My cousins kindly dropped me off at Paddington Station where I took the train to Heathrow. All was going well until I tried to check my baggage. *Warning: beginning of a rant* Apparently the luggage requirements change significantly from UK to France as opposed to the U.S. to France...*sigh* So guess who got dinged 48 pounds (the currency, not the weight)? Uhuh. I am not happy. at. all. The lady was sUper grumpy about it (I had a similar problem way back when and the person was totally fine about it) and was rolling her eyes approx. 3 x's per min. She even weighed my hand luggage, and raised her eye-brows about it--a bit extreme don't ya think! So after I lost the money I was planning on living on for the next year, I went through security and as I was tapping my foot impatiently (because after my spat with the luggage lady of doom I was cutting it close to my flight time-wise) I got pulled aside to go and get screened in a private room...gahh...when it rains it pours, non? I was so irritated my frustration materialized and came out of my eyes--it was a very unique experience. The poor security guy was so frightened! He didn't know what to do with me and the only thing he could think of was that it was either his fault or that I was devastated to leave London, so he offered to let me come and live with him...which I declined...sort of not super awkwardly.
I eventually got to my gate, somewhat consoled myself with some Matt and Kim, boarded the flight only to see some attractive muscly guy who had been allowed two pieces of hand luggage! Gah! Why!? I guess he just sort of smiled and flexed them guns when he was checking on. Lame. Once on the plane I noticed that there was tons of space in the overhead compartments too! I was fuming. am still, actually, if you didn't notice.
After I got into Paris I picked up my now "obese" suitcase and took a train to the hotel my study abroad group (from here on out known as SAG) which was fun...in a I-love-pulling-suitcases-up-flights-of-stairs-during-rush-hour kind of a way. I luckily found the hotel super easily and then got to go and meet the *SAG.
We had a quick orientation and then we went out for a lovely dinner Parisian style. I started out with a vegetable tart (like a quiche) and then we had duck with plum sauce, and topped it off with pear tart. It was sooo yummy! I also got to chat with my group a bit and I am super excited--what a great bunch! Definitely an alls well that ends well sort of a day.
*This sounds like it has a somewhat negative connotation, but it doesn't at all--ok!
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