Chapter 2: Chicago/Paris

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing -Benjamin Franklin 

You ever have that paradoxical feeling that the day went by both in the blink of an eye yet also felt like weeks? That's today. Of course by today I also mean yesterday, international flying always makes two days feel like one day with its two hour night fall magic trick.  Or maybe it's the not showering, changing, or getting a proper rest...

Anyway, I've arrived in Europe!! Yesterday morning I woke at 3:30am to catch my 6am flight to Chicago. Now, anyone who could score a C- or higher on a Kevin trivia test would know flying is my worst fear. I would NEVER do it if traveling wasn't one of my favorite things. This time I had a solution...drugs...and lots of them. Don't worry, the Xanax was prescribed to me. It did the trick. I remember neither of my flights, other than my brief annoyance that the international flight didn't have personalized seat TVs. As if I could of even tried watching.

CHICAGO

What I do remember is our ten and a half hour layover. Now, if that sounds awful to you, your wrong. Long layovers are the best because you can go explore the city and come back when your done. After a thirty minute train into Chicago we saw the bean, Michigan avenue, Holy Name Cathedral, and a lot of random attractions. Here's some imagery of Chicago so that those who don't read this blog but instead just scan for informative pictures feel included:



This is holy name cathedral. It's interior is gorgeous, the spartan
external notwithstanding. Depicted is a man approaching the alter
 after prostrating himself(a word I so often mix up with prostate...)

 

The Water Tower. i did a paper on this tower in third grade.
 I think the paper had to be at least 50 word minimum on how it
 was the only building that survived the Great Chicago Fire. If i
were to write it again id probably point out that its a freaking tower.
My mom brought me here for a field trip. Thanks mom, really.

 

Peter and I on a random elevator...lost. 

Lets see Instagram create a filter like this.

PARIS!!!

Ok, you get the point. Fast forward 8 hours and two Xanax's later and we arrived in Paris. Since we were ahead of schedule for our train we got to see tons of sights even though we will be coming back in three weeks. It really is GORGEOUS. Sure it's touristy, but there's a reason. Everywhere you look is a textbook worth of history and picturesque enough to qualify to be a national geographic front cover. We left the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triumph for later but saw the exterior of Notre-Dame, the Louvre, and many other things. 

Charlemagne! This guy is a stud in my book!
(And most history books) #jaredweilfaert

 

You can't begin to capture the detail of this church
 in a picture. So I'll post two...

 

Two pictures is still not good enough...

 

Ok I give up. Notre-Dame beautiful. Just go Google search it
if you don't believe me.

 

The Louvre. It's this fancy but in 360.

 

French cuisine...on budget

SOUTHBOUND TRAIN 

Now we are on our 6 hour train to southern France to meet oh first workaway where we will be for 3 weeks. The scene outside the window is of beautiful French countryside. First thing I've noticed, at least on this train, is no one talks. This is a bummer since in North Africa it was the best place to meet people and practice the language. For example, I boarded at the same time as a guy my age who is now sitting across from me. While we have snickered together at situations occurring around us, he still just nodded at my hello. Well, maybe everyone in France takes Xanax for trains not planes...

Hopefully the workaway we arrive at in a couple hours is different! It's been a long 40 hours since I stepped out my front door in Roswell, GA.

We both know your not sleeping, now be my
friend and start teaching me French!