#ran a veggie restaurant in atlantic city

[colorisbyshe]

i literally cannot have a normal conversation with my mother.

i was complaining about having to come up with a costume for my hip hop class which recommended a red accessory and she said she had a red bandana

"no i don't want to do that, for a variety of reasons"

"well, it can be a gay thing."

"... mother, that was a gay SEX thing, i'm not wearing a bandana like that"

"gay sex thing?"

"yeah, the different colors mean... things i'm not talking to you about, figure it out on your own"

"is that why my gay roommate kept stealing all of my bandanas"

"i guess so??"

"well he's dead now. a lot of my friends died of AIDS"

"oh"

"yeah"

"..."

"gay sex though, really?"

"i'm not doing this"

[aupairadventures]

The Nelsons Take Nantes (And Paris, too!)

Last month, my Mom, Aunt, and sister came to visit me here in France. Without a doubt, this experience was one of the top highlights of my year abroad. For months, I had been looking forward to this moment. In fact, from the second I landed in France last August, I couldn’t wait for my family to come to visit. I knew that they would fall in love with this beautiful country just as much as I have. The way that I feel about France is no secret, and couldn’t wait for my family to understand exactly why I feel this way. My mom and I talk frequently over the phone, and there’s always so much to share with each other and catch up on. During our chats (which are so very dear to me,)  I’ve described many different things to her; I’ve told her about the peaceful river in Vertou, about the majestic castle in Nantes, or the colors in last night’s sunset. I’ve told her about my host family, about my friends, about funny stories and embarrassing moments. During our phone calls, we’ve both shared laughter and shed tears, and been there for each other through all our days, both good and bad. After months of describing what my life here looks like, I couldn’t wait for my family to experience it firsthand and turn their obscure imaginations into reality.

I felt so excited that we would all be embarking on a new adventure together and so proud of my family, especially my sister, for doing something that they’d never done before; This was the first time that my Aunt visited Paris and northern France, the first time that my Mom visited Europe, and the first time that Trinity left the United States. I love being able to say that the first time that my Mom and sister ever crossed the Atlantic ocean was to come to visit me.  

To say that their visit was magical would be an understatement. When my family was here, I had one of the most perfect and happiest weeks ever. Every moment that we shared together was so special, and their presence brought a golden, rose-colored light to my world.

On Thursday morning, the day after I returned to Paris from Budapest, I went to Orly Airport to greet them. I was so excited and impatient that I could barely contain myself, and my excitement led me to practically jumping off the shuttle bus like a crazy woman, leading to me getting reprimanded by a French security guard. (Long story!)

I’ll never forget the moment when I went into the airport and found my mom’s face through the whirling airport crowd. I ran towards her at a breakneck pace and tackled her in a hug, feeling happier than ever to finally see her again. I’ll never forget how I laughed at Trinity’s reaction delayed reaction, either. We looked over to see her sipping a cappuccino at the airport Monop’ cafe, saying, “Oh! I didn’t even see you there!” before laughing and wrapping us up in a group hug. 

Our first day in Paris together was nothing short of spectacular.  The three of us explored the city, saw the Eiffel Tower, stood on the Trocadero, ate macarons, and saw Monet’s Water Lilies in l’Orangerie, (fulfilling a lifelong dream of my Aunt’s).  I felt so happy when I looked over at my family and saw the stars in their eyes as they gazed around them with a sense of childlike wonder. I loved experiencing the city through their eyes, with a totally fresh perspective. It reminded me of how I felt when I came to Paris for the first time, and reminded why this magical place is so dear to my heart. Seeing my family being so joyous in a city that I love so much made me happier than anything, and was the best gift ever. 

Thursday night, after going to the Eiffel Tower to watch the sunset and see the tower sparkle after nightfall, we went out to dinner together to celebrate our first night in France. Tucked away on a small, hidden street a few blocks away from the Eiffel Tower, we found the most amazing little Italian restaurant. While the outside might not have looked like much, the people there were so friendly and the food was absolutely to die for. The honey and goat cheese pizza, spinach lasagna, cheesy ravioli, Caprese salads, and tiramisu were so incredible that we came back a second time the following night! 

On Friday morning, we took a long walk around the area, enjoying each other's company and the beautiful blue skies and golden sunshine. Trinity’s dream was to find a Brandy Melville and go shopping there, so we did just that. On our way there, we wandered through a lovely fashion district filled with gorgeous little boutiques and extremely expensive designer stores. To be honest, I have absolutely no idea where we were or what the name of this neighborhood was; all I know is that this area was absolutely beautiful. 

After another delicious lunch, we took the metro to the Louvre, which is one of my favorite places on Earth. As I knew that they would, my family absolutely loved the Louvre and were totally in awe of its beauty and opulence. We spent the whole afternoon there, exploring all of the different collections, gawking at the impressive architecture and artwork, as well being up to no good and laughing a lot, as can be seen in the pictures below: 

That night, we decided to go to the Eiffel Tower to see if it would be possible to go up to the top. We got extremely lucky with the line and only had to wait about 30 or 40 minutes total. I’m so glad that I waited to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower for the first time with my family and that I saved this special moment for them. This memory was one of the highlights of our week together. I was especially proud of my mom, who’s scared to death of heights, but was so brave and conquered her fear. While I’m not particularly scared of heights, I am very afraid of elevators, so my mom and I clung on to each other tightly while my daredevil Aunt and sister felt no fear at all, even daring to try to lean over the edge of the fence, declaring, “Look! There’s a soccer game down there!”

