my new life

Hello friends!!

Today was another of many 'firsts' to come in the next few weeks and months. Nothing too exciting that involves pictures today. After I took my large and in charge camera into Paris on Friday, I soon realized that it is quite heavy and not that fun to lug around for an entire day. Thus I did not take it with me yesterday or today.

This morning I had to make a difficult decision and I know I made the right one and come to find out I really made the right decision. Last night my host family and I were sitting at dinner after enjoying a lovely Saturday eating outside, playing with play-do, relaxing, going to the city pool, etc, when Rachel and Vincent start talking about going bike riding at Versailles today. Versailles is only a 20 minute car ride from where I live. How convenient! :-) Um, hello, yes I want to go...lovely gardens, lovely weather, bike riding!!! They all equal 'count me in'. .... That was to be today, Sunday, the day of worship... I really wanted to go so bad, who wouldn't want to go? But i also knew it was very important to me to go to church and to worship with other Christians as I am not surrounded by Chrisitans any other time during the week. I finally decided I was going to attend church in hopes that there would another opportunity for me later down the road. Well, come to find out they did not even end up going to Versailles today because Clemence, the four year old girl I am to be watching, has been getting sick and did not feel well today. As of right now I am listening to her cough up a lung while trying to fall asleep, poor thing! I hope she feels better soon!

So I attended church today, Hillsong Church of Paris! It was at a different location than when I attended back in March, on my birthday to be exact. I think this location is a lot closer and easier to get to. I almost missed my train to my metro stop which thankfully I didn't because the trains only leave ever 20 minutes and I hate waiting, patience is not one of my strong points. I ended up getting there without any troubles and was actually quite early so I waited at my metro station for my friend to arrive and we were then going to walk to the church (which is actually in a theatre right now) because I didn't know where it was. Church was great, the Lord is definitely present in Paris! It's amazing to see what he is doing here through the people and the church! Supposidly the church is growing so fast they are having to move locations regularly, which is a good problem to have. After church the young people usually grab lunch and go have a picnic at a park down the street. I am definitely new to Paris and the leisure way of life as I thought I would only be there for a short while, and a short while later was 4 hours and it was almost time for dinner. I enjoyed those hours I was there, meeting quite a few people and enjoying their company! For some reason I thought that moving to Paris I'd meet a bunch of new and different people, but I didn't really think I would meet THAT many people who are in the fashion industry. Well, I should rethink that thought as today I sat among at least 5 people who all work or are working towards being in the fashion industry. I actually thuroughly enjoyed my time as I have not have the opportunity meet and be around many people in the field other than the girls I had classes with at school and most of those girls I studied with had a very limited knowledge or experience with the industry.
I met a girl who lives on the same RER line as I do but about 15 minutes closer to Paris than I do and she is an Au Pair for a family and she is from Vienna and speaks German to her family! She is tri-lingual...jealous! She recently arrived here also so we had a lot in common and I enjoyed trying to find my way back to my side of town with her, as we got 'lost' in the metro a few times.

I know I won't always have so much to say and I'm not even sure how many people find what I type that interesting so I do apologize, just stop reading if you don't enjoy it, haha, but for those of you who do...I am going to say again, I am very much enjoying my time here so far! I really enjoyed my time today in Paris and I felt as though I met a bunch of really cool people who we have a faith in common which is very important to me. I have to keep reminding myself that friendships take time to make and that I can't expect everyone to want to be my friend immedietly. Its hard sometimes because a lot of the friends I have back home I've had for so long and I want and will miss very much those deep connections that I don't have yet here and won't have for most likely some time. Don't worry, I am not trying to replace anyone back home, but I am very much a relational person and very much long for deep relationships, not just surface level ones.

I cannot wait for August to be over as I am ready for Paris to be back to normal, not as many tourists, regular bus schedules, and well, to start my job. I am not getting paid right now and while I have money, I just don't like to spend without making which is difficult to do.

I am very excited about this week as its my first full week being here. I feel as though I understand my way around places and at least have a map to help find my way and I'm going to be adventurous as much as possible this week. I already have a list of errands to run starting with buying a hair dryer and shampoo, necessities, haha! And I need to go to the post office and buy some stamps so I can mail out all my letters to my friends and family! I have spent quite a bit of time this weekend writing everyone so look in your mailboxes soon for some love from France! I also want to figure out the bus system around here so I am not always having to depend on my host parents to give me rides to the RER and train station. And I just need time to be alone around here to finish unpacking and figure out the house and the way of life. This weekend has been a great start to hopefully a great year and I am super pumped what experiences lay ahead of me, well, I can wait and I will learn to wait. Patience, Kara, patience!

Well, that is all for now! Hopefully this week should be a slow week with few pictures but i cannot predict that so who knows! Well, I am planning on going to an exhabition for Yves Saint Laurent this week with a girl I met today after church so I'm excited to do something less touristy than the Tour Eiffel and Louvre. Hope everyone had a great Sunday (is having a great Sunday) and please do keep staying in touch via FB and email... I miss you all dearly and thank you for your love and support, I feel it all around me!!!

Cheers *** to surrending all and learning to worship in another language and in another country, its a beautiful thing***