Tag: university of denver

Drag race, midterms, and public transportation

Published on by Abigail HopperLeave a comment

Another week down. How is it already October??

Here in Rennes, fall weather is in full swing, and I’m loving it so much. The leaves turning colors, the start of Christmas decorations popping up in the city, and the warm drinks are all so lovely—it feels like a cozy movie scene every day.

This week, I have hit around the half-way mark in my classes, so a lot of this week I’ve been in and out of various libraries and coffee shops. With an increase in rainy weather, I’ve also started using public transportation a lot more and now am pretty confident navigating the buses and metros, which is a feat I’d say! They’re not complicated, but very different than what I’m used to back home. Sometimes I find myself missing the ease and comfort of a car in the US, but I also really appreciate the prioritization of the environment and not contributing to traffic.

One of the highlights of my week: I went to a show alone and it was amazing. I’ve been obsessed with Drag Race (who isn’t?), and after getting a bit too into Drag Race France, I found out they were touring and coming to my city. I got a ticket and went by myself, and omg—I loved every minute. The energy, the performances, and just being surrounded by people who appreciate drag culture was really special. Queer culture in France hasn’t been something I’ve seen much of yet, so this felt like such an immersive and joyful experience. And going alone was great because I met so many people and had the chance to practice my French (and pick up some new slang :).

Then bright and early the next morning, a few friends and I took a trip to Avranches in Normandy and hiked along the coast. It was a bit cold, but so gorgeous—the coastline here never gets old! It reminded me that every adventure doesn’t have to be some faraway destination; there’s so much beauty close by 🙂

This week I’m also hitting TWO MONTHS of being in France, meaning I’m almost 1/4 of the way through the whole year. I didn’t realize how quickly it truly would pass. But I’m trying to take advantage of every minute of it! Next weekend I’m going to Mont St. Michel, and have some other trips coming up soon that I’m really excited about!

Thank you for reading!!

A glimpse of the past two weeks…

Published on by rhiannalewisLeave a comment

Hi everyone! It’s been a while since I sat down to write a blog post, which is partially due to the busyness of adjusting to a new routine and partially due to my fear that what I write won’t be interesting. Recovering perfectionists, I know you know what I’m saying. I’m forcing myself to get over that, though, because living in Athens has been incredible and exhausting and eye-opening, and I want to share that with my community! So, since I last posted, I’ve…

  • visited the islands of Agistri and Aegina, two islands within a two-hour ferry ride of the mainland. Aegina is known for its pistachio trees, so pretty much everything there is pistachio-flavored. (The salted pistachio caramel gelato was to die for). The first time I went to Aegina with my roommates was actually not by choice, as the first ferry was full and we were essentially stuck on the island until 10pm. The change of plans was unexpected and made me a little (…a lot) stressed, but it made for a very funny story now!
  • volunteered with the Sustainability Leaders group on my university’s campus to help reduce food waste at the local farmers market! ACG partners with Baroume, a Greek nonprofit, to collect unwanted produce at the end of the farmer’s market on Fridays to donate to different organizations around the Athens area. The day I volunteered, we filled the entire van with “rescued” produce that would be given to those in need.
  • discovered my new favorite bookstore near campus! Not only did they have two newly released books I’ve been dying to read, but they also had a beautiful outdoor cafe area where one of my roommates and I did homework for a couple of hours. I felt right at home there; I can’t wait to go back. One of my next blog posts might just be about the best bookstores in Athens…stay tuned 😉
  • attended a movie showing at the Athens Film Festival! My bus was late, I got slightly lost, and I sat in a terrible seat, but all in all, I felt very cool and cultured for being part of something artistic in the Athens area that I wouldn’t normally have access to at home. The movie I saw was “Bad Timing” from the 1980s. It wasn’t what I thought I was going to see, but it was fun and thought-provoking nonetheless!
  • had a lot of ups and downs, which feel common due to the fact that I’m away from everything I’ve ever known. I’m working on finding my groove and my people, even on days when it’s hard. I’m learning a lot and having fun, though, and that’s what I’m most grateful for. Always!