The Most Beautiful Collection of Words I've Ever Experienced

Hello blog, sorry I've been away. A post about my trip to Bordeaux with my aunt and cousin is forthcoming. This is just a little nugget I wanted to share. It is an exert from Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo, which I have started reading again after my first failed attempt during winter break. I was on the train to Bordeaux while reading this, in a blissful state of being in France while reading Les Mis and also listening to the soundtrack. I finished this passage and instantly got the chills. I don't think I've ever loved something I've read this much. Enjoy, and apologies if I've infringed on some copyright laws.


Let us remark by the way, that to be blind and to be loved, is, in fact, one of the most strangely exquisite forms of happiness upon this earth, where nothing is complete. To have continually at one's side a woman, a daughter, a sister, a charming being, who is there because you need her and because she cannot do without you; to know that we are indispensable to a person who is necessary to us; to be able to incessantly measure one's affection by the amount of her presence which she bestows on us, and to say to ourselves, "Since she consecrates the whole of her time to me, it is because I possess the whole of her heart"; to behold her thought in lieu of her face; to be able to verify the fidelity of one being amid the eclipse of the world; to regard the rustle of a gown as the sound of wings; to hear her come and go, retire, speak, return, sing, and to think that one is the centre of these steps, of this speech; to manifest at each instant one's personal attraction; to feel one's self all the more powerful because of one's infirmity; to become in one's obscurity, and through one's obscurity, the star around which this angel gravitates,—few felicities equal this. The supreme happiness of life consists in the conviction that one is loved; loved for one's own sake—let us say rather, loved in spite of one's self; this conviction the blind man possesses. To be served in distress is to be caressed. Does he lack anything? No. One does not lose the sight when one has love. And what love! A love wholly constituted of virtue! There is no blindness where there is certainty. Soul seeks soul, gropingly, and finds it. And this soul, found and tested, is a woman. A hand sustains you; it is hers: a mouth lightly touches your brow; it is her mouth: you hear a breath very near you; it is hers. To have everything of her, from her worship to her pity, never to be left, to have that sweet weakness aiding you, to lean upon that immovable reed, to touch Providence with one's hands, and to be able to take it in one's arms,—God made tangible,—what bliss! The heart, that obscure, celestial flower, undergoes a mysterious blossoming. One would not exchange that shadow for all brightness! The angel soul is there, uninterruptedly there; if she departs, it is but to return again; she vanishes like a dream, and reappears like reality. One feels warmth approaching, and behold! she is there. One overflows with serenity, with gayety, with ecstasy; one is a radiance amid the night. And there are a thousand little cares. Nothings, which are enormous in that void. The most ineffable accents of the feminine voice employed to lull you, and supplying the vanished universe to you. One is caressed with the soul. One sees nothing, but one feels that one is adored. It is a paradise of shadows. 

It was from this paradise that Monseigneur Welcome had passed to the other.


I'm not quite in the mood to dissect this passage, and quite frankly I don't want to. It is one that will mean something different to everyone, but it is still completely beautiful and breathtakingly powerful. To me, it is simply a perfect image of love. It is one of my greatest hopes to provide and experience love like this in my lifetime.

It seems that I am having most of my best experiences of France towards the end of this life changing trip (5 days!), which may make it even harder to leave. Last night my friend Christopher's host family thew him a little dinner party, and the dinner was only cheese.

It was absolutely wonderful. I was a bit nervous to spend the night with a group of people who barely spoke English, but it turned out to be one of the highlights of my time here. Christopher's family was so nice, funny, and hospitable. Another couple who host another student in our program were also there, and I really loved them. The husband was a language teacher, and eventually him, I, and my friend Liz were speaking together in French, English, and Spanish. It was so fun. The jokes that come out of so many languages being meshed together are unbelievably funny. The dinner started at 7:30 and I got home at 3 am. It was really one the best nights I've had here.

