I have finally arrived in Angers and am LOVING it thus far!

Sunday night I took the TGV from Paris to Angers, which was WONDERFUL primarily because I knew it was the last time I would have to carry 100+ pounds of luggage toute seule. My couchsurfing hosts met me at the gare which I was SO grateful for, and they really have been such incredible hosts this whole time. 

I keep thinking back t0 my vacation in Nice last spring, when two other American girls from my program (Bailey and Michelle) and I decided (and by that, I mean it was circumstantially forced upon us because we were all broke as a JOKE by that point in the semester...) to couchsurf instead of stay in a hostel. We were all a little weary about the idea but decided that between the three of us we could pretty much handle anything.  My favorite part about the whole ordeal was that along the way we had somehow come up with the motto "This is either going to be the greatest experience of our lives....or we're going to die" and just went with it. That kind of 'all-or-nothing' attitude made it by far one of the best vacations I have ever been on.  

Our hosts (much like my host this week) not ONLY didn't murder us, but were also so incredibly kind and giving and selfless, and it really re-established for me the idea of good karma and creating positive energy through human interactions.  My hosts this week have made me feel so welcome and at home, and have even fed me, lent me their vélo, gave me a key to the apartment, and offered to talk to apartments renters on the phone for me. Now I only wish I had the words to let them know how insanely grateful I am!!

Yesterday morning began my apartment search that I am hoping with all my heart will end relatively soon.  While going to my first visit, I accidentally went the complete wrong direction and had to have one of the roommmates retreive me from some random part of town after getting caught in rainstorm #1 of the day. The apartment was meh, the location was decent, and the roommates were...well....so attractive. That was definitely a selling point. 

After that I scampered off to my next visit. I asked the (SO hot!) guy at the place I was currently at how long it would take me to get to the next place. His response -- "10 minutes par pied....par vélo? 3 minutes, pas trop loin.", which was the BIGGEST lie I had heard all day. So 35 minutes and another brief rainstorm later, I arrived a not-so-fashionable 25 minutes late in a more local location and in a beautifully classic French apartment building behind a stone wall with an amazing garden out front and a bernese mountain dog permanently in the yard. It was essentially the filming location for "The Secret Garden". However, the many rules and non-social atmosphere were an immediate turn off for me.  

I had some extra time so I figured I would just bro out in centre ville and get my bearings, so I did! I eventually made my way down near the river, which was really beautiful once the sun had come out.  Everything around there was old as dirt which was cool. (LITERALLY. A château from the middle ages. Like seriously old.)  There are sweet 15 foot walls lining the old OLD streets, which makes you feel like you're in like World War II which I guess is also kind of cool.

After that visit, I went to the apartment of some of the other Americans doing the same program as me and indulged in a well-deserved glass of wine and english conversation for my first time since I arrived in France. Their apartment was quaint and warm with high cielings and retro euro flair, and I was SO jealous that they had found a place to settle in, especially after my trecherous (and wet) day.

I have never felt a love like I feel for you, little blue dot.

Off I go to look at more places!