Originally entitled "Vent"

The thrill of being in a new place is beginning to wear off.

In fact, the 2^nd-week slums have attacked (if there are such slums). Until I can get my student ID museums and movies, even certain restaurants are off limits; that is they are free once I am in official French student so why pay now? I’m also trying hard to save every penny for my travel-piggy-bank, thus limiting my day/evening activities in Paris. Basically this week consisted of going to half-days of orientation at the Middlebury school, walking around the city to take photos, and returning home to do small homework assignments. Skype dates in there too, of course.
I’m the only student studying at Le Catho so I’m only somewhat a part of the orientation, leaving me with a lot of free time and no one with whom to share it because all my friends here are getting their full orientation-experience. Speaking of free time, I have the whole mostly-empty week before Le Catho begins, after Le Sorbonne’s back in session, to do…something?? … with, again, no one because they’re all studying practical subjects at the Sorbonne.
France is breaking all sorts of records for being unnecessarily cold.

But instead of continuing on with this post in a similar direction as intended, because of my current state of loneliness and boredom, I’m going to stop here. Considering what’s going on in the world right now it feels wrong to be even slightly complaining; my apologies, I wasn’t expecting this to happen.

I am so blessed to be able to spend 7 full months in Europe in a beautiful home with a beautiful family; I have so much for which to be thankful and so much to which to look forward during my stay here in Paris. I am thinking about and praying for all those affected by the tragedy in Haiti, both in Haiti and in the world at large. I hope that those who are able may open their hearts and hands [today] to a country in need of more than we can imagine.

Extraordinary and heart-breaking.