddess of love. However the statue was not of one particular women but was made up of all of the qualities that embodied a perfect woman of their society. One interesting fact about this statue is that her dress size measures to be a size 14! Boy how times have changed. I wish beauty were still viewed in that aspect today and that people could just love their bodies and that a full body just represented the fact that you weren't starving. Oh well. 

Then we left the Louvre and got a snack in a local cafe and headed back to the flat. I took a nap. Officially 3 for 3 on taking a nap everyday on vacation so far. But surely its good to relax because this is the only break from school I get for the rest of the semester. Then we cleaned up and went to another Italian restaurant for dinner. I got the spaghetti. It was delicious as expected. I have noticed that the pasta here is so rich. It is definitely way better than anything I've ever had in the States. I hope to go to Italy someday and see if theirs is any better because this seems pretty hard to beat. 

Sadly, today's entry is just a short one since we spent most of the day relaxing. I've gotta head to bed now because tomorrow we are getting up early to go to the Palace of Versailles! How exciting!

Paris: Day Two

Whew! What a day today! My first full day in Paris was definitely action packed to say the least. I'll work chronologically to recount all of the details.

First off, I woke up at 5 a.m. because my sleep schedule is way out of whack. Some of my friends from home were still awake though because they are night owls however, so I gave them a call using the phone in our flat because it is free apparently! Imagine that! So after I talked to them for 20 minutes, I decided to work out. Then I showered and got ready for the day.

At 9:30, we headed out for Notre Dame. The architecture of that building is so exquisite, it was astounding. Well really, all of the Parisian architecture is breathtaking but this was just magnificent.

   

After touring the first level of Notre Dame, we stopped and had a snack in a little cafe across the street. I had my second helping of chocolate croissant that day. It boggles my mind how delicious those little pastries are. Then we wandered over to the Shakespeare and Company bookstore where I picked up a copy of Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. It seemed fitting considering it is about the French Revolution and well... we are in France... But its really the cutest bookstore I have ever been to in my life. There was even a sweet little kitty on the top floor. I bet he gets all the love.

 

Next we went back over to Notre Dame and climbed the 389 steps to the top of the tower where we got the most beautiful view of the city. 389 steps is way too many. I was pretty much dying by the time we got to the top considering I had already done squats and lunges earlier that morning. We also saw "The Bored Gargoyle" who is supposedly the most photographed gargoyle on Notre Dame. Its too bad it was foggy outside otherwise you would be able to see the Eiffel Tower in the background a little better. Its maybe sorta visible...

   

After Notre Dame, we made our way to another cafe and had some lunch. My mom and I shared a plate of lasagna that was quite tasty. My dad had a bowl of French onion soup that is even more delicious over here in its native land. However, that was to be expected of course. Once we finished lunch we went over to The Conciergerie which served as a prison during the French Revolution. We saw the cell of Marie Antoinette and we may have even run into a medieval knight...

 

Okay clearly the knight was me in a children's costume. These are the kinds of stupid things my parents and I do. I wouldn't have it any other way though. Next we made it over to Saint Chappelle which was really quite beautiful. Many stained glass windows and wooden figurines. By the time we finished there, our energy started running on fumes so we made our way back to the flat to hang out for the rest of the day. This evening for dinner we had some real French cuisine. I'm pretty sure my meal was the best out of everyone's. I started with some escargot in pesto sauce, followed by rack of lamb with potatoes, and finished up with nutella crepes! I was so thrilled when I saw this on the menu because nutella is pretty much the most delicious thing ever. However, the crepes still did not compare to the nutella waffle I had last summer in London. That was really the best ever. 

Well now we are back in our flat and it is about time for bed. I will be sure to write tomorrow about more of my adventures. 

Bonsoirre!

Paris: Day One

Bonjour!

