Right now I am sitting at a small table right on the Paris canal in France and I can't think of any other place in the world I would rather be today. In fact, (sorry to all of you who don't want to read this) but Paris has been added to the top of my list of places I will live in my lifetime! I remember the happy feeling I had last time I visited here three years ago, and the second I got off the train today and stepped out of the station into the beautiful city, that overwhelming joyful feeling all came back to me. First of all, I took the ICE train from my village to get here which is a newer train that goes 200mph. The trip only took me three hours and I got to see a lot of the german/french countryside along the way. I was glad I reserved the window seat! I got here about 10:00 this morning and easily managed to navigate my way to the hostel where we are staying. I traveled here alone, but I met up this evening with my friend Matt from Bellingham. He didn't get here until about 4:30 so I walked all over town today, sat out alongside the canal and did some good people watching, and took a little nap before he got here. The place we are staying at is called St. Christopher's Inn and it takes first place for the coolest hostel I have ever stayed at. It's huge so there are tons of young people hanging out here, the location is absolutely breathtaking and it has this cute French cafe/bar where I am sitting now. It's great! Matt just flew in from the US so he is taking a nap so he can be ready to go out tonight. He has some friends from San Fran that live here so either tonight or tomorrow night I think they are taking us out. Matt spent a year studying here in France and has spent a lot of time in Paris so tomorrow he is going to show me some places that I didn't get to see last time I was here. Then on Sunday we are headed to this city about 20 minutes from here called Le Mans where he is going to be teaching English this year and I am going to help him get moved in to his new apt. So far soooo amazing in Paris!
This last wed. I went to Oktoberfest with a friend of the family I am working for and we had a good time there. We were only at the festival for one day and then on thurs. we stopped at and toured one of the largest concentration camps in Germany. It was so sad, but very interesting and educational. This camp was originally small, and in 1937/38 they reconstructed the site to hold 6,000 prisoners, but they ended up holding over 30,000 there. Seeing this place in person was really an eye-opener to how absolutely terrible the life was for these people, not only for the awful living areas but for all the torture they were put through in these camps.
Life in Europe continues to be filled with blessings and I am really loving my time here. Miss you all and think of you daily :)
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