Bon Voyage!!!

Happy Fourth of July everybody!!! I hope you are having a spectacular, patriotic day.

After more than a year of planning and saving and reading travel blogs, I am finally embarking on a trip to France to see my favorite frenchie, Coralie. For those who don't know, Coralie was an exchange student at Mountain View my senior year. I only met her once fall semester at Homecoming because she was the date of one of my good guy friends, Tyler McKinion. It was a fleeting introduction; Coralie didn't remember me and I remembered her as the French exchange student. It was unlikely that we would ever really get to know each other. But Coralie decided to join Model UN, an organization I was participating in. Our friendship finally budded when I took her on a shopping spree to find her a suit for a Model UN conference. We realized each other's love for books and ever since then we have been buddies.

I'm excited for this trip because my senior year, Coralie was learning and experiencing America first-hand. Now it's my turn. Unfortunately, I am only staying in France for two weeks, so I won't get a full immersion, but I want to get the most I can out of it. I have no idea what to expect, but I know Coralie will take good care of me. And hopefully I won't get lost on the subway system (long story).

So here is the agenda. I am first going to Coralie's hometown Dijon, home to delicious mustard and yes, escargot. Then we are going to her grandmother's for a taste of the French countryside and some traditional food. For the last four days, we are jetting to Paris to get a glimpse of the City of Lights.

So stay tuned as I plan to write an entry for everyday I spend in France. Read about beautiful vistas, scrumptious food, and embarrassing moments as I try to use my beginner's French. It's an adventure I don't want you to miss.

Coralie Reynaud, the coolest
Frenchie ever!