so sorry i havent posted in FOREVER!
i got back from France late saturday night and was busy all of yesterday
and in France the only time i could use the internet was during a 10 minute break at school
so this is the first chance.
France was really gorgeous.

1st day (sunday): we got there and immediately got swept off to our host familys. Silvia, Vale, and I stayed with a family of 3 (mom, dad, and 13 month old baby) in a cute house semi-close to downtown. we were given keys and told pretty much that we could go anywhere, do whatever, but we were completely in charge of our own transportation. which pretty much meant: TONS OF WALKING. i dont think i've ever walked so much. (and it rained every day except the day we got there and the day we left.. and the only waterproof shoes i had were heeled boots so i had to walk around in those for a week, so my feet hurt extra much.)
then we walked downtown and met the rest of the class at the main Piazza. In europe, every weekend during February is Carnival. Its a holiday where everyone dresses up in costume and theres huge parades, floats everywhere, tonssss of people, and sillystring and confetti. so we watched the parade and got in sillystring/confetti fights. it was really fun. then the whole class walked to the sea which was GORGEOUS.
then we walked home. and that night we went to a billiard club, which was fun..

2nd day (monday): we walked to school. and split off. the whole class was in a semi-advanced class except me since i'd never had anyyyy french. so i got put in a beginning beginners class. with 4 other students who couldnt speak any french either :] and they were mostly asian so their pronunciations were really funny... although so were mine. and i came to the conclusion that i really dont like french. but the class was fairly fun. the teacher was hilarious and since none of us understood eachother we pretty much spent the 3 hours each day laughing at eachother. then after class we went on a superrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr long (like 15 kilometers) walk and most of it was uphill. but we got to see pretty much the entire city and got a gorgeous view from a castle type thing.. then we went on a tour thing of a sweets factory in which i could understand zero but the samples were yummy.. then we walked home.. then that night we went to a bowling alley but the lanes were full so instead we just played a lot of pool. and i was horrible :[ then after we went to a pub, then the guys walked us home because me, vale, and silvia's house wasn't in the greatest neighborhood.

3rd day (tuesday): we walked to school again. then after school we took the train to monte-carlo (the capitol of the little independent nation of Monacco) it was gorgeous. and supposedly its an extremeley rich nation which seemed to clearly show. we also went to the aquarium there and it was very cute and made me miss the sea center :( then that night we went to a pub and watched a football (soccer) game

4th day (wednesday): i woke up feeling horrible. and got a flu or cold or something like that. so school was kindof miserable. then after school we took a train to the main shopping center in Cote D'Azur. But it wasn't all that fun, and because i felt sick, i had a very miserable day walking around indoors with very sparse benches. then as soon as we got home i went to bed.

5th day (thursday): school.. then after school we went to the Musee Matisse, and after that we went to a different shopping center. then that night we all went to the sea at night and it was so so lovely.

6th day (friday): it was our last day of school, so we got our french school diplomas. everyone graduated with fairly high levels, and i graduated "faux debutant" which is the lowest level possible. so i think french is not the language for me. after that we took a train to Cannes and toured around there. It reminded me a lot of a less crowded version of Hollywood. It was very dull and empty, and had the handprints of the stars like hollywood.. i didnt like it much. then that night we went to another pub and after that we all went to a discoteca and danced.. so that was fun.

7th day (our last day): we got to sleep in some, since school was done. then we packed all our bags and went on a walking tour of old nizza to buy souveniers and i found myself a deck of "Nice" cards. after that we went to the sea again and some of us skipped rocks. it was wonderful, because it was our only sunny day so we all sat along this rock wall and absorbed the sun. after that we went home, finished our packing and headed off to the airport. the airplane ride home was horrible. taking off the plane was tilting a ton back and forth, and the whole ride there was tons of turbulance. then the landing was one of the worst landings i've ever experienced and it was quite scary.

anyways, now i'm back in Rome. and its nice to be home, although i somewhat miss all the freedom we had in Nizza.
Ciao!