Anna and I, on the way home, had a 15-hour layover in Paris - we scheduled our flight back in June and decided that this would be a fun start to our break. We terrifyingly almost missed the Metro before it closed for the night due to a flight delay, but we made it to our hostel and promptly fell asleep for a few hours. In the morning, we got up right when breakfast started to eat a little (there was only coffee and bread of course) and then trekked out to see the Eiffel Tower. The Metro system in Paris looks complicated but we had no trouble figuring out the trains, plus they come and go very regularly!
We arrived at Trocadero around 8 AM, and surprisingly the sun still hadn't risen yet - it wasn't expected to rise that day until about 8:45! - so we got to watch the sun begin its ascent with the tower in the foreground. I'm not going to lie, when we turned around the corner and saw the tower - the Eiffel Tower - I almost cried. It is so big and so beautiful, and such a triumph. That paired with the colors of the sunrise made it a sight to remember.
After watching for a while we decided to go across the street and eat breakfast at a cafe where we could watch the sun rise as we waited for the sky to lighten so we could try to get pictures. That too was memorable - fresh squeezed orange juice, hot chocolate (which was pure chocolate), eggs, and ham (!!) with some bread on the side (always). When we returned to the tower, the sky was even more beautiful - we probably could have stood there all morning, but we knew we had a flight to catch. On the way back to our hostel, I showed Anna the Moulin Rouge and the Sacred Heart basilica, which I knew were in the area from my last long layover in September, and then we made it to the airport with plenty of time to spare.
Home was wonderful. It was honestly the best break I could have asked for. A little hectic at times, but I got to spend plenty of time with friends, family, and Stephen so I definitely can't complain! Highlights include:
+ cookie baking and brunch
+ the night at the bed & breakfast downtown with Stephen
+ our usual Christmas Eve and Christmas traditions
+ post-Christmas fast-food hibachi lunch with my mom
+ a violent game of Spoons and bowling with my dad's side of the family
+ tacos and crabs with different sets of grandparents
+ visiting my sister's apartment before walking around downtown near her university
+ sushi with Ingrid before seeing Hunger Games with Stephen
+ partying with my high school friends
+ watching the ball drop for New Year's with our family friends
+ spending one last lazy night at home
+ getting a visit from Zineb
I had heard that coming back was going to be hard, but I didn't honestly expect it to be this hard. Finishing the fall semester felt like such a victory and spending time with my loved ones was such a high that I feel crushed coming back to face more classes and schoolwork. But I know I have a goal to achieve, so I can't wait to hop back into a routine on Wednesday. Plus I have my birthday at the end of the month to look forward to!! Please send good vibes my way as I start my last semester in Morocco!