konza praire

konza praire
Originally uploaded by villagirl.

we went hiking to konza praire this afternoon from 3-5pm. mostly no tree shade, but this bridge was really bouncy!!!

Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest
Originally uploaded by OfficeGeek.

This is what the time is all about!!- good beer...

Perfect Practice Makes Perfect

Just My Piano
Originally uploaded by Vernon Dali.

So today after our great sneak last night, we headed back to Manhattan. Ate lunch at Panera Bread Co. and set down to studying in the dining room next to Olson. Then Olson, Kayla and I headed to Target and back to studying some more. Around 9:30pm Kelly and I went to wash my car and play tennis at the Rec. Weather was excellent and when we were leaving I saw Jared with Tracey and Meghan on a different court. Then I tried to teach Olson how to drive a 5 speed. We came back and played Heart and Soul on the piano in the formal room. We had a good day together and now it is winding down. But it was a good fall break:
Friday- Oktoberfest with Sherri and Grandpa, then went to the Cabaret play at FHSU. Saturday- went to the parade and watched Fiddler on the Roof and hit up Bingo after Church. Sunday- drove back to Manhattan and the Juniors went on their sneak!!

Tennis

New Balls
Originally uploaded by wintermute23.

So today I decided to try something new at the Rec and I played tennis. They have a few half courts so that people can play on their own and practice. It was a little cloudy and just perfect weather to be out there. I plan on doing this more often. Especially because I was able to sign out a racket and tennis balls, so I won't have to get my own. I have also made plans to start playing racket ball with Alisha and Emily!

Wine!!!

DSC02888
Originally uploaded by ryanod.

Just to give you a visual to go with our wine tasting!!!

Topeka!

So, Saturday morning Jessica, Alisha, Jill and I went to Topeka to do some shopping!!! I think you could say we all spent our money well. I know that I am excited about the new jacket I bought and a cute top to wear out for salsa dancing! Alisha purchased some new jewelry and some jeans. Jill also got some jeans and some candles at Yankee Candle Co. Jess got a new air freshner from Bath & Body and some tops. We headed back towards Manhattan and as we were discussing having a wine tasting for our Alumni event, we saw a sign for free wine tasting- next exit. So, of course we had to pull off and try some. We got carded so I tried the great fudge samples instead...and everyone else bought a bottle. Jill read us the very detailed brochure about Elderberries and how they are apparently a cure for almost anything- ranging from colds, asthma, to cancer. Good to know that the word is getting spread throughout Kansas! Also discouvered that there are 12 wineries in Kansas. Later in the evening Alisha, Jill and I indulged ourselves in a glass of wine, a movie and random points of interest on the web!

thoughts

coming back to a place that seems sowonderful in your head while you are gone is hard to love when you getback and see how wasteful it can be...but then there are the moments when you are walking home from school in the evening and campus is quiet and the sky is so blue with the clouds(i forget what their named) rolling by and it makes you content to be right where you are. Or going with friends to Chipotle or picture taking, and especially salsa dancing because we know that we really aren't that great but we sure do have a great time pretending for the evening that we are in latin america! Then there are the struggles of trying to find an internship for next summer...and how there are so many steps to take for applying. I hope to work at a French consulate or embassy or maybe in DC for a section of the government. We will see....

a good day

I find it hard to believe it has been 4 years since the attacks on the world trade center...but everyone just goes about their business. At 4 pm Jared and I had our first soccer practice with the first and second graders we are coaching. It is going to be a good season!
Then at 7:30pm I went to the film "Hotel Rwanda" on the grass outside of Hale Library at KSU. Very moving film about the genocide that took place there 11 years ago.

in seaton hall

in seaton hall
Originally uploaded by villagirl.

one of my favorite buildings at ksu. this is the architecture building...i may have missed my calling, but i enjoy majoring in polsc. with a secondary major in international studies!!

anderson hall

anderson hall
Originally uploaded by villagirl.

today kayla and i studied on the front porch all afternoon and then went to hale library to print copies for her class. we had a half hour to spare until we picked olson up from work, so we walked around campus and took pictures!!

pj's

The first Thursday of school this year Jared and his roommates had a keg for Dustin's sister's roommates birthday...and I was invited! We drank and had a BBQ and Christy came over...and then we decided to make a sign that reads: you honk, we drink. Headed to Aggieville around 10:30 and went to PJ's and danced salsa the rest of the night, until around 1:30am. It was a complete blast and one of the bar tenders- Molly, went to Guatemala with Jared this summer, so we got to hear stories from that!

st. louis

i just have to say how great it is to be back home in st. louis. here's to driving around for an a hour in my car listening to jack johnson, working at whitmoor, hanging out with awesome friends, poking fun at british accents, talking to friends in london who i met in rome and laying out in my yard to get as tan as possible! cheers