Well it is officially spring break at University of Kentucky. This year I am spending it in the City of Love with my parents (aka Paris, France). Today is our first day and might I say, it has definitely been an exhausting one. Our flight left from Cincinnati at 5:30 p.m. and then we arrived in Paris at 8 a.m. local time. So our dilemma was if you don't sleep on the plane, you really don't get any sleep at all. Well we didn't sleep on the plane. Planes are just not very comfortable. So the flight was a solid 8 hours and then we had a nauseating taxi ride into the city for another 50 minutes. Then our flat wasn't ready for us yet so we waited with all of our luggage in a cafe nearby for an hourish. So putting all that on top of the lack of sleep, its safe to say we were pretty exhausted. After unpacking, my parents and I decided it was nap time. Although my nap was more of a slumber (6 hours...). My parents went exploring while I was asleep. I must have been very tired because I didn't hear them leave or come back. They woke me up when they returned though and I got ready for dinner and we headed out into the city. Our neighborhood is nice because there are a lot of shops and restaurants close by. The restaurant we decided on ended up being Italian, which is odd considering we're in France. You would think we would get French food at least the first night. Its kind of funny though because when we first got to London last summer, we walked around the neighborhood and settled on a French restaurant and now that we're here, we went to an Italian restaurant. We are the strangest people. The food was quite delicious though. I had French onion soup for an appetizer, fettuccine alfredo for a meal, and creme brulee for dessert. And of course champagne all throughout the meal. It is so fun being able to order alcohol. It makes me feel so grown up and sophisticated. So now that I am a little buzzed and very full from dinner, I feel it should be bedtime. We have a big day tomorrow; I just have two words for you: Notre Dame! So excited! I'll fill you in tomorrow about more of my adventures.

Much love,
Jordan

Quote of The Month: February Edition

Happy February 1st/Happy Friday/Happy 2-Hour Delay/Happy Day Before Groundhog's Day and My Great Grandma's 90-Somethingth Birthday!

I've decided to put my Pinterest obsession to a nice use. I'm always finding these great quotes and I would like to start a regular posting of them. I originally wanted to do either a daily or weekly quote but let's be honest, I'm a busy (lazy) person so realistically, I'm only going to have time (remember) to do this once a month. So at the start of each month, I'm going to copy my favorite quote of the time period to this blog! Here's this month's quote:

New Playlist

If you haven't figured it out from some of my previous posts, music is a pretty big deal in my life and I like to think that I have a pretty profound taste. Fortunate for you, I thought I would share a slice of my musical knowledge in case you were bored with the stuff you have right now and were looking for something new. Just made this playlist the other day.

