I've never been out of the U.S before so I wasn't sure what to expect living in a different culture. I noticed almost immediately that there are flowers everywhere. I have run across so many pathways, parks, and beautiful serene rivers exploring the suburb of Creteil. The architecture of houses/ buildings are very unique from one another. They're brightly decorated with flowers and rustic shutters each house is "Instagram worthy" if you could compare it to that. In midst of the beautiful scenery there are always cracks and dark shadows. I have noticed countless homeless people who have families with them asking for food in downtown Paris or in the metro. On a funnier note there have been a few shocking instances such as walking along the street and coming upon a person excreting on the edge of the sidewalk.

The sounds here are lovely at times and other times not so much. For instance, the metro's screeching and halting noises pierce me to the bone. I love riding the metro but sometimes the loud noises it makes are like nails on a chalk board. I do love the noise of bustling people around the metro. It's usually busy and there's always some conversation that is out of the norm or happens to perk your ears. The smells here are fabulous especially around the restaurants and parks; like flaky pastries or savory cooked meat. There are certain areas that have very distinct or interesting smells such as the metro. Many people take the metro all over meaning you get a very wide variety of people of all sorts of backgrounds so needless to say it can be quite the adventure at times.

One of the biggest differences I have noticed in the short time I've been here is that the bread feels and tastes different; even sandwich bread. There is a lot more substance to it and freshness which I enjoy immensely. I have tasted so many wonderful delicious foods. One of my favorite meals has been when we went to a restaurant in downtown Paris on a side street. We ate fresh bread with oil, gorgonzola and jambon (ham) pizza, and classic pasta with fresh mozzarella. The food is delicious!

I have been so blessed and surprised by the people here. The church is amazing! There are no words to describe the hospitality they have shown us. I am so blessed to be serving with them these next four months. I have also been very surprised by how I have adapted so quickly to the culture around me. One thing I'm grateful for is that I haven't been too jet lagged. I bounced back pretty quickly after a goodnights rest. I also haven't really experienced culture shock. I love learning the differences between the cultures and it also could be that I'm such a chill person that I adapt very easily; as time goes on we shall see if that remains the same. My lack of French is frustrating because there are so many wonderful people. I would love to go in depth with them but I can't because of the language barrier. The lack of English everywhere isn't odd; you would be surprised at how quickly you adapt.

The biggest thing that has disappointed me is the lack of french I know because I love socializing and loving on people. It has been very cool to see the progress my French has made even in the last few days. I'm slowly putting sentences and phrases together. I am also becoming a lot more confidant in speaking with the French people and attempting to step out of my comfort zone. The first person I met who was french was Natalie and she speaks very little english so it was a little difficult at first but she was so nice and helpful. When she showed me my room she motioned to take a picture (in the moment I thought she wanted a picture of me) so I jumped in front of her camera and struck a smile. She started laughing and had Jeff (who is the worship leader) translate that she just wanted a picture of the room. (face palm).

I'm not super nervous about the semester. The only thing I might be nervous about is embarrassing myself which hysterically enough happens way more often than I can count whether it be in the U.S or in France; like the first time I met Natalie but it's moments like those that you will always remember and smile about.

The last 48 hours have been amazing! There have been a mixture of a number of emotions and memories. I'm excited to expand my worldview, serve with godly men and women, and grow my French learning. It is going to be amazing!