How quickly this month has passed!


August passed with complete rapidity! I am about to begin the next chapter of my journey: Senegal, the main destination of this voyage I have undertaken. The past month has been an opportunity to transition from my life in the States to my life as a globetrotter, discovering new places with keen interest and curiosity. I am so looking forward to the unknowns of my time in Senegal and Africa in general.
Before commencing this next leg, I wanted to write a little about my dear friends in Nantes, Angers, Niort and Paris, France, that welcomed me into their homes on various occasions throughout this past month. In Nantes, my friends, Charles and Mady, and I walked around the city center, played a lot of board games in protest of the rainy weather, and socialized with their friends and Mady’s parents.


Angers brought me back to the Gouriou-Son family who hosted me while I studied abroad in 2008. It was so good to see them again and spend a day at their home where I have a lot of fond memories. We took two afternoon strolls in places I had never visited—Béhuard and l’Etang de St. Nicolas—in spite of having lived in Angers for three and a half months. I was pleasantly surprised to have the opportunity to see a couple new places in an area I thought I knew well.



I gallivanted around Niort, la Rochelle and le Marais-Poitevin, a unique natural reserve of trees and manmade canals, with my friend, Christèle. Although only three hours by train from Angers, this region was previously unknown to me, so it was an opportunity to catch up with a friend and tour a part of France I had never seen. We promenaded around Niort and la Rochelle and biked about 40 miles through le Marais-Poitevin.


Finally, I wanted to thank my cousin, Christine, once again for her hospitality in Paris. Having a place to stay in central Paris was such a blessing. I was able to leave some of my heavy items at her apartment, so I traveled around Europe a little more lightly. We reconnected over many dinners together and appreciated one another’s company. What exquisite visits with such fabulous people! I am so thankful for the relationships I have been able to maintain here in France and around the world. Next entry: Senegal!


Tip #5 for Traveling on 25 Dollars a Day: To find cheap restaurants and bars, research the location of the university area in the cities you visit. Where students congregate, there are always more reasonably priced establishments due to the limited budget to which most students adhere. Enjoy the funky and eclectic atmosphere of these neighborhoods and save a few bucks on your night out.

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