Lyon

Lyon is one of the lesser-known places in France, yet it's the third largest city. I guess it makes sense since most people associate the country France with the city Paris, and when you ask them to name other cities the only ones they can think of are port cities like Marseille or Nice.

Yet somewhere in the middle of this beautiful country there is a fairly large city named Lyon, which I would say is the french equivalent of San Francisco - there are many large hills and hippies that dot the landscape.

In all of my french classes that discussed culture, they stressed two things you must do when visiting so as not to stand out - don't smile and dress nicely. When I arrived here, I was trying very hard not to smile despite my pure bliss. Yet almost every person I pass on the streets here will smile at you! I don't even look at them and I can hear a "bonjour!" and as I look over they are giving me the biggest smiles while holding their tiny dogs. Their choice of wardrobe is as surprising as their smiles. I saw a lady today wearing a flower pattern shirt and a plaid skirt. That is the biggest no no in the history of fashion, yet here is a seasoned french woman displaying her insane choice of patterns. I couldn't help but smile at how relaxed and nice everyone is here in Lyon. I feel a tad overdressed at times, which is huge for someone like me.

Everything here is ancient, which makes it so beautiful and romantic. I absolutely love visiting the old cathedrals and sitting in Vieux (Old) Lyon, just taking it all in. The parks here are spectacular, as you could imagine, and the food...where do I even start?! FOOOOOOD. Oh goodness, I could write a million blogs about the food. I promise I will gain 50lbs while I'm here. Oh! And I must mention the part I absolutely adore about this city because I'm a huge history buff - so Lyon was the center for the French Resistance during WWII. This was largely due to the secret passageways between buildings that the fighters used to escape the Nazis throughout the city. These passageways still exist and only a small percentage of them are marked, so it's kinda fun trying to find the other ones by opening random doors you'll see on the street. I don't know why, but I just love that.

I could go on forever about this city, but I'm sure you're already bored. I leave for Paris on Monday and I'm terrified that I won't like it because I'm pretty sure people don't smile there and they dress really nicely. But if you've been there, do you have any suggestions on what I should see?

la France

I did it.

I finally made it to the country of my dreams.

The only problem...? I've built France up in my head so much that I made it this wonderful, classy place in my imagination. I made it here only to find that I love it so much and I've convinced myself that I need to live here. This is a problem since I'm supposed to live in Africa someday.

Now let me explain. I'm not in Paris, and I'm convinced that it's the reason I love it here. Granted, it is only my second day, but there are hardly any tourists (none of which are American that I've seen), everyone thinks I'm french, and I had chocolate for breakfast this morning.

Lyon is gorgeous. It really is France's best kept secret, and I hope it stays that way. Also I'm planning on dropping out of school and staying here so if you want to visit please let me know.

See ya never.

Lessons from Haiti

If you ever plan on going to Haiti in the near future, I recommend preparing yourself. Here is a list of all things Haitian:

1. Sweat. It's everywhere. You can't escape it. Bring lots of extra clothes - you'll soak through at least 2 outfits a day.
2. Haitian women don't wear bras. Yikes.
3. I thoroughly recommend bringing a gun to kill all the annoying dogs and roosters that make too much noise while you're trying to sleep.
4. Mangoes = diarrhea and rice = constipation. Eat a healthy mix and your poop will be fine.
5. Shorts. Highly recommended, but with a hefty dose of bug spray.
6. I hate stupid Americans that don't know what development is or how it should work.
7. Haitian kids are the cutest things on the planet and they deserve so much better then what they have.
8. Watch out for those Haitian men, ladies. They will creep you right out of the country.
9. Learn creole. They really appreciate that.
10. The food, the water, the driving - just don't think about it. You will survive as long as you pretend everything is normal.

The one major thing I personally learned from this experience is that I want to do development work for the rest of my life. I don't see how my life could be any more fulfilling.

Hey you!

Mmmmmk.

So much has happened in the past week. I have no idea where to start....?

Well, can I say that Haitian kids are the cutest things ever to grace the planet. And I'm not just saying that because I love Haitians. They are soooo cute and they love white people. Every time we walk down the street kids come out of nowhere yelling "Hey you! What is your name?" That's pretty much all they know in english. Then they proceed to follow us down the street, sometimes holding your hand or sometimes clinging to your leg. I went to 2 orphanages last week and I wanted to cry. You know those commercials where they show really sad kids with bugs in their eyes and big bellies from malnutrition? EVERY kid in the orphanage looks like that. Some are better than others, but it's usually one person in charge of like 50 kids and it is so hard for them to care for all the kids. Also there are reported to be 1 million orphans in Haiti and I can guarantee they're not getting the love or attention they deserve. On the plus side, we had a pretty intense soccer game at one of the orphanages - yes, they kicked our trash. Hard core.

Every morning we teach english for free to whoever wants to come. 2 weeks ago there were 30 people. This week there were over 100! I love it. And speaking french comes in handy because I can definitely help out as far as explaining things. Also all the boys love to tell me how pretty I am. It's awesome.

All the girls in my group look freaking gorgeous all the time. I'm going to kill them.

It's still really hot, except apparently I chose the right time to come to Haiti because it's their rainy season and everyday there will be a short time when I'm cold - I will never take that for granted again.

I take bucket showers. It's totally legit.

I hope you're all still alive and kicking. Eat lots of carrots and handburgers for me. Also drink out of the faucet.

Haiti!

I guess my life lessons will be postponed for a bit while I use this blog to update everyone about my life in Haiti...which will be full of life lessons. Don't you worry.

