Ma Maison

When deciding on my living situation abroad, I didn't choose the usual option of finding an independent apartment. As great as it is being on your own and relying on just yourself, I wanted some French interaction. So I chose to do a homestay.

Basically, I still live in a regular apartment, but it is owned by my host, to whom I pay rent to stay in one of the rooms. My host is a little old French lady who is very very nice. She speaks English, which is helpful, but I try to communicate with her in French as much as possible for me. I want to practice and she is happy to help and correct my grammatical errors as we go.

She does have other students living in the apartment. There are apparently two french guys in the two rooms down the hall. I've only met one, and it was just briefly - tonight actually. He was surprised to run into me. I'm not sure if he even knew I was living here... She rents out a room or two in the apartment upstairs as well I believe. There is supposed to be a dinner sometime soon with everyone invited so we can all meet and get to know each other. That should be fun.

My room is really nice - pretty big, with lots of storage space. I have my own bathroom too, which is a plus. I share the kitchen and dining room obviously. There is a living room as well, but she prefers that to be her own space which is just fine with me. I like keeping to my room, it's very homey. My favorite are the windows: they're door-length, and I can open them and step out onto a teeny tiny little terrace-like area. I love just watching the cars and people go by, down the adorable street lined with French buildings.

My room:

My terrace:

I live on the 2nd floor (which in France is technically the 3rd - the ground floor is called 0), so I always take the stairs. I use the back entrance to get into the apartment, which to get to I have to walk through this little courtyard in the middle of the building. I like it; it's kind of secluded, yet you can hear French conversations and music floating down from the open windows above you.

My neighborhood is pretty residential. Everyday I hear the school kids talking and laughing on their way home. There are a bunch of cute little cafes nearby; I haven't had a chance to check them out yet, but they always smell delicious. There's also a Monoprix (the main French grocery store chain) and a mall-type place close by. Very convenient.

I go running most mornings to the Trocadero Gardens. It's a very pretty area near by, right in front of the Eiffel Tower. Usually they're pretty packed with tourists except when I go early enough during the week. But I'll talk more about that area later.

A bientot!