This will serve as an amendment of sorts to my earlier post about spring break.
I arrived in Paris 10 January . 6 weeks ago. I started classes the 19 January. 5 weeks ago. Around the first week of class I began hearing rumblings of spring break. Yeah, you heard me: the first week. According to these rumblings, it is imperative to have your spring break plans pretty much finalized by the first or second week of classes.
So did I have my plans finalized by the first or second week? Hell no! I was just getting used to living in Paris, how could I even think about where I was going to travel a month later?
As time passed, the number one topic of conversation wasn't "how are classes?", or "how's your apartment?", not even "what are we doing Friday night?" It was, "so, where are you going for spring break?" Most people LOVED when this topic was brought up, because they all had their plans wrapped up in a nice little package around this time. Me? Not so much.
For the record, I finalized my plans this past Monday evening when I finally got around buying my tickets. Three-four weeks ago, when everyone's plans were set in stone, I didn't even have an idea about what I was going to do for spring break, didn't even know what I wanted to do. I wasn't thinking about planes, trains, or automobiles, nor hostels or couch surfing or hotels. I didn't even know how a eurorail pass worked three-four weeks ago.
And yet, here I am, ready to embark upon my spring break travels, and everything worked out. Besides hitting a little turbulence when I went to purchase my tickets to Rome (turns out in all my years of studying French, I have absolutely no idea how to buy train tickets in French. it was quite an embarrassing situation.), I'll be in London and Rome (knock on wood) over the next two weeks.
Maybe it's because I've been living in France where seemingly no one is interested in working hard (except for the bakers, of course--they work their asses off to keep me in croissants and baguettes), or because I go to AUP where doing any kind of work typically takes a backseat to drinking and clubbing, but I'm really beginning to think hard work is over-rated. Everyone just needs to take a deep breath and relax, man. No need to get so stressed out about the little things in life, especially spring break plans, which are supposed to be fun, anyway. Things have a great way of working out in the end. I would know.