I can't believe I'm actually here! And goodness gracious it is sooooooo hot. So hot. And humid. I am slowly being melted. But I absolutely love it. A few things so far:
1. I'm trying to take as many pictures as possible, but it's kind of difficult. It's really offensive to take pictures of people I don't know - very degrading. I'm trying to make lots of friends so that next week I can take pictures with them!
2. All the men here are in love with me. A lot of it has to do with the fact that I speak french. Most white people here don't speak any french or creole and I think it's really frustrating for them. Which reminds me! I do a lot of translating, but I really wish I knew creole. It's more widely spoken and I think it would mean a lot to them.
3. These are the happiest people I have ever met. Seriously. They know how to make the best of their condition for sure. They're always laughing and joking and are thourougly amused by our attempts at creole. Kids will run down the street and literally jump on you, laughing and having a great time.
4. It is FREAKING hot.
5. No, the rubble is not gone. It's everywhere. And almost everyone lives in tents. You might feel a little sympathy if they weren't so freaking joyous all the time. People are doing what they can but most of the rubble is cement and where do you dump that?

I have a million more things to say but I can't think of anything.

I love all of you and I'm having a great time here!! If you have any questions just comment. We do so much here I just really don't have the time to write it all down. Until next time!

Lesson #20

Today's Lesson Objective includes:

1.)Dying your hair.

I've been dying my hair since I was 16. Actually, that would be a lie if you consider the occasional highlights I would get before the age of 16. In any case, dying my hair is one of my favorite things to do even if it means my hair will fall out by the time I'm 30.

Let's go through my many transformations:

Age 16, right before the big change.


It's kinda hard to tell, but my natural color is dirty blonde. And no, I do not dye my eyebrows.


Age 16


I'm quite aware that I am not 16 in this picture, but this was the color of my hair when I first dyed it. My boyfriend had recently broken up with me, and part of my coping therapy was dying my hair. It was Hannah's idea and my mom cried when she saw me the next day. She really liked my blonde hair and I have no idea why.

Age 17-19


I decided to go blonde-ish again, mostly because I was super lazy and didn't want to have to deal with dying it all the time. Half way through my freshman year of college I decided to go a little darker again. But then...



Age 19-present


BAM! I decided to go red. I had no idea if I could pull it off but I was super bored.




I guess the reason I'm even bothering with this post is because recently a boy commented that he isn't attracted to girls that dye their hair because he likes girls who appreciate what God has already given them.

...I have something I'd like to say to you, boywhomustnotbenamed.

Firstly, I hate to bring it up, but you were attracted to me before you found out I've been dying my hair for quite some time. You know why? BECAUSE I LOOK FREAKING GOOD. Secondly, I would LOVE for you to find a girl in America who has never dyed her hair, never plans on dying her hair, or has never considered it. This includes ANY sort of coloring - according to you, it's unnatural and not a good quality for a woman to have. Thirdly, what is so wrong with a girl wanting to feel beautiful? If I feel more confident and sexy walking out my door with brown hair as opposed to blonde, gosh darn it I'm going to do it!

Last but not least, change is the best therapy. Or at least welcomed change. I think guys underestimate what a new outfit or a new haircut or new makeup does for a girl's self-esteem.

To be honest, I don't know why I'm doing this post because I don't have to freaking explain myself to this loser.

SO, the lessons to be learned are:
a. Love yourself.
b. If you have never dyed your hair, I highly suggest trying it.
c. Boys who wouldn't date you because of your hair are not worth your time.

Lesson #19

Today's Lesson Objective includes:

1.)Kids.

I guess being a woman somehow gives people the assumption that I'm a kid-person. It makes sense I guess, since [most] women tend to be more loving, gentle, kind, and nurturing...then there's me. Don't get me wrong, I think kids are great, but they're not necessarily my cup of tea. I'm positive that this piece of information will surprise lots of people, since I've spread the word that I want a big family (which is as true now as it ever was).

To be honest, I prefer kids before the age of 2 and after the age of 13. Babies are great. They can't talk and they're easy to entertain. And they're adorable! Teenagers, however stupid they can be, are people I really like spending time with. I remember all of those people that helped me when I was young and whiny and they have truly shaped who I am today. It really means a lot to me to be a good influence in the lives of struggling teens.

Well, my mother decided to help me out and get me a job for part of the summer. I guess she thought she was helping me out but really it's torture. Yes, I watch little brats all day. The best part is, they are all between the ages of 5 and 13! Perfect. They love hanging on me. Like literally, clinging onto me for dear life. I hate being touched by anyone, let alone dirty children. All the girls like to grab my hair and immediately start tugging or braiding or stroking it. I'm scared I'll find peanut butter in it one of these days. The worst part is, they all seem to love me but they have a very hard time following directions. No wonder I got this job so easy.

Among all the little people (there's over 100), there are only 3 kids I like.

Kid #1: He is adorable. He is always smiling and reciting his multiplication tables and telling me about the solar system. He told me he wants to be a movie director, paleontologist, and a computer scientist. We were playing a card game and I was losing so he kept giving me some of his cards saying, "you deserve it!". Yesterday he asked me why I'm so pretty all the time. I've never felt more special in my life.

Kid #2: He is such a trouble-maker, but I guess that's why I like him. It's always interesting with him around. He knows he's cute and uses it. But secretly he's a really good boy. I sat and talked with him for awhile and he is quite hilarious. Also he stinks at staring contests, but he's always challenging me to them. I love it.

Kid #3: She is one of the older kids, so I definitely get along with her much more easily. We've had several discussions about Harry Potter and Twilight and she feels that I understand her more than the other counselors because we're both so nerdy. She really reminds me of myself when I was young - she doesn't socialize with the other kids and she's always off to the side reading. We are misfits for life.

I seriously can't wait until this job is over. Does anyone have any suggestions for me as far as surviving these next couple of weeks?