After full week of school, an exhausting (yet wonderful) overnight trip to Normandy on Thursday, and a weekend with quite the agenda, I decided to take a break from blogging for the last few days to just soak it all in.
Orientation is over, and I have survived my first month living in Paris. I can’t believe how quickly an entire month has gone by, and I still feel as though I haven’t made a dent. Only this past Wednesday, after living here for over three weeks, did I finally find myself at the foot of the Eiffel Tower for the first time.
I can’t believe all I’ve learned this past month – adapting to a new culture, a new language and a new way of life has been intriguing, exhilarating…and exhausting. Despite the bouts of occasional frustration and homesickness, I love Paris and am so thankful for my time here.
My yoga practice has dwindled and my diet has changed drastically since I’ve been here – two things that evoke some major fear for me. I’m trying to be gentle with myself, to accept the ups and downs as a part of the experience. I constantly forget that I’m just a 21 year old college-student, and the fact that I don’t have everything figured out yet is a-okay, in fact, more than normal, although my Type-A personality tries to convince me otherwise. I’m taking it day-by-day, just soaking in every minute I have in La Ville Lumière.
The end of my first month in Paris also coincides with another first – The First Anniversary of The Hungry Yogini! That’s right, I’ve been rambling on and on about food, yoga and my latest adventure in Paris for a whole year. The blog started as more of a “healthy food and lifestyle blog” but has clearly evolved into more of a “my life in food” kind of deal. I’m so excited to be sharing my adventures in Paris with you, and for all the adventures that will follow after my time here.
Thanks for reading, and for all the support you have given me in the past year. Here’s to what’s on the horizon!
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.– Excerpt from Desiderata by Max Ehrmann
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Beautiful!!
xo
K
Congratulations on your year, and month! Enjoy the adventure!! :)
What gorgeous Paris pictures yogini! :) Kinda funny that it took so long to get to the Eiffel tower, but I guess there’s just so so much to see in the city. I love that you talked about how you’re feeling with a different diet and physical practice when traveling. This is something that gave me so much anxiety for too long about being away from home. Anyway, it’s very cool that you went and are enjoying it despite those fears! Bon courage!
Happy first anniversary to the Hungry Yogini! I love your posts from Paris, and I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself and the whole experience :)
Congrats on both exciting anniversaries! :) Enjoy the rest of your beautiful stay!
congrats on the anniversary! i always have to remind myself that i’m only a twenty year old college student as well, and i need to live life to the fullest and not fret over every little thing (type-a over here, too). it’s a slow process, but the happiness trail is one i’d like to stay on for the rest of my life, you know? i’m glad you’re figuring it all out as you go, that’s what this time of our lives is for. enjoy Paris – i’m envious every time you post!
How are you like the most inspirational 21-year-old college student that I (don’t) know. You’re incredible, Courtney, and this blog is just a testimony and documentary of that! You’ve got a great attitude to be embracing all these lifestyle changes that are happening while you immerse yourself in an entirely different culture. It’s the way to do it, girl. Good on ya. Lastly, I really like the closing quote. It’s absolutely beautiful.
Peace and lots of love,
:) Aletheia
What a fabulous day to celebrate! I hope you will continue to take advantage of all your experiences overseas as much as you can and put worrying (about yoga & your ‘diet’) on the back burner. Soak it up, girlie…and congrats! =]
That excerpt is beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. And so are your photographs! Congratulations on a year of blogging and a month in another country.
Wow…amazing! Congratulations on everything. You are wise beyond your years.
roll with the changes and seize the adventures! u are right–u are 21 and should just let go and live it up. This is something I think a lot of us need to do more often!
xoxo
lolo
happy bloggerversary :)
Not sure if you’ll be there in May, but this was my favorite experience outside of Paris. Just magical. http://www.vaux-le-vicomte.com/en/visite_actualites_events_details.php?id=60
Congrats Courtney! Your blog is a constantly evolving, beautiful thing, just like yourself! My mom always told me adaptation is a sign of intelligence. Being able to change your lifestyle and adapt to a new culture and way of life is extremely challenging, but you’re doing a fantastic job. Keep walking and enjoying the tastes of Paris for me. x
It was been a joy to watch you evolve from a “rose bud” to one that has blossomed! You are inspiring in so many ways! I cannot believe you are only “21″….so wise and so worldly! Keep it coming!
Your quote was so apropo’! As always thank you for sharing yourself with us!
congrats on the anniversary! that’s such a great accomplishment :) i wouldn’t worry about the yoga thing…from what i hear there are TONS of yoga studios in Paris, and once you settle in a little more i bet you’ll start practicing again :)
Normandy is gorgeous…these pictures are breathtaking!
Congratulations on the maturity to realize you don’t need to have everything figured out at 21. I certainly didn’t, and still don’t at almost-27! So DEFINITELY give yourself a break. That’s something I’m still working on myself. Above all, that’s what your time in Paris is for–to learn a million things you didn’t know and challenge the things you did think you knew!
Thanks for all the pictures–I am living vicariously, hoping to go there with my boyfriend one day. How romantic!
Beautiful world indeed–and Normandy is breathtaking, n’est pas?
Congrats on your one year anniversary, could you have imagined a year ago, that you would be LIVING in Paris for a semester! Seems so unreal all that can happen over just 12 months :)
Beautiful pictures, as usual!
And life is full of twists and turns. As much as we want to plan for them, the best thing to do is really embrace them. It seems like you’re doing a great job with that.
Congratulations!!!
AAAH! Did you go to Mont St. Michel?! That is my ultimate wanderlust dream.
Congrats on your 1 year! Keep on keeping on, it’s satisfying my parisian dreams! :) Love the poem. Especially useful for a college girl dealing with eating college foods :)
Mackenzie,
Good eye! Yes, we did go to Mont St. Michel! It’s beautiful there.
I happened across your blog on Facebook, and was so enthralled with your pics & storytelling that I went back and read your Parisian adventure from the beginning! I look forward to experiencing Paris vicariously with you. :-)
I also think it’s quite ironic that I am also a Floridian/UF alum…I was lucky enough to travel with my job, and remember my first experience of Europe: amazing! It’s great to re-live that feeling through your observations. I have a whole diary/photo section called “noticings” — little things about everyday life another culture (like that accordion busker on the train) that struck me as interesting. You are very wise to document this!
I especially wanted to post here, because you were talking about worrying over your future. Consider this a message from the future:
(1) Yes, be gentle with yourself — because you’ll NEVER have it all figured out. I received my engineering degree from UF, went straightaway into an engineering job, and then…12 years later…started my own company as a professional organizer! There was *no* way I could’ve seen that coming at 21. And believe me, I could give you a run for the money when it comes to Type-A. heehee! You are so right to be doing what you’re doing, which leads me to…
(2) You are *very* wise choice to do an exchange program. If I knew then what I know now, I would go back and do several international study programs. College is the perfect time to do it because (a) living on a shoestring budget is much easier/normal while you’re in college than later after you get used to a paycheck/business travel perks, (b) it’s one of the few times in life where taking months to learn about another culture just for the sake of doing it is totally okay, and (c) there are lots of other same-aged folks doing the same thing! Enjoy those European men, but keep your wits about you — they fully know the impact their accent has on American women. ;-)
(3) Getting frustrated with the language interchange is *totally normal* — after weeks on the road working in foreign countries, I got to the place where I’d actually plan for a “down day” where I didn’t have to do much verbal communication. I love your idea of doing yoga on a down day…universal language, indeed! I’m totally stealing that idea.
Happy travels!