Des Changements.

Gabin and Kilian discover Photobooth on my Mac.

As of today, my blog is officially about being in France, because I'm in France and am not a vegan. I feel that this makes sense.

Also, I'm sorry I haven't written in so long. It actually feel very weird to be writing in English right now, when I have just spent the entire day communicating (or attempting to communicate) in French. En tout cas, I feel that I need to write now because so much has happened already that I am losing track of (if you know my memory, you will understand this).

WOAH - Sidenote: My host father is in the other room watching TV, and I just heard people speaking in heavy Scottish accents on it. What the hell is he watching?

Anyway, so I am officially living with my host family now. No more hotel (which was tiny but great, by the way) in la ville de Rouen. My host mother, Nadine, is an incredibly kind and warm person, but talks a kilometer (I'm in Europe now) a minute and expects everyone to understand her. When we all got together yesterday, the other host parents asked me how I was understanding Nadine, because even they struggle to figure out what she is saying sometimes. Joy. She is so nice though. Her husband is also incredibly nice, but even more quiet, and so when I am left alone with him it is usually awkward. But you can't escape awkward moments when you're living in a foreign country with strangers, I guess.

So, aside from almost overdosing on eggs and being miserably sick for the past few days, I am enjoying France so far. Yesterday, I went to Lyon en Foret with Charlotte, Elizabeth, Kyle, and their host families. It was absolutely GORGEOUS. I have a lot of pictures, but no way to upload them (yet), so I will post as soon as I get one. N'inquiète. We walked around the village, and learned really cool things about different aspects of it. Unfortunately, I was too miserably sick to truly enjoy it, and counldn't wait to get back to les L'Hermittes (shockingly).

Today, was SO much better. I woke up at 7, took my antibiotics, and went back to sleep until 8:30, when I got up, showered (for the first time during my homestay. I really miss my shower), and got ready to go to an elementary school to talk to the students about being American. Unfortunately, I was actually going to an amusement park, and didn't need to wear a scarf and a jacket and cute shoes. I told you my host mother was difficult to understand! Apparently, the school is later in the week. Truthfully, I still don't have a clue. I will attempt to get a coherent response at dinner tonight.

Anyway, I went to a parc d'attraction with Ariel, Emily, and their host siblings and friends. It was a blast! We went on rollercoasters (much scarier than they looked), a safari ride (that played The Lion King soundtrack in French), a giant, rocking pirate ship, a water ride, swan pedal boats, slides, and a bunch of other rides. We spent all day there, and then hung out at Chloe's for a little while until it was time to go home for dinner. Camille gave me a ride home, but we got lost and couldn't find the neighborhood, and so I got home a little later than expected. In my defense, literally ALL of the neighborhoods look the same, and I have only been living here for 2 days. It was hilarious though, and she was so awesome, so it was fun even though we had no idea where my house was.

I finally got here to find that Nadine had gone shopping while I was gone, and bought me some vegetarian food! A veggie pizza, a bunch of vegetables, rice, pasta, and all kinds of stuff. I am so happy with this day :) Also, I understood everything Nadine said today when she came home, and even got Moise to speak to me! It's been great.

So, it's dinner time now - je dois manger le pizza! j'ai vraiment hate :)

Love, Josie

Bises From France!

Bonsoir tout le monde! I (finally) made it to France. After all kinds of fun mixups and close calls, I am safely at the hotel in Rouen with the rest of my group and feeling good (and exhausted).

Things I've learned so far:

My last name is not spelled with a "y."
Flight attendants scare me.
I really like Irish accents.
I really can't understand Irish accents.
You should always get to the airport an entire day early.
I can't sleep on planes.
Day 1, and I already miss home.

But, I'm really excited for my European journey now that I'm here. There are so many places I'm going to go and so many things I'm going to do. This is a great group of people too. I'm a really lucky girl!

Also, there's a 6 hour time difference, so I'm about to get ready for dinner now, when I feel like it's 1 in the afternoon. Weird. Well, I hope there's chocolate.

Love, Josie

Avoidance.

Keeping myself busy with laundry and buying stuff :)

3 days until my plane takes off for Paris, France!