1) The A Team - Ed Sheeran
2) Ain't No Rest for the Wicked - Cage the Elephant
3) All I Want To Do - Sugarland
4) Amsterdam - Imagine Dragons
5) Angel With a Shotgun - The Cab
6) Animal - The Cab
7) Another Me - The Cab
8) As Good As I once Was - Toby Keith
9) Autumn Leaves - Ed Sheeran
10) Back For You - One Direction
11) Bad - The Cab
12) The Bad Touch - Bloodhound Gang
13) Banana Pancakes - Jack Johnson
14) Beat the Devil's Tattoo - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
15) Beautiful Goodbye - Maroon 5
16) Beginner's Luck - Eels
17) Better Together - Jack Johnson
18) Big Night - Big Time Rush
19) Boondocks - Little Big Town
20) Bottle It Up - Sara Bareilles
21) Bye Bye Bye - 'N Sync
22) C'mon, C'mon - One Direction
23) Calm the Storm - Graffiti6
24) Can't Stand It - Never Shout Never
25) Change - Churchill
26) Change My Mind - One Direction
27) Chelsea Dagger - The Fratellis
28) The City - Ed Sheeran
29) Demolition Man - Rizzle Kicks
30) Did It Hurt? - Never Shout Never
31) Down With the Trumpets - Rizzle Kicks
32) Dreamers - Rizzle Kicks
33) Drunk - Ed Sheeran
34) Endlessly - The Cab
35) Even On a Rainy Day - Rizzle Kicks
36) Fallen - Imagine Dragons
37) Faster - Matt Nathanson
38) Feel Again - OneRepublic
39) First Dance - Never Shout Never
40) First Day of My Life - Bright Eyes
41) Fish - Craig Campbell
42) Free - Graffiti6
43) Girl On Fire - Alicia Keys
44) Give Me Love - Ed Sheeran
45) Give Me One Reason - Tracy Chapman
46) Gold Rush - Ed Sheeran
47) Goodbye Geoffrey Drake - Graffiti 6
48) Grade 8 - Ed Sheeran
49) Handlebars - Flobots
50) Harmony - Never Shout Never
51) Heart Attack - One Direction
52) Homeless - Ed Sheeran
53) Homewrecker - Rizzle Kicks
54) How Do You Like Me Now?! - Toby Keith
55) How You Love Me Now - Hey Monday
56) I Knew You Were Trouble - Taylor Swift
57) I Would - One Direction
58) I'd Rather Be With You - Joshua Radin
59) I'm Finding It Harder to Be a Gentleman - The White Stripes
60) I'm Not Over - Carolina Liar
61) Intergalactic - Beastie Boys
62) Intoxicated - The Cab
63) Jump On My Shoulders - AWOLNATION
64) Jump Right In - Zac Brown Band
65) Junk of the Heart - The Kooks
66) Kiss Me - Ed Sheeran
67) Kiss With a Fist - Florence + The Machine
68) Kiss You - One Direction
69) La La - The Cab
70) Learn My Lesson - Rizzle Kicks
71) Lego House - Ed Sheeran
72) Liar Liar - Never Shout Never
73) Little Bird - Ed Sheeran
74) Little Lady - Ed Sheeran
75) Little Things - One Direction
76) Losing It - Never Shout Never
77) Lousy Truth - Never Shout Never
78) Love You Like a Love Song - Selena Gomez & The Scene
79) Lovesick - Never Shout Never
80) Lovesick Fool - The Cab
81) Mama Do the Hump - Rizzle Kicks
82) Maybe - Ingrid Michaelson
83) Misery (Acoustic) - Maroon 5
84) Misguided Ghosts - Paramore
85) Miss Cigarette - Rizzle Kicks
86) The Motto - Drake
87) Never Change - Chase Coy
88) Never Look Back - Graffiti6
89) Lie to Me - Sara Bareilles
90) Living Louder - The Cab
91) Lonely Boy - The Black Keys
92) Loved You First - One Direction
93) New Shoes - Paolo Nutini
94) Nine In The Afternoon - Panic! At The Disco
95) Nobody Compares - One Direction
96) Over Again - One Direction
97) Picturesque - Chase Coy
98) Piggy Bank - Never Shout Never
99) Put Your Records On - Corinne Bailey Rae
100) Relax My Beloved - Alex Clare
101) Rock & Roll - Eric Hutchinson
102) Rock Me - One Direction
103) Round Up - Rizzle Kicks
104) Same Love - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
105) Saturday - Ed Sheeran
106) Save Me - Gotye
107) She Hates Me - Puddle of Mudd
108) She's Not Afraid - One Direction
109) The Shit Getz Old - Never Shout Never
110) Small Bump - Ed Sheeran
111) Soul Wars - AWOLNATION
112) State Into the Sun - Graffiti6
113) Steady As She Goes - The Raconteurs
114) Still the One - One Direction
115) Stone In My Heart - Graffiti6
116) Stop With the Chatter - Rizzle Kicks
117) Stubborn Love - The Lumineers
118) Stutter - Maroon 5
119) Summer Love - One Direction
120) Sunburn - Ed Sheeran
121) Sweet As Whole - Sara Bareilles
122) Sweet Perfection - Never Shout Never
123) Take a Walk - Passion Pit
124) Taylor - Jack Johnson
125) Teenagers - My Chemical Romance
126) Temporary Bliss - The Cab
127) Ten Thousand Hours - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
128) That Look You Give That Guy - Eels
129) They Don't Know About Us - One Direction
130) This - Ed Sheeran
131) Thnks Fr Th Mmrs - Fall Out Boy
132) Thrift Shop - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
133) Time Warp - The Rocky Horror Picture Show Original Cast This one is just for fun :)
134) Tongue Tied - Grouplove
135) Traveller's Chant - Rizzle Kicks
136) Trouble - Rizzle Kicks
137) U.N.I. - Ed Sheeran
138) Victory Lap - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
139) The Vowels, Pt. 2 - WHY?
140) Wake Me Up - Ed Sheeran
141) Wayfaring Stranger - Ed Sheeran (This is a free download if you sign up for the mailing list on Edsheeran.com)
142) We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together - Chase Coy (Also a free download if you go to the official music video that he posted on Youtube)
143) We Intertwined - The Hush Sound
144) Welcome to the Black Parade - My Chemical Romance
145) What Makes You Beautiful - One Direction
146) When a Heart Breaks - Ben Rector
147) When I Was a Youngster - Rizzle Kicks
148) White Walls - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
149) Windows Down - Big Time Rush
150) Wing$ - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
151) You Fckn Did It - Jason Mraz
152) You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us In Prison - My Chemical Romance
153) You Need Me, I Don't Need You - Ed Sheeran
154) You're a Fool - Cisco Adler
155) Your Biggest Fan - Never Shout Never
156) 6 Foot 7 Foot - Lil Wayne

