We'll Always Have Paris

"There is never any ending to Paris and the memory of each person who has lived in it differs from that of any other.  We always returned to it no matter who we were or how it was changed or with what difficulties, or ease, it could be reached.  Paris was always worth it and you received return for whatever you bought to it.  But this is how Paris was in the early days when we were very poor and very happy." -Ernest Hemingway

We are leaving Paris tomorrow, and the feeling is bittersweet.  Not the bittersweet like the cappuccino I just had at Le Loir dans la Thiere with a slice of dark chocolate cake, but the kind that makes you feel sentimental.  Bitter in that it will be hard to leave the city that has left such an incredible first impression on me, but sweet in knowing that, as the staff as the center said, "you'll be back someday."  And bitter in that we are leaving the Paris BIA Center staff who have done everything to treat us like family, but sweet in that we are sure to have just as amazing an experience in Rome and Madrid.  We all knew it was coming, it just happened to hit us so soon.

There are not enough good words to say about my experience in Paris.  While it started off a little rougher than expected (cue luggage story...again), it quickly transitioned into two of the most memorable weeks of my life and strong beginning to my academic studies here.  I owe my sincerest gratitude to everyone at the BIA Center for helping make Paris a home for each of us in the program.  The teachers were stellar, with proven knowledge that made learning the material an enriching experience.  The staff and directors-who outnumbered us 8 to 3-helped us adjust quickly and assisted us with pretty much everything, from making sure I got my luggage back to helping a classmate of mine change apartments when something went wrong.  And all the love to Laurie, the sweetest Student Activities Assistant, who we all wish we could take to Rome.  Without her, I may not have found my favorite neighborhood here or been able to understand the significance of Chateau Versailles.  We've all been told to call her the minute we arrive for our next visit to Paris, and I know that I certainly will.

"You get a strange feeling when you're about to leave a place, like you'll not only miss the people you love but you'll miss the person you are now at this time and this place, because you'll never be this way again."

Enough of the sentimental stuff now.  I have spent the last of my days here feeling like a true Parisian.  Last night I made the spur of the moment decision to go watch the Eiffel Tower at sunset.  I sat in the park behind the tower for almost two hours, watching the sun go down and then seeing the building light up at the strike of dusk.  Definitely something worth doing when you visit Paris.  Today I woke up earlier than usual to go to the patisserie on my street to pick up a croissant and pain au chocolat, breakfast for today and tomorrow.  All I have to say is American Starbucks better raise their breakfast game, because the croissants here have been nothing short of authentic.  After breakfast, I walked with my classmates to the BIA Center where we had the last of our classes, followed by almost an hour of goodbyes with everyone and information about our trip tomorrow to Rome.  My classmates and I went to our favorite sandwich place for lunch before going our separate ways to take in the city on our last day here.  I chose to visit Le Marais again, this time actually being able to visit both the Victor Hugo House and Picasso Museum.  I am incredibly thankful to have been an art history student with IES because my student ID card let me in FREE to both museums.  I then decided to wander around the area, getting lost in the narrow streets and shops, before going to Le Loir dans la Theiere (think Pasion del Cielo only with cake and real food...new favorite restaurant on planet earth) for a cappuccino and slice of cake.  This place came heavily recommended to me by both Laurie and one of our teachers, and I must agree.  It is a hidden gem in the Marais, tucked away from the major tourist areas.  Now, I am sitting at my desk wondering where the time went and concurrently avoiding the rest of my packing...I mean, it's pretty much done.  Pretty much.  Well, we're going out to dinner tonight and seeing the Eiffel Tower again so I should probably get that done soon.

Paris has been nothing short of a dream come true.  Nothing like I expected, but everything I could have hoped for and more.  At the center today, the director Nathalie told us that when people leave Paris, they get nervous that they will won't be able to come back or remember what makes it so special.  She said that we have nothing to worry about, because Paris has become a part of us and we will always have a place in this special city.  And to return to the BIA Center, because who could ever forget the three girls who pioneered the Museums and Beyond program?

I pack my bags for Rome with so many precious memories behind me but excited for a new incredible adventure ahead.  To sum it up with another quote by Ernest Hemingway, "if you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young [woman], then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast."

So merci beaucoup and au revoir to the city of love and light and ciao to the land of piazzas, pizzas, and pasta!  See you tomorrow in Roma.