Alec just left for school this morning, and I've been trying to ignore my depression by buying new songs on iTunes. So far, it's (kind of) working. I love the new music anyway :)

Here are some songs guaranteed to brighten your day:

Die Alone - Ingrid Michaelson (Honestly not depressing, despite what the title may be telling you).
Carpe Diem - Aldebert (Better if you speak French, but awesome either way).
Animal - Neon Trees
Unity - Trevor Hall
Quelqu'un m'a dit - Carla Bruni (Also in French, but also awesome. Additionally, she is the First Lady of France. What a winner.)
31 Flavors - Trevor Hall (I seriously love his music).
Parentheses - The Blow
Make You Feel My Love - Adele (Slow but beautiful. May or may not actually make you happier. The lyrics are sweet anyway).
Parachute - Ingrid Michaelson (uh-mazing. And so happy).
Here Comes Your Man - Meaghan Smith
I Got Love For You - Michael Franti & Spearhead (I LOVE this man).
Sleepyhead - Passion Pit
Just the Way You Are - Bruno Mars (Don't judge me. It's rare to find a pop song with a message like this).
Perfect Gentleman - Wyclef Jean (Also running for the President of Haiti. Yes).

100 Things.

1. I got bangs today :)
2. I'm a grammar freak.
3. I watch Teen Mom when I want to feel better about my life.
4. I don't understand people who take Sarah Palin seriously.
5. Sometimes, I wish I could drop out of school and just do Bikram yoga every day.
6. My goals for the future are MUCH too high for that.
7. I love my younger brother more than I can say - always have, always will, and I've never been ashamed to admit it.
8. I don't hang out with my friends as much as I should.
9. My parents are the greatest people I could have ever asked for to raise me.
10. I think racial "color blindness" is the whitest idea out there.
11. 1st grade was the worst school year of my life.
12. I skipped 2nd grade.
13. I've never smoked a cigarette, and I never will.
14. My favorite high is from Bikram yoga.
15. I hate watching the same movie more than once. Unless it's been a while, in which case I've probably forgotten what happens, so it's like watching a new movie anyway.
16. I can't fall asleep if I'm the only one home.
17. I find missionaries really offensive. If I wanted to be a certain religion, I would be already. Leave me alone.
18. My father and my boyfriend have the same birthday (amongst other scary similarities). It's a little disturbing.
19. I don't know what I want to do with my life, and I love it.
20. I've never been a patient in a hospital (no, not even at birth).
21. I laughed at the end of Titanic the first time I saw it. Obviously, I was a soulless child.
22. I. Love. Chipotle.
23. I have been a vegetarian for 11 years.
24. I don't think I'm going to be able to come up with 100 things about me.
25. Meeting Saul Williams was one of the greatest experiences of my life.
26. I wish I could speak every language in the world.
27. I don't hate anyone.
28. I believe that visiting a country on a cruise ship does not count as visiting a country.
29. I want to rescue a Great Dane.
30. I think that alcohol and cigarettes are more damaging than marijuana.
31. I really wish I could have been 18 during the 2008 Presidential Election.
32. I get really annoyed with girls/women who talk about men being jerks. There are great guys out there. It's not their fault that you're dating assholes.
33. The quote, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" disturbs me.
34. So does abstinence-only education.
35. I'm passionate about lots of social issues.
36. My new TV obsession is Covert Affairs on USA. Very addictive. Plus, it stars the adorable Christopher Gorham from Ugly Betty :)
37. I'm going to France in 6 days, and I don't know if I'm excited or not yet.
38. Going to Bonnaroo this summer was another of the most amazing experiences of my life.
39. I really think that my cat, Bella, is psychic.
40. The first (and only) animal I've hit while driving was a snake. I thought it was a rope until it was too late. I cried for the rest of my drive.
41. I think white chocolate is a waste of sugar.
42. I almost had my left leg amputated when I was 14 years old.
43. I don't believe in fate.
44. I believe that love transcends death.
45. No matter how badly I get sunburned, it will be gone the very next day.
46. I love dresses.
47. I have 17 scarves with peace signs on them (each in a different color).
48. I go crazy for creative rap lyrics. Actually, just any lyrics in general. But I really love rap/hip-hop.