And as I was walking from the elevator in our apartment building to our door, I had a thought in French without trying. It was simple, but it was something. I actually think I could maybe be good at this language someday. 

A Week of Travel

This is a quick overview of the past two weeks!

This past week I have been in Paris, Andorra, and Barcelona, and they have all been completely amazing.

When we got to Paris it was pouring. We had to walk 20 min with our luggage in the rain to the hotel. Not the best start. We then took a rain-soaked tour of the Jardins du Luxembourg. This is where I saw my first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower. I only saw it for a second through the clouds, but it was amazing and I almost peed my pants. I think I started jumping up and down. After that we were (thankfully) cut loose and two of my friends and I started the journey towards a restaurant for dinner. We crossed the bridge over the Seine looking out towards Pont Nuef and I was literally speechless and couldn't breath. I have never had this kind of reaction to anything I've ever seen. The river was amazingly beautiful with the Parisian buildings and the Eiffel Tower peeking through the clouds and I just couldn't believe I was there. I honestly was emotionally moved and it was completely wonderful. I absolutely love Paris.

Traveling with a group proved to be taxing. We wasted so much time going everywhere because there were so many people, and no one really enjoyed being on someone else's schedule. I would love to go back and do Paris again, seeing what I would like to see. It was an amazing trip, but we were almost too tired to enjoy parts of it.

Paris was also full of Americans. I was not prepared for this, and when we went to dinner the first night and I heard English all around me it was the strangest feeling. It wasn't until we got to Carcassonne that I started hearing French again, and it was somehow a relief!

When we got back from Paris, we rented a car that same day and drove to Andorra, a tiny country between France and Spain. We got our passports stamped and drove through the gorgeous mountains.

After one night in Andorra, we drove the rest of the way down to Barcelona. We rented an apartment for two days and took the metro everywhere. It was very hot with really high humidity. We ate tapas and walked around this beautiful city.

 We visited Gaudi's Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família, and it was honestly the most beautiful building I've ever been in. 

We got to go to the top, and the view of Barcelona was awesome. 

Though we got to take an elevator to the top, we had to take the stairs down. Many flights of spiral stairs is not particularly my favorite. The Arc de Triomphe was like this also, and I am not a fan. 

I loved the architecture, atmosphere, and culture of Barcelona. I would definitely go back.

On the way back from Barcelona, we stopped for lunch in Carcassonne, which I have wanted to see forever. 

Though it was freezing, the castle was beautiful! 

After traveling through three countries in a week, coming back to Pau was strange. We started a new session of classes with new students and new teachers. I honestly just wanted to keep driving all around Europe instead of returning to the classroom. Classes this week were good, I've moved up from level 1 to level 3, and though it is way harder, I am happy that I'm making progress and being challenged. My motivation for homework and getting up early every day is slowly dwindling. With the 4th of July, and just seeing everyone's lake house pictures and stuff I sometimes miss the American summer that I'm not getting this year. I definitely think I'll have a different and better appreciation and understanding of America when I get back. The thought of asking for directions or ordering pizza without any stress seems so foreign to me now and I'm not sure how I'll feel when I can perfectly communicate with everyone again. I'm so excited about going to Michigan and starting the fall semester that it's getting a little hard to focus on school work. 

My aunt and cousin are coming to visit next weekend and I'm meeting them in Bordeaux. I am so excited to see them and to spend Bastille Day in one of the largest cities in France! 

Yesterday we had a group trip to the Basque Country of France. We stopped in the towns of Sauveterre de Béarn, St. Jean-Pied-de-Port, and Saint-Jean-de-Luz. 

All of the houses and buildings in the Basque Country generally are white with red shudders. They used to use ox blood for the shutters, but now they just use paint. 

We went to the beach in Saint-Jean-de-Luz and it was super relaxing and beautiful. I was too busy swimming and tanning to take any pictures of the beach, which I do regret. It was a nice little weekend trip.