segovia.

Oh my goodness, what a crazy couple of days.  We arrived in Segovia (about a 30 minute high-speed train ride from Madrid) to a train station surrounded my cows in the pasture.  We made it to the IE University, an old Monastery transformed into college campus, for a design charette.  One of the professors who used to teach at IIT is now the head of the architecture department at IE so he organized a whole workshop for us.

It started off pretty cool, with demonstrations of esgrafiado, a spanish facade technique from lime.  Then we were sent off into the city of Segovia to find examples.  Would have been fun, except once again it was raining.

Yesterday we spent the entire day working on our projects.  Trying to get a ton of work done in a very limited amount of time.   Very limited.  It was frustrating to be stuck inside a (freezing cold) studio the whole day instead of exploring Segovia.

Finally, early this afternoon, we finished the charette.  We were free.  So I went exploring.  I was going to see Segovia or die trying.  It was a beautiful day and actually pretty warm!  I just wandered, making sure I hit up all the big sights, and enjoyed the city.  It was so nice to just sit on a bench in the park and relax.

Segovia is a crazy beautiful and fun little town and I would love to go back someday.  But for now, it's back to Paris, and then back to The States in 6 1/2 short weeks!

madrid, españa

I totally love Madrid already.  We arrived on Monday afternoon and headed to Sol to explore the city center.  So much great shopping!  We found some delicious pizza for dinner and then a "Chocolateria" Basically churros you dip in warm chocolate.  Amazing.  It was a really fun night.

Today, we saw the National Archives building, Caixa Forum and Retiro Park.  This photo is from the pond in the park where you could rent row boats and row around.

This is the bathroom in the Caixa Forum.  My favorite color.  I loved it.  I'm pretty sure my reaction when I opened the door was priceless.  Grinning from ear to ear.

This evening we went to San Miguel Market.  It's a really cool place with a bunch of places to get tapas and drinks and stuff.  So we found some good food and just hung out.  It was a pretty chill night.

Tomorrow is another day of walking in Madrid.  Hopefully the rain will hold off, although I did get a great new umbrella which I'm excited to use :)

My battery is about to die and I can't get internet reception in my room at the hostel.  Not all bad though because it's going to be an early morning.  We're meeting at 9:00am...

porto, portugal

It's been a crazy couple of days here in Porto, Portugal.  We arrived yesterday around noon.  As we walked off the plane (down the stairs and onto the tarmac), I felt like i was suddenly in a totally different place.  I felt like I was on vacation, in Central or South America.  It was wonderful and warm; it felt like vacation.

We got to our hostel and decided to find some food and check out the city center.  We found a restaurant that had a special meal.  8 different type of meat, fries, rice and beans all for 8 Euros.  PLUS, freshly grilled pineapple.  It was delicious.  

Then we walked down the the river and the historic city center.  It was absolutley amazing.  Felt like a total beach town.  The sun was setting and I was thinking that I could just sit there the rest of the night and enjoy the view and the atmosphere.

This is just one of the amazing bridges here in Porto, design by Eiffel!

Today, it was rainy.  No more mid-seventies and sun :(  But we headed out to the ocean first thing in the morning and saw some beautiful waves.  It was crazy beautiful and the water wasn't actually that cold!  We saw Alvaro Siza's Pool and Tea House.  And later on, his architecture school and museum of modern art.  I like to call it Siza-day ;)

We ended the day at Rem/OMA's Casa da Musica for a concert and tour.  It's an amazing building and I'm really glad we got to see it, despite being totally soaking wet from walking around in the rain all morning.  Oh, and we went out for a nice dinner, compliments of IIT ;)

portugal!

Just a quick note to say that I'm going to Portugal in the morning!  I'll be gone for 10 days, visiting Portugal and Spain.  Should be a great time.  Prayers for safe travels, good weather and crazy awesome experiences are always welcome :)

Also, my very good friend Melissa came to Paris this past weekend and we had a really wonderful time exploring the city together.

Enjoying the view from the second level of the Eiffel Tower.

i miss, i love.

In honor of being halfway through my semester, I thought it was time for an "i miss, i love" post.  Inspired by my good friend Kristen, an eMi intern from this past summer.  So here goes.  A list of a few things I really miss from home.  But each is countered with something I love about Paris.  I have two months left and I know that one day I'll miss everything about this time...  So I'm trying to love all of it and enjoy every moment.

I miss baking.  We don't have an oven in the apartment, and I really wish we did.  I love making cookies and bread and pies and frittata.  Anything really.  Frozen pizza.  I feel so limited without an oven.

I love Baguette.  It's delicious.  So good with cheese, or jam, or just plain.  It's the best when you can smell it from the street and you go in an it's still warm and only cost .90 Euros.

I miss walking into a library, picking up the book i want and sitting down to read it.  I guess I've always taken American libraries for granted.  But here it seems like you have to jump through a million hoops to get one book from the research collection.

I love having assignments that make me read interesting books about architecture.  I feel like I've read more and learned more about architecture history and theory than the last three years combined.  

I miss my hair straightener.  I don't use it very often, but once in a while I like having straight hair.

I love the fact that my hair is getting longer.  Not being able to go to my usual stylist keeps me from making spontaneous decisions to cut it short, like I usually do.

I miss my hoodies from back home.  They're so warm and comforting...

I love the one "sweatshirt" I brought.  It's cute and comfortable.  And black.  Perfect for Paris.

I miss drinking a full glass of milk.  Milk is 1.60 Euros for 1L.  As a result I don't drink very much because otherwise I'd be buying it every other day.

I love Special K cereal with dark chocolate.  IT'S SO GOOD.