49. "Love the Way You Lie" by Eminem made me cry every time I heard it, until I saw that Megan Fox was in the music video.
50. I'm currently reading "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" and loving it.
51. My favorite color is purple. Today anyway.
52. My guilty pleasure TV show: My Fair Wedding with David Tutera. Don't judge.
53. Running in the rain will cure my deepest depression.
54. I think Michael Franti is an amazing person, and I would really love to meet him.
55. I have the same birthday as Martin Luther King, Jr.
56. I can be incredibly judgmental of myself - specifically my body. I work to be kind to myself every day.
57. I think holding grudges is silly.
58. Sometimes, I like to pretend that my life is a movie.
59. A dream of mine is to go to Africa. I can't believe it's finally coming true!
60. I hate animal print clothing, furniture, fabric -- all of it. Animal print only looks good on animals. No, Snooki doesn't count.
61. I may or may not watch the Jersey Shore.
62. I get really sad when I get sick of a song because I listened to it too much.
63. Foreign countries I've traveled to: Canada (yes, it counts.), Belize, Guatemala, Italy, France, Greece, and the Vatican. Foreign countries I want to travel to: Every one I haven't been to yet.
64. I feel sad for people who think that you have to be a certain age to be in love.
65. When I was younger, I used to make playgrounds for fairies in my backyard out of twigs and leaves.
66. I don't know how I feel about tattoos yet.
67. I don't know if I want to transfer to a different school or not. It really stresses me out sometimes.
68. I miss reading and writing.
69. The mosque should be built near Ground Zero.
70. I wish I had the power of Steph Milton's voice.
71. Obviously, marriages can fail for a variety of reasons, but I think that one of the big ones is that lots of young people see marriage as some kind of ultimate goal -- they forget that there is an entire life after the wedding. I'm determined not to see life this way.
72. Sometimes I regret deciding to go by "Joey" at college.
73. If I don't exercise for just one day, I immediately start feeling bad about myself.
74. I love my last name, and will most definitely not be changing it when I get married.
75. Feed me Indian or Afghan food, and I will love you forever.
76. I absolutely despise being too hot.
77. My middle name is Blair.
78. I've never been skiing, and my first time snowboarding was my senior year of high school. It was painful but awesome.
79. I love the idea of adopting children.
80. I've run a half-marathon in Baltimore and a 10 mile run in Washington, D.C.
81. I wish that I did, but I really just don't like spicy food.
82. I'm afraid to spend my money.
83. I don't like ketchup, mustard, pickles, meat of any kind, seafood of any kind, or maple syrup.
84. I can count to 10 in seven languages: English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Chinese, and Japanese.
85. I wish I had my mom's green eyes.
86. My 12th grade Creative Writing teacher thinks I'm gay.
87. To this day, I am so grateful to my friend Kari for reaching out to me that random day in Driver's Ed. With that, she changed high school for me in the best possible way.
88. I absolutely love Haitian music (check out Carimi).
89. My first concert was Red Hot Chili Peppers at the Verizon Center in D.C. with my family :)
90. I still sleep with my purple rabbit stuffed animal that I got when I was 2 years old. Her name is Sally.
91. I used to want to be a marine biologist because I love killer whales.
92. I'm really self-conscious about my lack of sense of direction. It takes me a while to learn my way around a new place, and it doesn't mean I'm stupid. I wish people didn't make fun of me for it.
93. I haven't taken a math class since 11th grade, and I don't plan on taking another one in the future.
94. I want to be a published writer.
95. I'm a Global Studies major & a Peace Studies and French double-minor.
96. I'm awesome at Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution, but can't stand any other video games.
97. My Myers-Briggs personality type is ENFJ.
98. I'm a Capricorn (but believe horoscopes are bullshit).
99. Sports I've played: Soccer, Lacrosse, Basketball, Irish Step Dancing, Crew, Cross Country, Track. Sports I still play: Um . . . Yoga?
100. I will be in France from August 26th - December 17th. Look here for updates. Family, Alec, and friends: I will miss you SO much.

