June | 2011 | The Perpetual Passenger

A New England Sports Fan Abroad

June 16, 2011 · by Nikki

I have a history of being away from home when my favorite sports teams make big wins.

On February 1, 2004, the New England Patriots were playing Superbowl XXXVIII to decide the champions of the 2003 regular season. The matchup was against the Carolina Panthers and it all went down at Reliant Stadium in Houston. It was an epic game with some really great football. So great, in fact, that Monday Morning Quarterback author Peter King dubbed it “The Greatest Superbowl of All Time.” Of course I wouldn’t miss it for the world, being that I live and breathe the New England Patriots. So I watched… on DVD in May of that same year. Because on THAT day, February 1, 2004, I was sitting on a plane that was delivering me and 24 other students to our study abroad destination: Cape Town, South Africa.

Knowing I’d be away for the biggest game of the year, I did all I could to support my team. Given my circumstances, this meant wearing a Patriots Jersey on the entire 18 hour plane ride, and a cowboy hat (the hat was more to let people know that I am insane – it worked).

I had a layover in the middle of the long flight, and the layover happened at right around the time the Superbowl should have been over. Luckily for me, there were two other Patriots fans on the plane (which was extremely exciting given that the flight left from New York), so we eagerly asked the pilot to radio back to the States for an update. The wait for news was brutal. I remember how clearly the anxiety weighed on me, and I nearly pounced on any flight staff that walked by servicing the plan we were waiting on for hint of an update.

And then it came. One flight attendant gloriously approached me and the other student that was making the same wish I was and delivered the verdict: The Patriots had defeated the Carolina Panthers 32 to 29.

I still remember that feeling. It was as good as if I had been watching the entire game.

So this morning, at approximately 4:47am Paris time, I woke up to an alert from my phone reading: Final Score – Boston 4, Vancouver 0. And that little message had nearly the same effect as the flight attendant had on me back in 2004. What a great feeling to have been pulling for the winning team!

Though I saw almost none of the final series (I was in Paris for all of the Stanley Cup games), I still felt just as connected to Boston and to my teams as ever. Though football always has been and always will be my favorite, I’m a New England sports fan through and through, and no distance will ever tear us apart!

Ciao!

This Week’s 10 Life Lessons from Paris

June 10, 2011 · by Nikki

Outside, no one makes eye contact. Inside, even strangers say hello.
Buying your veggies fresh daily is awesome.
When they say “delivery at 9am,” expect it either an hour early or an hour late.
You’ve probably seen the Eiffel Tower more often than Parisiens have.
Chivalry is alive and well in this part of Europe.
Buy a step-ladder if you’re living in a Parisien flat. Unless you’re approximately 7 feet tall.
Ikea delivers over here. Whaaaat?!
On Fridays and Saturdays, you’ll never stop saying “Bon weekend!”
Paris recycles! (Love this!)
You can get from Paris to Amsterdam in 3 hours by train.

Turning a Flat into a Home

June 8, 2011 · by Nikki

This past weekend I started the long and arduous process of turning my empty flat into something a little cozier. This is what I’m starting with:

Bedroom

Livingroom

Kitchen (with lots of cleaning products)

Not a bad canvas, if I don’t say so myself 🙂

All the typical things that have to be done to set up a new living situation are in the works (getting utilities going, cleaning, adding my name to the mailboxes…), but the fun part is furnishing and decorating. Right?! Well it would be if I understood a little more French.

I’d say that although this is a really fun part of transitioning to a new home, it’s also been quite challenging for me. Even if I was fluent in French, the procedures used by utility and furniture companies here are quite complex. I have been relying heavily on my co-workers to help me get things done, which leaves me feeling a bit helpless and burdensome. Though they continue to reassure me that I am not, I can’t help but feel bad that my personal life is taking up so much of theirs.

On the bright side, things are starting to come together. Perhaps in a few days I can post some updated photos of how things are coming along. I think it will be a month or so until enough details are in place for me to feel like this is my home, but progress is progress…

As an aside, my flat is directly across the street from a huge church (read: no sleeping in on Snudays! Ding-dong-ding!) called Saint-Esprit. On Saturday I practiced my paparazzi skills and snapped a shot of a bride and groom making their grand exit:

Nice day for a white wedding!

My co-worker, Sophia, tells me “God put you in this flat across the street from the church so you can get some ideas (about marriage).” We’ll see 😉

Ciao!