back in the states

monday morning i awoke at 4:30am(france time) and some how carried my heavy bags to the airport...checked them and sat to wait for boarding. just as when i had arrived, it was raining as i boarded the tiny plane, which i believe held around 20 people. i guess i take the sunshine with me! arrived in munich safely and had no problem getting to next gate(H 02). After seating myself in 39G I met a german boy named Franz, whose first time it was to America. he was overly giddy, like a kid trying to hold in a secret! we talked most of the trip, which is good because it kept me from feeling sad from realizing i may never see some of the best people i have ever met...we arrived in chicago, after filling out our forms for customs, at around 1:30pm(chicago time). after going through customs for 2 hours, collecting my bags, so that i could recheck them with united airlines, i finally sat down for another 2 hours of waiting to board. an american man sitting next to me accidently leaned over to look at something outside the window, turns and apologizes for hitting my personal bubble. i tell him after living in europe, there is no bubble, and we both have a good laugh! i adjust the cubs cap i just bought and think, maybe being back in the usa isn't going to be that hard getting used to after all!
we board and spend another hour waiting for clearance. i luckily am sitting next to a german man named lutz, who speaks superb english and we have in depth discussions on language and enjoy laughing at our flight attendant who is all over the place! 2 hours later, i arrive home and mom and head for a dinner at olive garden, with me driving!!!!
next day, i get up early and head to the golf course, and find that i still have a job! and there are 7 girls now working down in the bag room. john says i can start friday at 6:30am...so i am thuroughly excited!! then grandma and grandpa show up! we hang out all day and later with mom go check out aunt gi's amazing embassy hotel she designed. talked to my friend sar from australia for an hour tonight, he is doing well, but we are both a little bummed not to have gotten to see eachother a second time in europe.
today, is a day to relax, soak up some sun, clean clothes, and my room. as i add to this blog i am enjoying listening to dispatch play, 4 months without it and it is still as good as ever!

no screens

so, i decide to read a little bit before class today and since the weather is immaculate, i thought i would open the window. but, being as there are no screens on the windows here, a massive bee flew in and started buzzing around me. then my landlady monique and vivienne the cea director arrive for the end of term inspection of my appartment. they laugh at me and say- c'est natural gail! i prefer my non human neighbors to stay out in the garden where they are intended to be. but i guess i am one of few who dislikes getting stung! tres bizarre.

queen of the castle

P5100298
Originally uploaded by villagirl.

ok, not really, but being up there sure felt like i could be in control! unfortunately, this family with 2 little boys saw me sitting up there and wanted up also, and there is a 3 story drop to the courtyard below. we couldn't exactly find a room that looked like in the movie count of monte cristo, but it was a beautiful day and we had fun trumping around. we had brought along the white wine we had bought ate the cassis vineyard a week and a half ago, so we settled down and drank through that! back in marseille we shopped a little and i successfully returned some sandals that i had purchased last visit(with a little help from elena-thanks girl!).

farewell dinner

P5090274
Originally uploaded by villagirl.

monday evening we had our farewell dinner instead of our usual happy hour. It was in this cafe down a pedestrian street and from first inspection looked like it would seat 12 people comfortably. But don't judge the book by its cover! there were actually two floors beneath this and it was spacious and very chic. mirrors and statues of cherubs everywhere! i decided to dress up for the occasion, since i have been slacking a good portion of the semester due to the cold and wind. alhtough in the photo you can't tell since we are all sitting. from left to right: me, diane, liz and lauren.
dinner started at 8pm and we had goat cheese toast with salad! then the wine came and we drank to goodbyes and diane's birthday the day before. there was a choice between salmon and beef, and i of course chose beef all the way. dessert was a little tricky since we had 3 options. so, we decided to each order different ones and split. strawberries and cream, tiramishu and chocolate brownie with custard sauce. needless to say, it was a fabulous dinner, just sad it had to end. went to O'Sullivans bar after this for one drink and then to jess and elena's since it is of course monday evening!

contemplations

well, it has occured to me that i do not have class until thursday and i should take advantage of this situation...so tomorrow i am going to try to go to chateau d'if with elena and jessica. then i will attempt to get myself out of bed early enough on wednesday to catch the tgv to paris. i really would like to go see the musee d'orsay since i have missed it every time i visited paris. so i guess we will see!

sundays in aix

so, sundays just may be my favorite day in aix because the town feels as though it is recooperating from saturday with the markets and all the tourists raiding every shop and windy street. today lauren and i walked around and sat at a cafe to soak up the sun. i leave in 8 days and she leaves in 6 to start her internship in the camargue- an national park that we visited about an hour west of aix. then we decided to buy some wine and get a tarte since this will be our last dinner together. we, along with erin, have been eating dinner together ever sunday evening all semester. chao...!

burnt!

So, life is all together good right now. True, I have a cinema test in less than 20 minutes, but I am feeling confident about it. Besides this fact, I have acquired some french substitute of Aloe Vera(they don't import it) and my skin is doing well. Although i see signs of peeling, but as long as I get some degree of a tan, I am ok with this result! On a different note, I just may have found someone to split my hotel room with me for my 2 last days in France, so I will not be alone! And I have a class picnic tomorrow in Marseilles at the beach. Eileigh and I are probably going to shop til we drop afterwards! I mean, we only have 2 weeks left to stock up on good clothing before it is back to dressing like everyone else in the states. I for one want to go out on a bang!

Cassis

P5010246
Originally uploaded by villagirl.

After Vivienne informed us Saturday that May 1st is a national holiday and nothing is open, including buses, Jessica, Elena and I weren't sure we'd make it to the beach. So we checked online and discovered the trains would still be working! Woke up and we made it to Cassis by noon. The town is beautiful and bustling and everywhere people are selling lilies, because to give someone this flower on May 1st, is very special. We headed to the beach and quickly discovered that it is a topless one. We stayed until 4pm, at which time I realized that I was extrodinarily burnt-opps! So we got a gelatti on our way out of town and made our way back to Aix. While switching trains in Marseilles, we had to wait 2 hours, because there were children playing on the tracks. But I eventually made it home and had spaghetti with Erin for dinner!
Today I had to hit the pharmacie for a french likeness of Aloe Vera. But the lady chastised me for not also buying sunscreen( I figure I can head to the grocery store and buy it for half the price). Pharmacies are so expensive here. But the pain is worth the tan that will come later!!