I'm Internationally Domestic!

I made it to Lille! I haven't been kidnapped for my organs, tricked by a gypsy, or been the victim of religious or economic persecution. So it's pretty much been the exact opposite of what I expected. Although everyone here does smell to high heaven and walks around with their shoulders hunched and their noses in the air. A masseuse could make a killing in France.

When I got off the train, my friend Jowanny let me collapse into his arms in exhaustion and walked me to his home a couple blocks away. I thought we would be going to a small apartment or a stereotypical French farmhouse, but instead we went to the center of Old Lille, opened these giant blue doors, and stepped off the cobblestone street into a fairy tale. The first thing I saw was a wide courtyard with moss growing between the stones that made the pavement. And towering over it was an old style French chateau complete with blue wrought iron outlining the windows and a beautiful glass entryway in lieu of a front porch. When I walked into what looked like the set of 'The Great Gatsby,' I was greeted at the front stairs by an American flag and two smiling French parents. They happily shoved the flag into my hands and snapped pictures of me while Jowanny made apologetic expressions behind their backs. Then they whisked me off to the kitchen, piled a plate with baguette, nutella, and cheese, and started correcting my pronunciation of the few French words I was trying to mumble through all the food in my mouth.

After a few minutes of polite nodding on my part and rapid French on theirs, I was finally allowed to go to the sink and wash the airplane smell off all my exposed skin and examine just how much travel acne I had acquired. Then Jowanny knocked on the door and told me they were taking me to see the dorm I was supposed to stay in and I better hurry or his Mom would make me eat something again. So I quickly got in the car and we drove through the most beautiful city I have ever seen. If there was a space, something was in it. Every nook had another door that led to more crannies, which created more windows, that had more architectural detailing than anything I've ever witnessed in the States. It's beautiful. Unfortunately as we kept driving, we left the beautiful old city behind and entered into the suburb of 'Haubourdin,' which used to house factory workers during the industrial age and now houses unsuspecting American students who don't know which dorm to choose. After playing with the metal blinds that cover the windows at the push of a button to protect you from French serial killers, I decided that I'd rather stay at the pretty chateau in the middle of Lille. Luckily, Jowanny's parents rent out rooms in their home for a few students and a couple of working young women. They showed me all the beautiful places I could stay within the house, and then they brought me across the courtyard to their renovated stables. Long story in a nutshell, I now live in a 400 year old horses stable complete with kitchen, bathroom, a lofted bed where they used to keep the hay, and incredible stone water troughs spanning one side of the room. It's wonderful! And I get to put my elbows wherever I want when I eat.

A very tired me with my French Maman on the left and an apologetic Jowanny on the right.

Stone troughs that I have yet to find a use for and a hay rack where I currently hang my clothes.

A ladder up to my bed and an old fashioned radiator where I occasionally put my socks.

My kitchen with a window that looks out onto a pretty street when I open my enormous shutters.

Now, I'm just waiting for classes to start on Tuesday and for my inevitable bucket loads of French friends to start pouring in.

À bientôt!