la vie à paris: la fin

It's currently 5 AM in Paris. I am still not done packing and I leave for Spain this afternoon. Yes, my semester in Paris has officially come to a close. Heartbroken. Beyond.

Tonight, my ladies and I had a long last dinner at Sir Winston, the bar/restaurant that we stumbled upon our first weekend in Paris. Dinner was delicious. Dessert was even better.

{sir winston, first weekend in paris}

{sir winston, last night in paris}

Do we look different? Older? Wiser? French-er? Maybe a little jaded. Definitely a lot sad.

Paris has changed me, changed us, forever. In what ways, I won't know until I get home and can gauge it against my routine American life. But the "it" inside me has definitely transformed in the past four months and Paris will be in my thoughts everyday.

However, I have not left Paris yet.. still a few hours left and those damn birds out my window are still singing.

Paix, Amour et Néon,
Marisa

la vie à paris: et maintenant, je pleure

I leave Paris on Saturday. THIS Saturday. Can someone please find the time because I don't know where it went?!

I know that I haven't been giving a day-by-day run down of the last couple weeks, but for some reason I felt it better to just let the last moments blend together like a sweet Parisian milkshake, if that even makes sense.

But as usual, I have kept myself extremely busy, making sure to finish checking everything off my to-do list and getting presents for my bestest peoples.

{rowing at versailles}

I have re-visited Versailles to see the gardens in their spring splendor, visited the Rodin, Decorative Arts, and Jewish Art and History museums, FINALLY made it to the YSL exhibit-which was ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!, returned to the Mosquée de Paris with my friends, spent more time on the Seine, had amazing hot chocolate at Pain d'épices on Île Saint-Louis and spent time at my friend Marco's new apartment where we all hung out till way late last night playing drinking games and laughing our heads off.

{rodin's 'the thinker' + invalides}

I also had the opportunity to hang out with some old and new friends. I FINALLY met up with my friend and fellow former Teen Vogue intern Alex for a late afternoon drink at Le Poisson Rouge on Canal Saint Martin. She lives and works in Paris and we have been meaning to see each other since I arrived in January! It was so great to catch up on life and also get her opinions on all things French that confuse me to no end.

{out for berthillon ice cream sundaes with josselyne and michael}

I also spent some time with my new friends Josselyne and Michael. Okay, let's see if you can follow this: my best friend Alex- her mom and dad are friends with Josselyne from years back. Alex also interned for Josselyne's casting agency last summer. So Josselyne and her husband Michael have come to Paris on vacation basically every year for the past 10 years and they always like to meet friends of friends who are there when they are. So, voilà! Moi! Alex told Josselyne I am here and we made brunch plans for last weekend at Rose Bakery in the Marais (which was outstanding and a major recommendation!). After brunch last week, we also made dinner plans for later that night (at the famous Le Grand Colbert seen in the movie Something's Gotta Give) and then again for Tuesday night! They are the funniest, greatest people and I had the best time laughing with them and talking about how much we love Paris.

So that's what I've been up to, in case anyone was wondering.

Now, I've begun packing. And crying. I watched the last two episodes of Sex and the City entitled "American Girl in Paris: Parts 1 and 2." It was so funny to see her get so frustrated and lost in Paris, making the same complaints I made in the beginning: the language, the loneliness, the dog poop. It was also very cool to watch these episodes, which I have seen countless times already, and to recognize all the sites!! I kept thinking to myself, "I KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THAT IS!!" I also, obviously, picked up more recommendations of sights to see and places to eat, including the Cador Patisserie by the Louvre. You know this scene. It looks like this:



Hopefully I can squeeze this one in to this my LAST week in Paris. Uh oh, here come the waterworks again ;-(

Although, I shouldn't be crying just yet. I'm going to SPAIN on Saturday!! For TWO WEEKS!! WOOT WOOOOOOT!!!!!

I guess my last Paris post shall come at the end of the week when my final French presentation is complete and my bags are almost packed. Strange concept.

Paix, Amour et Néon,
Marisa