But aren't French women really skinny?

[rebecca_in_blue]

Nathalie wasn’t able to take us shopping today, so Heather and I decided to walk to the store. (I needed warm clothes, and she just came because she didn’t have anything else to do.) The store, Leclerc, could be described as a French Wal-Mart but not as big – of course, stores in France are never as big as they are in America. The walk took us about 40 minutes, and because we left in the late afternoon, we got there about 30 minutes before it closed, so we didn’t have much time to shop. But I managed to buy a nice coat, two long-sleeved tops, gloves, a hat, and pair of jeans. I’m wearing the jeans right now; they have glittery designs that I don’t really like on the pockets and the butt, but I needed another pair, and they were the ones I could find that fit me. The vast majority of clothes in the store were much too big. It was expensive, but it was well worth it, because I wore my new coat and gloves on the walk back and actually felt warm! Feeling warm outside is not something that has happened to Rebecca often since she arrived here.

This morning I e-mailed Laura (my cousin) asking if I could stay with her and her family in London during Christmas. She wrote this afternoon back saying yes and that Johnny and Betty (her parents) were flying in from New York to also stay with them during Christmas and it would be nice if our visits could overlap. I worried it would be too crowded with all of us, but Laura assures me that they have enough room. I am really looking forward to it, because I haven’t seen Johnny and Betty since 2005, Laura and her family since 2004, and they are all very cool people. Besides, I am going to be in London, which more JM Barrie sites than any other city in the world! If I can visit the Duke of York Theater on December 27 (Peter Pan’s birthday), I might just die. But this isn’t to say that I won’t be incredibly homesick at the same time. I think this will be the first time in my entire life that I don’t spend Christmas Eve at Grandma’s house.

One thing that I have resolved to do is buy a ticket to London well in advance. Leaving my trip to Belgium until the last minute has been problematic, but I am determined to go. I will just have to spend some of the money that’s sitting in my French bank account. It’s meant for travel and emergencies, so I don’t know why I’m so hesitant to spend it on travel. I keep imagining myself at the end of April, about to fly back to America with as much money as I brought to France, because I spent all my time here waiting for an emergency instead of travelling.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

so happy to finally be able to get on and talk to you/work the past two nights has been crazy//i am so excited that you will be in London and with family for christmas// i was planning on giving all 4 of you 150.oo,so i was thinking i would send it shortly to help with your expenses to london//also please enclosed laura's address so that i can mail you christmas presents there, it will be small little delicious packages,but i want you to have them on christmas morning//
all for now love mom

[rebecca-in-blue.livejournal.com]

Mom -- I'm going to be at Laura's house from December 21st to 24th, then at a hostel from December 24th to 28th, if all goes as planned. There's not a big window of time for anything you mail to reach me at Laura's house, especially since there probably won't be any mail on Christmas Eve or December 23, which is a Sunday. I think it would be easier if you mailed my Christmas present to me in France before I left and I just took it to London with me. I promise I won't open it until Christmas Eve. Did you get the package I mailed you for your birthday yet?