Les Soldes Sont Arrivées!!!!!

Les Soldes = the sales.

About.com defines this phenomenon in France as "one of the best aspects of a visit to France (at least for shopaholics comme moi).  This is an ideal time of year to visit if you love to shop. The government regulates sales, and there are just two times of year when you can get hot deals. Right now, the winter sale (which lasts six weeks), and the summer sale".

The sales have started, as of yesterday, and I am broke, as of today.  One quick peek into the always fabulous Zara set me back about...well...let's just say a lot!  However, it wasn't wasted money!  I got a new pair of (much needed) boots that were half off, as well as a dress, skirt, pair of corduroy trousers, and 2 shirts!  Too bad I promised Ally that tomorrow will be our big shopping day...I think I will "accidentally" forget my wallet at home, just to be safe.  After all, I do have many big trips planned for the coming months, so I need to save that money!

This week has definitely been the week of big purchases!  Early in the week, I discovered I have this next weekend off, so I decided to take full advantage and promptly booked a train ticket down to Toulouse for the weekend with my friend Amanda!  We leave Paris on Friday at 11 pm and arrive in Toulouse at 6:30 am on Saturday.  We will have all day Saturday and Sunday to tour around the city before we hop on another overnight train at midnight on Sunday, putting us back in Paris bright and early at 7 am Monday.  We will also be couchsurfing this weekend and have found a wonderful University student to host us for the night!  So, a blog all about our week will be written (hopefully) early next week!

So continuing on with the big purchases, Tuesday night one of my best friends from home, Kelsey Farwell, and I booked our big Italian excursion!  Kelsey is coming to visit me in February while I have time off, so we will spend about 4 days in Paris before we jet off to the land of pasta and pesto!  We fly into Rome on Saturday, Feb 19, spend about 4 days there, then hop on a train up to Florence on Tuesday, spend about 2 days in Florence, then take the train to Venice on Thursday, where we will remain until Monday morning!  Neither of us have ever been to Italy, so we are not only excited to see the big sights, but also to experience the culture, the food (screw gluten free this week), the people, and La Dolce Vita!  Arguably the best part of our trip is that we will be arriving in Venice just as the 2 week celebration, Carnival, will be commencing!  Yep, that's right, we will be in Venice for one of the most popular and well-known celebrations in the world!  While we won't be able to attend any of the actual masked balls (minimum 300 euros each), we will be able to partake in all the parades and parties taking place in the street, as well as see people in their full costumes!  Now the hunt for a fun little mask can begin!

Finally my last big expenditure this week is yet ANOTHER trip.  A group of us (me, Ally, Jaimie, Amanda, and possibly one more) will be partaking in the Saint Patrick's Day festivities in the only city that truly knows how to celebrate this peculiar holiday...Dublin, Ireland!  While we will miss St. Patty's Day itself (it's on a Thursday), we will arrive the following evening and stay until Monday morning, so we will have plenty of time to gain a true experience (let's face it, they're Irish, the party will be continuing even long after we're gone)!  That means I have just about 2 months to start liking beer, eeeeks!

So, busy busy schedule coming up, and this doesn't even count the other visitors I will be having in Paris!  Ben arrives next Tuesday for a quick trip to start his 6 month stay in San Sebastian, Spain.  Shannonononononon-my (tied for) favorite roommate ever(!)-arrives at the beginning of March with her boyfriend for a long and lovely 2 week stay!  The wonderful Ashley Whipple and Rachelle arrive soon after Shannon and Erik for a week long stay (aka split custody of Cory).  Then in April, neighbors/family friends Gretchen and Devyn Cotter arrive in Paris for Sprink Break!  Also around this time, I am looking into heading to Spain for Easter and part of Semana Santa, as it is the most largely celebrated holiday in this country and something that should be on EVERYONE'S to-do list in their lifetime...Seriously, google it.

Big plans, exciting plans, fast-approaching plans, and I couldn't be happier!  Otherwise, this week was just like the rest, with the addition of some fabulous superheroes!

Now, one more thing, and I have saved the best for last, so I hope you're still reading!  I found out this week that I am OFFICIALLY spending my last month in France on the island of Corsica!  My best-au pair friend Ally accompanied her host family to Corsica last year for the month of August, and they have asked her to extend her stay with their family to come with them again this year, and they extended the offer to me as well!  Her family, as well as 2 others, rent a HUGE house right on the beach every year for the entire month of August.  So, Ally and I will come along as the nannies, Ally for her 3 kids, and me for 2 other kids.  Here's the catch, they only speak French, so that gives me 6.5 months to become fluent...scary!  Needless to say, I am very excited to spend my summer on the beach, with Ally, while getting paid.  I'd call that an amazing end to what has been an amazing year!

À bientôt !