I bought a lint roller today because all I ever do is wear black....

... and you'd be surprised how much Madame Ouchka sheds.

In other news my dear friend and most recent roommate the fabulous Maggie Carroll came to visit me here in Paris last week! It was my first visitor from "the outside world" and it was so exciting to be able to show her my life here and have her meet all of my friends (now everyone is friends with everyone and the world is beginning to feel a whole lot smaller). She is currently studying in Athens, Greece for the semester and I can't wait to go visit her there in two weeks (AH!) and have her do the same.

I had another bout with the menacing French Bureaucracy today. In order to finally complete my visa I had to pass a medical exam at the OFII office (OFII stands for something concerning immigration, but I honestly don't have the energy to look it up). It was actually kind of fun, however inefficient and tedious, because all of Sweet Briar (my 69 closest friends) was there in the same waiting room. We were of course shooshed a few times for being loud Americans, but what could they expect? It really did seem ridiculous to tell a bunch of college students to all show up at at the same time and then go through three different stations (a chest xray, an eye exam, and a personal visit/questionnaire thing).... but I think we all felt rather accomplished, however fatigued, at the end of it because... the entire thing was conducted in French! Yes ladies and gentlemen, I am so well-versed that I can understand and answer questions about my own physical well being.

AND.... I got this to take home as the hands-down best souvenir ever....

It's very much my most prized possession at the moment....

~ Clara