girly day

ya know, it's amazing how easy it is to forget that I am actually in France sometimes.. especially on days like today. Days when I dont get out of the house, I watch American films/tv shows, and I eat hot dogs..... if it wasn't for the nagging homesickness feeling i have in my esophagus (thats where i have decided homesickness lives- in the esophagus- right above the heart and just below the back of my throat- drinking hot beverages usually soothes the throbbing feeling i get there.), I seriously could have believed nothing was out of the ordinary.. just another lazy Saturday.

Last night, after much debating of whether or not we (Elena, Miguel, and I) were going to attend a salsa/mexican night-out with the teachers at my middle school,.... we decided NOT to spend the 30 euros that that entailed, and decided to have our OWN night out (much easier when Miguel is involved- he has a car!) Miguel picked me up around 815 and we headed to Elena's house for dinner. At about 945, we headed out to check out the night life of St. Tropez.... the glitz and the glamour!!! NOT MUCH was open, but we found a chic little bar next to the "terrain de boules" (where lots of old men play a french version of our Bocce ball/ yard bowling). At the bar, it was some little rich girl's birthday, so she was allowed to run about the bar with GIGANTIC sparklers and hand out thousands of shots to her friends. It's probably what I imagine the life of a New Yorker living on the chic upper east side of Manhatten. iT was actually very cool to watch. Maybe she was the daughter of someone famous. Who knows. All the girls were dressed to the nines, sexy high heels, and showing all sorts of skin, .. lol and there i was in my grey turtle neck, jeans, Northface jacket, and hair in a ponytail. Stark contrast I would say =)

After about an hour and half of people watching ( and drinkin our one glass of wine- we were afraid how much it was gonna end up costing cause they didnt offer us a menu- they just said "we have everything- what do you want?"- it ended up being 5 euros) we decided to head out and I THOUGHT we were going home... but Miguel then stopped in at this "club" ..... and other than the fact that I m glad i can finally say i went to a French "boite" (box) just for the experience cause im sure my American high school students will want to know ALL about french nightlife...-other than for that reason- i really did not like that place. We stayed for about another hour and half and headed home around 2am

Needless to say, I slept in this morning and decided to put off Avingon until tomorrow. This way, I only have to pay for ONE night in a hostel. . . or maybe even a hotel. Most hostels close during off season ( and this would be considered off season) so I have not even been able to find youth hostels at all in Avignon.

Like i said, today was very very lazy but very very therapeutic. Theres something to be said about spending an entire day pampering yourself, looking through girly magazines, taking 30 minute showers cause you dont have to save hot water for anyone (Linda is not here this weekend). I gave myself a French Manicure (no pedicure- i figured whats the point in winter?), i did a biore nose strip, conditioned and straightened my hair, did a teeth whitening strip, and spent about 45 minutes meticulously applying my make-up....Did i go anywhere today? did anyone SEE me looking all pretty? well, no... but that wasn't the point.

Now i am relaxing UNDOING all my pampering, ... I got back into my comfy PJ's that Gigi sent me, heated up my heating pad, put my hair back up in a ponytail, poured myself a glass of wine, and am curled up on the couch with my book that i can't seem to get into. .....Erin finally got back from Baseball practice, so I guess as soon as I am done talking to him, I can go on to bed. I need to get a good nights sleep so that I will feel motivated enough to travel tomorrow. I NEED to get out tomorrow. As much as I have enjoyed my downtime today, I don't want to get into the habit of staying around the house and having too many of those " I forget I'm in a foriegn country "days. So, I catch the 10:00 bus that takes me to Les Arcs, and from there I catch a 1047 train that gets me to Avignon at 100. I'll find a hotel, and hopefully be out and about exploring by 200. Spend the night in Avignon, wake up, go to Arles if I have time and then come home from Arles at 410, be home by 9. Wish me luck! I'm excited bout dancing on the bridge.

OK well off to bed! Love to all and gros bisous!