Well Sunday has finally arrived and it's time to head back to Metz (my home away from home). I can truly say that these past four days have been the most exciting days I've had since I've been in France. We were a little exhausted at the end of the day, but we practically got to see everything that we wanted to.
We saw all the major landmarks (Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, Notre Dame, La Seine River, Moulin Rouge, Sacre Coeur, and The Louvre Museum and its big triangle. We saw everything (for the most part). And I was able to check basically everything off my Paris Bucket list, which is even better! I took pictures of famous fashion brands (Louis Vuitton), visited all the major landmarks, ate many delicious and affordable French cuisines, and took many pictures of my "punished" plates. I tried my best to capture glimpses of French fashion and culture. It was great.
I had pink wine twice (I like it; I didn't drink more than two glasses but that's alright with me). I ate Hagen Daz. They seem to have a lot of shops near the Sacre Coeur. And to top all this, Anthony was such a great host! I know he was tired at times or didn't have as much money (running low on cash; poor baby has been here a whole month and hasn't laid hands on his check from his internship - come on; help a brother out (Black Power!!!)), but he gave me and Zaide so much. He let us stay with him in his dorm, he lent us his metro pass so we could explore Paris while he was in lab (I think I perfected my technique to cheat the system), he took us to all these really cool places and really nice (and cheap) restaurants. Everything was just great!
Before I left, I wrote him a little thank you note to show my appreciation. I thought about writing it on behalf of me and Zaide, but I don't want to speak for her or force her to do perform any gesture that she doesn't want to do. I suggested the idea to her though. And besides, I'm a little selfish (lol). I slipped him a little €20 to help him out a little. I knew he wouldn't take it if I gave it to him directly. The secret note adds a little bit more of an interesting twist to the story anyway (:).
All in all, I just give all praises to God for allowing me to see everything I did, for being able (physically, mentally, and emotionally) to experience all that I did, and for being merciful by protecting us all while we were all so far away from home. I cannot give the credit to anyone else but Him. Well this has been great. I feel refreshed and restored. This trip was just what I needed. I've got one more month to go. I've got to work hard at GTL this last month, get published, get that recommendation letter, and start showing up earlier (i.e. by 9:30AM). It's never too late to change. Change is inevitable.
