solo spontaneity

I've been alone for the past two days and it hasn't been too shabby. It's lonely, of course, but I've been occupying myself with my drug: EXPLORING! I love walking around with no destination. It makes every moment a surprise, and who doesn't like surprises? I started off yesterday by going up to the Croix-Rousse neighborhood (okay, so maybe I had general ideas of where I wanted to go...) and it took me a good hour to find out where all the shops and people were. It was a bit sketch at first because there was no one around, except a few men who looked like they were painters straight out of their studios. I kept climbing hills and stairs because it was a very hilly neighborhood and when I reached the top, there was a huge carnival! So many lights and colors and children and eating goodies. I stopped by a stand where a lady was selling freshly roasted chestnuts. They were so delicious - they unwrapped right off the skin and it kept warm for awhile. I walked around the little "rues" and noticed a lot of cute boutiques and fancy pastry shops. I made a mental note to myself saying that it was the perfect destination for souvenir shopping. After some window shopping, I went down the hill a little bit and noticed a view with no trees/buildings in the way. I walked over and saw the most amazing view of the Basilica Notre-Dame de Fourvière. B-E-A-UTIFUL. I soaked in the view for as long as I could and then forced myself to walk down the many, many stairs. Somewhere around the midpoint, I discovered a thrift shop. I almost kept walking but there was a little voice inside my head who urged me to go inside. And thank goodness I did. I found two beautiful silk scarves (100% made in France!) and a white purse for only 2.50 Euros. What a steal. =) Very content with myself, I kept walking down and stopped many times to take some pictures (this is a plus when traveling alone - I can stop whenever I want and however many times I want to get the perfect shot). When I got down, I came across the Place des Terreaux. It was one of those "OHHHH!!!!" moments where a city connects together. I had so many of these moments in Boston by walking around everywhere and realizing the city is actually really small. In the same way and excitement, I made another mental note of how the Croix-Rousse is right next to a central point of Lyon. I walked around some more around the river, Vieux Lyon, and Bellecour. I probably walked a good 10 miles yesterday. Thank goodness I had my Jack Purcells on. By the end of the day, I was exhausted but really happy with the new discoveries I found.

Today, I started off my day with going to the park. I never had a chance to see the animals because I was either too late or it was too cold for them to be out. But they were all out today. Elephants, bears, and cheetahs, oh my! Walking around the park took up most of my day (it's a HUGE park with so much to see) but it was really relaxing and I did a lot of reflecting. It was a great chance for me to retreat from everything and to just gather myself up again. And I loved seeing how many people were out in the park. One of the observations I made was how families love to spend quality time TOGETHER rather than doing un-interactive things... like the movies, the mall, or even eating (aka tv dinners). On Sundays, Lyon becomes a ghost town since it is at a great central location for weekend getaways, but also because it is their day to spend time with their loved ones. And...I can see that people actually take advantage of their time. They go out to the park and relax in the natural setting. It's so great to see. I wish American families would take equal advantage of their holidays and free days. But this just shows one of our many cultural differences. What works in one place wouldn't work in another because that's just how things are...

After the park, I didn't feel like going home just yet, so I went to a local movie theater and bought a ticket for Un Secret. I bought it at the perfect time, but the man told me there was an hour difference (woops, I forgot to set my clock back yesterday night) so I went home for a little bit and then went back. I think it was my first time watching a movie alone, but it wasn't as bad as I expected. The movie was pretty good - it was all in French (some German) so it took me awhile to digest the content, but the gestures and movements helped a lot. I would love to watch it again with subtitles to see if I actually left the theater with the right sentiments. My listening is definitely improving, but my speaking, not so much. Even the French friends we have want to speak English with us to improve it, and in the classrooms, professors encourage English conversations only. So basically, the only times I use my French is at the boulangerie, the SNCF office (for train tickets), the post office, other service stores, and my French class. Hmmmm...two more months. I would really like to be somewhat fluent by the time I leave. I feel like 4 months is not enough time. I would love to stay for another semester. But I am only halfway in, so my emotions may change in a few weeks when the holidays begin to come up around the corner.

Tomorrow is my chores + errands day. yipee :/