Day Something: Guerrilla Yoga

Papa and I went to Washington, D.C. today to get my visa for France (yay!), and somehow ended up doing yoga in a park. Of course.

Day 17: Return to the Zoo

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Missing my SLU buddies.

So, I understand that 17 doesn't immediately follow 12, but I lost track of a few days there. Let me sum up those days for you right now. I probably spent every one doing more or less the same exact thing: Bikram yoga, sitting on the couch, and avoiding all responsibilities having to do with getting ready for France.

And now, here we are at Day 17. Currently sitting in front of a computer screen, desperately hoping that one of the (twelve) animals I'm house-sitting for isn't pooping on the floor. Again.

And other than that, I have no other plans for today. Just hanging out with my wonderful little zoo. And doing yoga (what a shock).

So, you can see why I haven't written in a while. There's really just nothing happening.
I guess I'm gonna have to get out there and change that.

Day 12: Love Is My Religion

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Love from us to you :)

So, one of the things that I find so intriguing about veganism is that it's not just a diet; it's a lifestyle. It's a way of life that emphasizes love and compassion for all living creatures. Being a vegan doesn't just mean not eating meat and animal products, but it also means not wearing any clothing made from animals (fur, leather, etc.) and refusing to buy products (makeup, shampoo, etc.) that have been tested on animals. Being a vegan is about recognizing that living things are being mistreated, and then choosing to take a stance against that injustice.

So, here's my point: I think it's fascinating that so many people can choose to go vegan in order to express such love towards animals, while so many others can't even show the same respect for their fellow human beings. Ex. I stumbled across this gem today . . .

"I Love Rainbows.

It’s God’s Promise to Me that He Will Never Destroy the World Again.

I’m Not Gay & I’m Sad They Took Something Beautiful and Made It the Symbol of Something with a Negative Connotation.

While I’m Not Homophobic……I Wish When I Drew Rainbows or Wore Rainbows that People Didn’t Automatically Think About the LGBT Movement.

Thus I Love Rainbows. [No Homo]"

There are just too many things to say about this, so I'll just give you a few minutes to vomit.

Well, I still don't know what to say. Except that I sincerely hope that Gucci Mane somehow finds this and makes a song called "I Love Rainbows (No Homo)."

So followers (again, all zero of you), have a beautiful day and feel free to come up with your own versions of this diamond in the rough. I know I will. Results will be posted tomorrow.

Love to everyone out there.

(This means you, author of "I Love Rainbows" -- I'm sending love to you too.)

Have a beautiful Thursday!

Day 11: Tumbling Off the Wagon

This is my awesome brother & me. Today, I want some snow.

It begins with a few sips of a vanilla milkshake at Chick & Ruth's. By the way - not even worth it. I hate vanilla.

Then, because I've already ruined my vegan streak, it's suddenly fine to eat non-vegan snacks (i.e. chocolate chip cookies, -- a healthy snack in anyone's book -- breakfast bars, trail mix, etc).

And then come the big guns: veggie (not vegan) burgers and possibly (definitely) some ice cream at the lifer reunion. Oops.

So, this is an issue.

It's not just that I'm missing out on my full month of veganism, but it's also that I literally can't think of a time when I've finished something that I've started. So here's the deal: I have 3 weeks before I leave for France. In those 3 weeks I will complete these things . . .

1. Be a vegan (without intermission).
2. Do yoga 6 times a week with a smiling, happy face.
3. Do a Bikram double at least once a week.
4. Read a good book. Reading used to be the love of my life, and it's about time we reconnect.
5. Hang out with someone (not just my family members) every week.
6. Talk to someone new every day.
7. Have a "siblings only" day with Rocco.
8. Stop thinking negatively about my body. And about everything, for that matter.
9. Buy myself something that I truly want, but that I've been too afraid to spend the money on.
10. Breathe.

Days 8, 9, &10: Pences

The Hall cousins. Okay, so this is from '09, but I still love them :)

On Saturday, I stole silly bands from a 3-year-old. I also made a new, Israeli friend at Chipotle and got to change a diaper for the first time. Overall, a successful day.

Quote of the day: Me: "So, do you guys think you will have another sister, or will your mom have a boy this time?"
3-year-old: "Well I don't know for sure, but I think it'll be a stranger."


Sunday, I went to Sherwood for a goodbye cookout for Grace & Emma (my gorgeous, incredibly lucky cousins who live in India, and whose lives don't even come close to resembling mine). We grilled flank steak, so naturally I went to my go-to hot restaurant: Chipotle. I'm starting to think that my vegan diet has gradually become an eat-Chipotle-every-day diet. Probably not healthy.

Monday was awesome (sarcasm) because I woke up at 5am to go to yoga, and then promptly fell back asleep, missing the entire class. I also had a super fun eye doctor appointment (which I secretly love. How can you not enjoy watching the little blobs on the wall become letters as they fix your completely f'ed-up vision? Good genes there - thanks Mama Bear).

My day took a turn for the better though with 5pm Bikram yoga in Annapolis in the most insanely crowded class I've ever been in. Front row bitchesssss. I loved it.

But wait -- it gets better! I came home to a delicious tofu stir fry (merci Papa!) and then watched a Tosh.0 marathon with my father. I love my family. Speaking of, I went to Rachu's last night to hang out with my illegitimate family and it. was. awesome. I've missed everyone so much. I have the most amazing, beautiful friends in the world!

So followers (all zero of you), have a beautiful day. It's a little dreary out there, but I have something that will brighten your mood. It's helped me get through every sad day of my life. Enjoy.