Day 50 (technically): Americans in Paris

Listening to: "Let It Go" from Frozen, sung by Idina Menzel

You know, I've got to stop acting like Eeyore. Tigger was my favorite character. And I bought this mug to remind me of this pithy phrase:

I apologize specifically to my mother for my wild hair. I don't have time to brush my hair. I've got much more important things to do.

By the way, before I continue:

I honestly have to go back and show you guys the Ella Fitzgerald tram stop as well. So yeah. Roosevelt has his own Metro stop in Paris, which he doesn't even have in DC. You know, the place he actually lived.

Ulysses in hand, I headed back to AUP's campus to meet with Jamie and her friend from the Catholic University in America in Washington, DC. Her name is Loren. I guess all of our acquaintances form from one of those six-degrees-of-separation situations, but I'm glad I met her. She is interning at Parliament this semester. See? Americans are accepted in Great Britain. (Well, England. I can't speak for the rest of Great Britain.)

We had a belated birthday dinner for me. 

Loren (left) and Jamie (right)

The wine was a delicious rosé. I tried to sound fancy by describing it as "crisp." It was much better than most wine I've had--and that's just because it was sweet. Strangely, I have a propensity for salty, savory foods (according to my favorite foods and my genes, I discovered), but I really prefer sweet alcohol. I guess I need to develop more of a taste for wine. Then maybe I can fulfill one of my lesser dreams of owning a wildly successful vineyard, à la Dennis Quaid in The Parent Trap.

Funnily enough, the hostess gave me a French menu, while she gave Jamie and Loren two English menus. They kept expressing their gratitude that the menu was in English, and I tried holding my told for as long as possible. But really, I was thinking, "This is definitely not in English." I guess I've passed the French test. Whoopee.

After settling the bill in a much more mature way than my first night, we walked down to the Champs de Mars. The Eiffel Tower sparkles on the hour, every hour, at night, and midnight was approaching. We took a picture for some friends, and they returned the favor. Another group asked us when the Eiffel Tower closed its observation deck; I tried to sound all cultured with my, "Oh, it closed at 11:30 pm. Maybe you should try going tomorrow at 10 or 11 am." I've almost convinced myself that I'm not an expat.

The oh-next-time-you-can-zoom-in-and-use-the-flash photo.

Nous sommes très mignonnes. ;)

But, to accentuate our own good looks, we took some individual photos:

Jamie

Me

Loren

I got my best shots of the Eiffel Tower tonight, given that we were directly in front of it.

Oh, and I have to show the swag (yes, I did say that, but I totally can because good ole Shakespeare himself coined the word) that Jamie got me for my birthday!

Ooo, pretty. Merci beaucoup, ma colocataire.

Oh, and I guess I should share the pictures from my party. We did get another cousin photo--though Joe was gone again. Oh, Joe.

Here are me and Brian, the two birthday brats. I share a birthday with Ron Howard, and Brian shares a birthday with Dr. Seuss. 

 You can't really tell, but the calendar that's next to me that my cousin Chloe is holding has Joe's pictures on it. (Yes, we make family calendars. We also plan to make family T-shirts if we ever do a group trip to Disney.)

I got several great presents--they were all fantastic, actually--but this bottle of Moscato from my Uncle Stu and Auntie Laura (and I guess the underage girls?) is so cute. I had to bring it with me. Problem is, I don't want to drink it!

Well, I've survived a week as a 21-year-old. When I'm really feeling blue, I just have to think of Benedict Cumberbatch's line from The Imitation Game: "Sometimes it's people that nobody thinks anything of that end up doing what nobody could think of." Yeah, I know, I'm not Alan Turing, but I wish I could reach through time and hug him.

Luckily, I have my friends and family. :)

Oh, last thoughts:

LOL

LMAO

Okay, admittedly, I appeared in one of their selfie stick photos. It is a clever invention. And useful at midnight when there actually aren't many people around. But I still have to show you guys and make fun of Jamie for buying one. :D

Don't worry, Jamie, I'm sure my mother will come to your defense. :)

I told her that as long as she doesn't wield it as a weapon we should be safe.

Bonne soirée!