We decided to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower at the perfect time of day, as we got to see Paris in all her beautiful forms. We watched as the bright blue sky was lit up with golden sunlight before fading into shades of pink and purple as the sun began to set, and watched the glowing lights of the city below us come alive as the sky darkened and fell asleep. Seeing Paris from above was one of the most beautiful views I’ve ever seen, and made me love this city even more (If that can be humanly possible).  

We started out our last day in Paris by visiting a boulangerie-patisserie and snacking on some chocolate eclairs as we walked to Le Musee d’Orsay. This was my first time visiting this museum, and I absolutely loved it. This museum is actually housed in a former train station built in the last 1800s, making for gorgeously interesting architecture. My favorite part of the museum was the top floor because of the beautiful impressionist paintings and an incredibly photogenic clock tower. 

After spending the morning at the museum, we walked to the Shakespeare and Company Bookstore and Café, (one of my favorite places in Paris,) and gawked at the beauty of the Notre Dame Cathedral, savoring our last moments in Paris before taking the train to Nantes to begin the second part of our French adventure.

Trinity and I managed to turn the usually mundane 2-hour train ride into a fun occasion as we ate pizza together, watched our favorite John Mulaney comedy special on Netflix, and tried as hard as we could to not laugh too loudly.

After a long train ride, walk from the train station to the bus stop, long bus ride, and a short drive back home, we were all so exhausted and so overjoyed to finally arrive at my host family’s house. After all the traveling I had done, I hadn’t been home in almost 2 weeks, so finally coming home felt so lovely. There’s nothing like sleeping in your own bed after being away!

On Sunday, we had an absolutely lovely morning. After sleeping in late, we went to the Vertou farmer’s market together, where we bought lots of fresh veggies, salad greens, raspberries, and some impressive looking lavender goat cheese. After a delicious lunch together at home, we got in the car and headed to Nantes to spend the afternoon showing my family the city that has become my home. I took them to all of my favorite places: Le Jardin des Plantes, la Cathedrale, le Château, my favorite boulangerie, all the little shops in the Bouffay quarter, my favorite thrift store, Place Royale, and le Passage Pommeraye. My mom said that le Jardin des Plantes was her absolute favorite place in the city because all the nature, flora, and greenery reminds her of the Berkshires, where I grew up. (I think that she enjoyed feeding the goats there as well!) It felt so special to finally show my family around the city that has become so dear to my heart, and that I have told them about countless times. Seeing my Mom, Aunt, and sister in all of my favorite places in this city made me feel like my two worlds were colliding and made me realize that now,  in my memories, there would forever be a little piece of Lenox, Massachusetts halfway across the world in Nantes, France.

    At the end of the day, when we arrived back to the house, my host family had just returned home from their weekend trip. As I watched my family and my host family greet each other, introduce themselves, and exchange hugs, I felt a wave of happiness wash over me. Watching my two families, two groups of people that I care so deeply about, come together for the first time was such a beautiful and special moment to witness.

   That night, we all had the first of many amazing aperitifs and dinners together. My host dads (the absolute perfect hosts in every way,) went above and beyond to welcome my family and make them feel at home, for which I am so grateful. They showed my family such kindness and generosity, just as they have done for me since the moment that I met them. That week, every night during dinner, surrounded by lots of smiles and laughter, I could feel my heart glowing as I looked around the table.

   That week, my host kid Mathilde, my family and I, embarked on many other adventures. We returned to Nantes to visit L’Ile des Machines, see the gigantic robotic elephant and ride Nantes’ huge, three-story carousel. On a sunny, blue-skied day, we took a lovely road trip to a little seaside town called Pornic, which is about 45 minutes away from Vertou. We had a little picnic by the ocean, walked around the charming town and visited the little shops along the way. 

During our last day together, we went on another little road trip to Clisson, one of my absolute favorite little villages. I wrote about Clisson last October when I visited it for the first time with my friend Ellie, but I’ll write about what it’s like again, just because I love it there so much! Between the cobblestone streets lined with lovely shops, the creperies and ice cream stands, the picturesque river and stone bridge, the beautiful hiking trails, all the little vine-covered houses with terracotta roofs and brightly colored shutters, and the ruins of a medieval castle, Clisson is one of the most adorable places I’ve ever seen. On that sunny Wednesday, we saw the sculpture covered ground of Garenne Lemot, strolled through the forest, and walked through fields of yellow and purple wildflowers. We ate crêpes for lunch and basked in the sunshine as we ate gelato and explored the ruins of the castle. The five of us spent a magical day there, and it was a great way to bring my family’s first adventure in France to a close. 

   Early on Thursday, it came time for my family to take a train from Nantes back to Paris, and then catch their flight back home. We left the house before the sun had even come up and drove to the train station, my heart feeling heavy the whole time. I’ve always hated saying goodbye, and never been good at handling the emotions that come along with it. As we stood on the train platform before they boarded, I hugged them all fiercely as tears ran down my cheeks. I felt so heartbroken to have to say goodbye to them and was missing them before they had even left. However, I felt comforted by the knowledge that we had all had the most incredible time and had created so many beautiful new memories together. I am infinitely grateful for this experience and will cherish them forever. I’m looking forward to seeing my family again soon in just a few months, as I know that any more adventures lie ahead, and we have many more memories to make.