Hello Everyone!

As I'm sure most of you know by now, I am spending this entire semester living and studying in the most beautiful city in the world. I've been in Paris for three weeks now, living in an apartment with three other girls, going to school, trying not to spend all of my money, and most of all being a tourist while simultaneously trying not to look like one. I've already had encounters with pickpockets and way too forward European men but I've mostly stared straight ahead with that expressionless, eye contact-less look Parisians seem to have mastered. It is pretty much just the Parisian equivalent of America's resting bitch face. That's the thing with the people here: no one if friendly. You say "bonjour" when you enter an establishment but the interaction pretty much ends there. You do not smile at people when you pass on the street or Metro, no one says thank you when a door is held open. It is just part of the culture here to keep to yourself. That being said, I have a hard time not staring at some people. There have been multiple instances where I was just walking down the street and three or four people pass that look like they walked straight out of the pages of Vogue. I don't know how they do it. They throw on a white shirt, black jeans, and an oversized jacket and look a thousand times more chic than I do on my best day. And I'm usually trying. Hopefully while I'm here I'll pick up that effortless Parisian chic I've always strived for. Until then, enjoy pictures of me being a stereotypical tourist.