Closure

So I have gone to my blog page a number of times to see who on my blog lists has updated their blogs and check them out. Every time I see my page I feel a nagging telling me that I need to finish up with Paris! I need a little closure here! Just one more blog update and I'll be done. So here it is!

For our last FHE, Professor Patterson arranged for us to go on a dinner cruise on the Seine! It was beautiful weather, and after absolutely SPRINTING from the metro to the dock in our Sunday shoes because we thought that the boat was going to leave us, we thankfully made it on time. Of course, everyone wondered why we were running, because we actually had a good 20 minutes more before the boat left. I blame Karin. Of course we took about a million groups pictures too because a lot of us said our goodbyes after the boat ride.
After the boat ride, a group of us went to the Eiffel Tower for the last time. It was, as always, SO beautiful! I was so sad to say good bye to it! We took a carousel ride underneath the tower, and it was so much fun! It has been too long since I rode on one of those.


Karin and I spent our last day at Versailles, which we had not yet seen the inside of! It was gorgeous! And thank goodness we got their early enough, because we went straight through. When we came out about an hour later, the lines were winding around the WHOLE front courtyard of Versailles, which is HUGE!! We rode the bus back into Paris, then stopped at Laduree for the very last time! The macarons were just beautiful and delicious as ever. Right after this pictures, we ran into my friends Val and Jen and Jen's mom from Salt Lake. It's a crazy small world! I really ran into probably 5 or so people unexpectedly that I did not know would be in Paris!Then we had our last dinner with our host families! Tear... :( That is Madame Devarenne, me, Monsieur Devarenne, and their daughter Aude. We had sushi for dinner. Very french, n'est pas?And now...I am home! Can you believe it? I've been home for almost a month. I'm having Paris withdrawals, but it is good to be back home! I also miss the pastries, and Karin, and everyone in our group. What an amazing experience though! There is nothing I would change about this trip. It was a huge blessing to be able to study and spend so much time soaking in the culture in France. I'm definitely a lucky girl and I'm so grateful to my parents for all they did to help me get there, and for the Pattersons for helping me get home safely, and for Karin for being such a good friend to me and helping me have the best experience there. Vive la France!