Back!

So it has been a while since my last post, but I had good reasons... My mom surprised me for my birthday!

On Saturday, I went to meet Soso at the Musée d'Orsay, then walked with her to Le Télégraphe for lunch. Imagine my surprise as, when the waiter led us towards our table, I spotted my mom with Geraldine hiding by the bar! It was the best birthday present I could ever imagine! We had lunch, then went to Galeries Lafayette where we met up with Nikki. It was a little overwhelmingly packed, but we had a good time browsing. That evening, we went out for pizza and got some sleep, which was a good idea given everything that was ahead of us!

On Sunday, we headed to the Hotel Murano with Erwan, Geraldine, and Soso for brunch. It was SO good, a great way to celebrate Soso's birthday. After, we headed to the Marais. Katie met us there, and we wandered around for a few hours, then went to check out a hotel in the 20th. After drinks at the bar, we went to a sushi restaurant near Erwan and Geraldine's apartment in the 19th. Because it was Sunday night, we figured we would save the festivities for Monday.

Monday, we wandered around near St. Germain, and then I had my first class at Reid Hall. It was fairly uneventful, though the sudden realization that I have work to do was surprising! We had dinner with my host mom, then went to a club called The Queen on the Champs Elysées with Erwan and Geraldine. Even though it was Monday night, the club was packed! By the time we'd had our fill of '80s music, we were amazed to see there were still people waiting to get inside!

Tuesday, we went to Pierre Hermé for croissants for breakfast, then shopped a little before I went to class. For dinner, we ate at 1728, Geraldine's restaurant. The food, as usual, was absolutely amazing! Because it was my mom's birthday, Geraldine had surprised us by decorating our table with balloons. Quite a sight in a restaurant that is in an "hotel particulier" from the 18th century! After dinner, we met a bunch of my friends at a bar called Mannekenpis. We had the whole downstairs to ourselves, and celebrated and danced the night away! It was so great getting to ring in my 21st birthday with my mom and so many great friends!

Today, after an ever-important stop at Pierre Hermé, my mom left to go back to the States. Of course, I wish she could have stayed, but my family misses her! So, while it is still my birthday, it will probably be much more low-key tonight. Dinner with friends and maybe a drink or two (because I can drink legally anywhere on the planet now!), and we'll save the dancing for Saturday!

Gros Bisous,
Jaimie