Paris, Take two!

Just got back from Paris last night, and I know now that it really is the people that make the place!  Totally different this time around!!!  Paris is still as amazing as ever, but what I loved the most was sharing it with my friends!!  It was so unbelievably awesome!!  We took a bus down Saturday morning (which I loved, because long bus trips rule :P!!!) and we started sightseeing right away!! Day one consisted of a LOOONG tour of the Chateau Versaille, dinner, a tour of Paris by night on the bus, and a quick stop in front of the Eiffel Tower :)

Day two: Up by 7, Croissants and crepes for breakfast...très français!!  Another quick morning stop at the Eiffel Tower :) , then on to the Musée d'Orsay.  Many beautiful impressionist paintings (Van Gogh, Monet), but no pictures allowed :(  hehe did manage to get a couple though with my fellow Canadian, Cat :)  The next stop was where my dreams were realized: We ACTUALLY ENTERED THE LOUVRE MUSEUM!!  We spent 3 hours there, and it was nowhere near enough, but I did manage to see the Mona Lisa, the Italian paintings, the Egyptian exhibit, the Greek exhibit, and a little bit of the African and 18th century France exhibits as well!!! IT WAS INCREDIBLE!!  We then stopped at the Champs Elysées for a little shopping and dinner, and then we took a beautiful boat tour along the Seine river (my camera died as this started :( but no worries! I am stealing pictures from other people! :P)  As soon as this tour was over, we had to sprint to make it on time to climb the Eiffel Tower!! ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP!!!  It was UNBELIEVABLE!!!

Day three:  Up at 6h45, pack, breakfast, load the bus, and arrive at the Notre-dame Cathedral pretty much before anyone else :)  Then we drove through the streets of Paris (Holy wow TRAFFIC!! the French are crazy drivers :P) and then we climbed up...and up, and up to Montmartre (We felt the burn :P)  This is where the souvenir shopping kicked in :) Lunch was at THE Hard Rock Cafe :O Then *sigh* it was back on the bus and back home to Belgium.

An unforgettable trip, full of unforgettable people!! Paris Trip 2011!! I love you all!! xoxoxoxoxo

Much love!

Devyn

p.s It's my big bro's birthday today!! So HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATT!!! <3

here we go again!

YAAAAAAYYYY!!! Just a quick not to say HERE I COME AGAIN PARIS!!! leaving early tomorrow morning for three fun-filled days with my favorite people ever!! YAY ROTARY KIDS!!!!!!  So excited and I will have a Paris video (Take two :P) for ya'll when I get back!!

Much love!

Devyn

Two month mark :)

8:46

Devyn is "Divine" :) (that's what my name sounds like when they say it here, except with a french accent :P)

Excuse me for any spelling mistakes here, but my hands are so cold that typing is hard :P I know I know!  As a good Canadian girl, saying that it's cold goes against my nature, but I think all that warm and delicious Belgian chocolate is making me soft :P  However, because I love you all so much, I will power through!
A couple days ago marked my two months in Belgium!! WHAT???? How did it happen so fast??  I have done and seen so much, and have met so many people, yet I can't believe that time has flown by so quickly!  I guess being so occupied all the time, I haven't really noticed :P  And I am always on the go!
School is great!  As I have told many of you Canadians back home, you cannot understand how liberating it is to not have to worry about schoolwork! I FEEL SO FREEEEE!!!!!  And the kids in my class are amazing!!  I have friends here who I know I will remain close  with forever!!
As far as the Rotary goes...I LOOOOOOOVE MY ROTARY PEEPS!!!!!  They are crazy, fun, awesome..I could go on but I think you get it :P  We always have so much fun when we get together, and it isn't that hard to get the whole gang rounded up! I mean, Belgium is not that big :P

 So there it is for another post! Forgive me for not being the most faithful blogger, but I still love you all!!

Much love!

Devyn

J'adore Paris!

Wow! Almost two months in, and I have already done so much!

I know I know! I have been slacking on the blogging recently, but that's just what happens when your having the time of your life!  So here is what has been going on...
As you saw from my last video, I went to a wedding up in Leuven, which is in the dutch speaking part of Belgium.  It was an amazing and beautiful ceremony, even if I didn't understand a word of it!  What made it all the more fun was that my brother (the real one from Canada :P) was there with me, and then we spent the following Monday together in Brussels.  It was so great to see him!  However, I know now why they advise no visits within the first few months of exchange, because it was so much harder this time to say goodbye!

The weekend after his visit, my host family took me to Paris for the weekend!  We spent two full days exploring all the sights, from the Eiffel Tower to the boat tour on the Seine river!  I will forever be grateful to my host family for taking me there, it was such an amazing experience!!!

And just yesterday, I spent a fun-filled day with all the Rotary kids in Belgium!  It may have been raining and cold (what else is new right?) but it doesn't matter when you are hanging out with some of the greatest people on the planet!  Of course, we did have to sit through another super fantastic replay of the rotary rules (FUN!!) but then we went for a boat tour through Namur.  What could be better than a day on a boat with your bffs from around the world?  A few of us stuck around afterwards, and I had so much fun, I ended up taking the train home a 11 pm!  Originally, I thought I would be home by 7 :P  Time just speeds by when your having fun! :P

So there it is. My life is full of crazy times, crazy people, and crazy memories that I will cherish forever!

Much love!

Devyn

Congratulations Laurent and Isabelle!

Hard to believe that Laurent, my brother's friend from Belgium who I met when I was only 9 years old has gotten married!  I'm so happy for him and his wife! Congratulations to them!!!