I miss my friends and family.  I love being able to talk with my close friends at all time of the day and call my mom on the phone whenever I have an issue.  I can't do that here...

I love that my parents were able to visit and I've gotten to see so many friends here in Paris.  I'm so blessed.

life per usual.

I feel like it's been awhile since I've posted anything.  Unfortunately I don't have any great adventures to report on or any cool photos to share.  School work has been keeping me pretty busy.  This week I'm writing my first paper since freshman year of college.  It's definitely a challenge.

So I'll leave you with this, a sketch of my favorite museum in Paris, the George Pompidou Center:

Also, a pretty incredible flower we saw along one of our Urban Exploration walks.

self reflections on opportunities.

What if you wake up one day and you realize you don't like where you are?  You realize you're not satisfied with the life you're living, that your situation isn't the ideal.  Nothing is perfect, every flower needs rain.  You don't know the sun with out the shadow.

So what do you do?

You could continue.  You could keep going in the life you're living, unsatisfied.  Or you could jump ship.  You could give up when the going gets tough.

Or, you could change it.  Do something different.  Sit down, think about why you're unhappy.  Then, decide to do something you love.

There's an opportunity in every hardship.  Something good can come out of this.  But you've gotta believe it.  You've gotta remember there's someone in control.  And he's on your side.  He freaking loves you.  And he doesn't want to see you stuck.  He wants to set you in motion.

So don't sit back.  Don't waste time.  Don't let life happen.  Everyday is an opportunity for joy.  For new life, for freedom and for love.  Don't be caught in the shackles you've created for yourself.  Let yourself be released.  Accept your freedom that's already been purchased.

urban exploration

One of the maps I made for my class called Urban Exploration.  It begins (on the right) at Place des Vosges and ends at Place de la Concorde.

Sometimes, I really like my major.  Most of the time actually.  I could be writing lab reports... hah.

parkers in paris.

Last week, I was lucky enough to have my parents visit.  I had to opportunity to be a tour guide, a daughter, a parisian, and a tourist, all at once.  we set the schedule which didn't seem to bad to me, but now, looking back, i realize how jam-packed it was, especially for two people who have never been to Paris before.

The first day we set the bar high and took a boat tour on the Seine, then went all the way up to the top of the Eiffel Tower.  It was a beautiful night and we were on the tower as the sun was setting.  The colors were simply amazing.

The Seine, as seen from the top of the Eiffel Tower

The next day, Friday, I had class most of the day.  So I sent my parents off on my own.  They took a tour of the Opera House (one of my favorite buildings in Paris) and explored the Louvre.  When I was done we met up and explored the Montmartre neighborhood, including Sacre-Coeur and The Moulin Rouge.

Sacre-Coeur

Saturday was Versailles Day.  Ohmygoodness.  I visited the Chateau back in 2005 and wasn't that impressed.  It was hot and crowded.  I thought I might like it more this time... but no.  It wasn't quite as hot, but still obscenely crowded.  The redeeming element was the gardens.  They were beautiful and we had so much fun exploring all of the fountains.  On the way back to the city we stopped by the Inception bridge and Musee de Quai Branly.

In front of the Grand Canal, at the gardens of Versailles

Being an architect in Paris makes me wish Inception was real.  Or that I was Ellen Page.

Sunday we were back in Paris, ready to hit up the historical city center.  We started at St Chapelle, the King's private chapel, back in the day.  It was kind of amazing, and I don't think photos do it justice.  We also got to see the Conciergerie, the prison were people were held before they were sent to the guillotine.  The rest of the day was spent eating lunch and Berthilion ice cream along the banks of the Seine, Musee d'Orsay and Musee de l'Orangerie.

St Chapelle

Enjoying my Poire (Pear) ice cream on Ile de St Louis

Monet's paintings at Musee de l'Orangerie

Monday I worked on some school work that I'd been neglecting and I showed my parents around my neighborhood: rue de Petite Carreaux, Forum les Halles and the Pompidou Center.

Tuesday was their last day in Paris so I decided we should end the trip the Parisian way: Eating crepes from a street vendor and enjoying the Louvre/Tuillerie gardens, just a couple of Paris' amazing public spaces.

I can't say enough how glad I am they came to visit and how happy I was to show them around a city I now consider my own :)

My dad and I in front of our Apollo's Chariot at Versailles

i couldn't have guessed.

I couldn't have guessed I'd have the opportunity to see so many people in Europe.  I never imagined that we would all be here at the same time and that our paths would cross like this.

On Saturday night, I had the opportunity to meet up with my friend Laura.  Laura and I worked at Camp Geneva together Summer 2010.  She was a Shores counselor while I worked Arts & Crafts on Shores.  She's studying in Aix-en-Provence this semester and came up to Paris for the weekend.  I was so happy when she Facebooked me!

Laura and I (with Kristen too!) at camp last summer on "Monochromatic Wednesday"

I was even happier that we were able to meet up!  We (Laura, her friend Caroline and me) grabbed some food at a little market and boulangerie and kicked it Parisian style: sitting in the grass at the Place des Invalides. With a great view of the Eiffel Tower.  It was wonderful just to catch up with Laura and talk about our studying abroad experiences and what we've been up to since camp!

Laura and I in Paris :)

That night was also Nuit Blanche in Paris: literally translated into white or light night.  It's this night that happens every year in Paris that all of the museums are open and there are crazy art installations and exhibitions going on all over the city.  Basically, everyone stays out all night and the city never goes to sleep.  Despite the crazy crowds, it was an experience I'm glad I got to have, everything from neon purple rain to French chanting and cheering on a jam-packed metro train.  And I got to share it with my beautiful sister in Christ :)