Pictures!

I was curious what my apartment is going to look like, so I decided to do some google street view/picture searches. I was not disappointed! I found some amazing pictures! The building my apartment is in is on the right, and my apartment is at the top of the building.

Photo Credit: Gilles Clement

In the above picture, you can see the Eiffel Tower! In the building on the right you can slightly see my apartment window (I am told that that is my apartment), it is a tiny bit around the corner (to the left of the window in clear view at the top of the building). Fingers crossed I really do have a view of the Eiffel Tower! 

Photo Credit: loamvalley

How gorgeous is this picture? In this one you can see my apartment window. I keep saying that that one is mine, only because in the picture I was given there is an arrow pointing to that window. 

Photo Credit: kkaz

I am super close to the Metro. Like super close, it is literally down the street. Convenient! 

I cannot wait to add some of my own pictures! These definitely have made me more excited. And something I think Mikaela will love, I am right across the street from a cute cafe!

18 DAYS!

Holy crap Batman! 18 days. DAYS!

I am so baffled that it is coming up so fast. I remember Mikaela and I talking about this such a long time ago, when she first made the plans to go. And in December/January when I decided to join her, I felt it was forever away. Also, I feel that these past almost 3 months have gone by way too fast and I do not want my 3 months in Europe to be the same.

I am so stupidly excited to see one of the best friends I have ever had (almost 15 years!) after 3 months, and being able to share this amazing experience with her.

Reading all of her blogs makes me giddy, except for when I read she has cried about getting lost, getting caught in the rain, etc. I was hoping she would be the pulled together one hahahaha. I have a feeling we are going to be two blubbering girls who get lost a lot. Sweet.

One thing Mikaela and I are very excited about is having hilarious conversations with people who speak a different language, I foretell a lot of it. I think she is most excited about the Irish accents HAHA. I think I might be able to do somewhat well in that area.

Well, needless to say, I am super excited. YAY!

Done and Done

Finally have my plane ticket and eurail pass!!

That is all.

I have an apartment...in Paris!

I was incredibly nervous about this. I needed to find an apartment in Paris. I know Mikaela had quite the time trying to find one...for MONTHS. And only found one a matter of a couple weeks before she got to Paris. I don't know how she kept it together.

I did lots and lots of research. Trying to find apartments on my own at first, which I assumed would lead to some sort of scam in the end. Scratch that. Next I tried finding a reputable agency, which is way harder then you would expect. I did find a website, Paris Notes, that helped with sorting through all of the clutter out there, it gives you links to some of the best agencies. But unfortunately, the majority of the websites host apartments that were WAY out of my budget, were talking 2000 euro a WEEK. Ya, no.

I look around for 3 weeks, and found lots of nice, clean, reasonably priced apartments, but none that were available from May 10th to 21st. Bummer. One agency I sent an email to about an apartment, got back to me the same day, GREAT, I thought. I quickly sent an email back asking the price of the agency fee's, well it's been a month, and I have not heard back. I did send another email, quite the same as the last, just to make sure mine didn't get lost. And still, nothing. I am actually very happy this agency did not email me back, because I later did some research for reviews on the company. Awful customer service was the main complaint. I can see that.

After finding nothing in my budget and my time period, I decided to use the same agency Mikaela used to find her place, Entrée Paris. I know Mikaela had been using another agency for a while with no luck, and within a week, I believe, she had an apartment using Entrée Paris! The reason I did not use this agency right off the bat was because you have to pay upfront for their services, before you even know what they offer. The do have a Facebook page though, which they update with pictures of new apartments.

After I paid for the service and sent an email to the agency with all my details and wish list for the apartment. It basically included that I wanted to be close to Mikaela, in a clean apartment, and gave them my budget. Well, 5 days after paying for the service, I got an apartment! YAY. Rejoice!

The apartment is in a nice building, across the river from the Eiffel Tower! AH. Not as close to Mikaela as I had hoped, but there was nothing closer in my budget, she is about a 30 minute walk away. BUT, I am basically right beside a Metro station, and I believe Mikaela has one not too far away from her. I am a 10 minute walk away from the Eiffel Tower, and I think I may have a slight view of it. Omg. I will die.

Now that that step is done, I can actually get even more excited about this! I can only imagine how Mikaela felt after having spent so long looking.

If you are ever spending 3 or more weeks in Paris, and need an apartment, I would suggest Entrée Paris (the service fee is on the pricey side, so it may not be worth it if you are spending less time there). They are very friendly, very helpful, and get back to you really quickly. I am beyond pleased with the service. Money well spent.

34 days left to go!

Now I should probably buy my plane ticket and eurail pass...right?