So yeah. That's a lot of music. I apologize for the abundant amounts of One Direction, Ed Sheeran, Rizzle Kicks, Never Shout Never, and The Cab. I put their whole albums on this playlist. I can vouch for Ed Sheeran, Never Shout Never, and The Cab because I have almost all of their songs memorized. They are all spectacular. I recommend them all. However, I just recently got into Rizzle Kicks and One Direction. The really great songs I've found by Rizzle Kicks so far are "Traveller's Chant", "When I Was a Youngster", "Miss Cigarette", and "Mama Do The Hump" (which has a dance to it if you look up their music video on Youtube). Still figuring out One Direction as well but I haven't heard any bad songs by them so far.  Every other song was carefully selected in this playlist. I was trying to figure out what genre I consider this mix to be but it really has a bit of everything so I hope you can enjoy it because I think there is something for everyone in it. Happy listening.

Lifelong Goals

It is now one month into the new year and my birthday has officially passed. Sadly, I did not complete any more of the goals on my list of 19 Things To Do Before I Turn 19. I have decided that maybe it was a little unrealistic to complete that many things in only a year's time. So instead of creating a list of 20 Things To Do Before I Turn 20 (which by the way is a super scary thought. Only one teen birthday left. I don't want to grow up yet!!), I would create a list of things that I hope to do in my lifetime. Along with these goals, I will include a rating of how likely it is to happen.

1) Move to a big city. Top 6 cities in specific order include London, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington DC, Seattle. I know six is kind of a weird number but it felt wrong to leave any of these cities out. Likelihood (3.5/5)

2) Be bilingual. Already almost there with English and Spanish. We'll see if I can keep it up. Likelihood (4.5/5)

3) Be able to sight read piano. The sad thing is, I don't really know when I'm ever going to have time to practice this. Likelihood (3/5)

4) Learn to play guitar. I think guitars are beautiful. Same concerns as the piano goal. Likelihood (3.5/5)

5) Get a tattoo. Haven't really had any amazing ideas for this yet. I guess nothing has really impacted my life enough for me to get a tattoo about it so far. Still waiting. Likelihood (1.5/5)

6) Backpack across Europe. Don't know when this is going to happen or who with but I'm dying to see the world, especially Europe. I better invest in lots of safety devices though or I'll end up like that girl in Taken. Likelihood (3.5/5)

7) Adopt animals from the Humane Society. I am a huge animal lover. My life would be so different if I never had pets growing up. I'm a softy for softies. Likelihood (5/5)

8) Skydive. I am sooo afraid of heights. Like a lot. I would love to be able to conquer a fear someday. Likelihood (1/5)

9) Find a charity to support. I love helping people and giving back to the amazing world I live in. Likelihood (4.5/5)

10) Run a marathon. I already love running as it is. I have completed many 5Ks and one half marathon. Likelihood (3.5/5)

11) Become a vegetarian. Like I said, I am an animal lover. Eating meat makes me feel upset. I know many people argue that animals were put on the earth for eating but I can't help that it makes me sad and I believe everyone should be happy in their own life. Hopefully I will become less picky of an eater someday and be able to create a diet of non-meat items. Likelihood (3/5)

12) Learn to knit. I love sweaters. I love scarves. I love being crafty. I just need to get some free time to sit down and figure it out completely. Likelihood (4/5)

13) See Aurora Borealis. I think these natural lights are just beautiful and like to think the pictures I see don't do the real sight of them justice. Likelihood (2.5/5)

14) Learn to snow ski. I have ALWAYS wanted to do this. Still hasn't happened yet. I need to find an outdoorsy boy who has the patience to teach me such things. Likelihood (3.5/5)

These are the best things I could come up with as of right now. Of course I hope to do typical things like get married, have children, be debt free, and just overall live a happy life but I thought I would specify the goals that make me my own person. I'll keep you posted on their status.